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Every summertime potluck and outdoor party needs appetizers! This collection of BBQ appetizers has all the options you’ll need to accompany your grilled main courses.
More Collections: Finger Food Appetizers, Easy Appetizers, Cold Appetizers
Appetizers are Made for BBQs!
To me, BBQs are synonymous with simplicity. No fancy menu here, just our favorite tried and true recipes. This includes delicious and simple BBQ appetizers!
From summer celebrations like Memorial Day and Fourth of July to a simple backyard BBQ, we love to grill dinner and sit around with our favorite appetizers, BBQ side dishes, and summer desserts!
Why we love these appetizers:
- The list goes on and on! Enjoy various recipes from dips to finger food appetizers and beyond.
- Not just tasty recipes. We’ve also included tips on how much to make to keeping food at the right temperature.
- Try something new. We have our most popular go-to recipes, mixed in with a few new favorites. Get out of your comfort zone and try something unexpected!
Planning Tips
- For 10 or fewer guests offer 2-3 different types of appetizers. Add another dish for every 5-8 more people.
- Plan a total of 3-5 appetizers per person.
- Chips and salsa: Plan 1 quart salsa and 1 pound of chips for every 10 people.
Serving Tips
- Keep the food at the right temperature.
- Warm. Crock pots and chafing dishes work well, depending on access to outlets.
- Cold. Fill a pan with ice cubes and place the trays of food on top. If the food is being served in a bowl, then place ice cubes at the bottom of a larger bowl and nestle a smaller bowl, with the food, inside.
- Transporting food. Have both a warm and cold cooler.
- Warm cooler. Wrap warm food in aluminum foil. Place hot rice bags or hot water bottles in the cooler to help maintain heat. Fill extra space with towels to help insulate the food. Try not to open the lid.
- Cold cooler. Use ice bags. The ice can then be used to cool down drinks or placed in other trays to keep food cool once they are set out. Freeze water bottles, then drink them up when they thaw!
- Watermelon. Check out these posts on How to Choose the Best Watermelon and the Best Way to Cut a Watermelon.
- Keep fruits from browning. When serving cut fruit or a Fruit Salad, sprinkle on Ball’s Fresh fruit powder.
- Or, combine 1 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or lime juice in a bowl. Let the sliced fruit soak for a few minutes before patting it dry and placing it on a tray to serve.
Best BBQ Appetizers
We’ve rounded up our classic choices and top favorites. Check out our summer appetizers for even more!
1 Deviled Eggs Recipe
2 How to Make a Charcuterie Board
3 Easy Fruit Dip
4 Easy Spinach Artichoke Dip
5 Bacon Wrapped Smokies Recipes
6 Veggie Tray
7 Salsa Recipe
8 7 Layer Bean Dip
9 Spinach Artichoke Bites
10 Black Bean Corn Salsa
Easy BBQ Appetizers
Skewers of veggies or Fruit Kabobs are quick and simple (and easy vegan options). But we have even more easy appetizer recipes that are perfect for your next cookout!
11 Pigs in a Blanket
12 Spinach Artichoke Cups Recipe
13 Crock Pot Grape Jelly Meatballs
Recipe Video
Get the recipe14 Veggie Tortilla Roll Ups Recipe
15 Fruit Salsa Recipe
16 Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball
17 Buffalo Chicken Dip
18 Hot Corn Dip
19 Knorr Spinach Dip
20 Dill Veggie Dip Recipe
21 Veggie Cups Appetizer
22 Cream Cheese Salsa Dip
23 Jalapeno Popper Dip Recipe
24 BLT Dip Recipe
25 Watermelon Salsa Recipe
26 Salsa Verde Recipe
27 Peach Salsa Recipe
28 How to Make Guacamole
29 Hamburger Dip
30 Fruit Kabobs
More Appetizers for BBQ
Slather some Baked Chicken Wings in BBQ Sauce or drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over fresh tomatoes and basil in our Caprese Kabobs.
The list continues with even more BBQ sides to complete any meal!
31 Beanie Weenies
32 Ham and Cheese Slider Recipe
Recipe Video
Get the recipe33 Jalapeno Poppers Recipe
34 Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites Recipe
35 Chicken Kabobs
36 Steak Kabobs
37 Boneless BBQ Wings Recipe
38 Pineapple Meatballs Recipe
39 Barbecue Chicken French Bread Recipe
40 Parmesan Crusted Potato Skins Recipe
41 Caprese Kabobs Recipe
42 Fried Pickles
43 Barbecue Meatballs Recipe
44 Easy Bruschetta Recipe
45 Boneless Wings
Can’t Go Wrong with Bacon!
Just 3 ingredients to make candied Bacon Wrapped Smokies. They are the ultimate appetizer and always the first to disappear!
These meat pops are a must for any party we throw!
Here is the recipe:
40+ BBQ Appetizers
Ingredients
- 2 (12-ounce) packages Hillshire Farm Beef Lit’l Smokies
- 1 pound bacon, cold, slices cut into thirds
- ½-¾ cup light brown sugar
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside, then preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Use the cold bacon to wrap around each smokie, then secure them with a toothpick.
- Space smokies evenly on prepared baking sheet.
- Sprinkle brown sugar over all smokies & bacon bundles.
- Bake according to preferred bacon crispiness, or 30-40 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Potluck Perfect Appetizers
These are some of our favorite appetizers to serve at our family potlucks and cookouts. You can’t go wrong no matter which recipes you choose! Be sure to check out all of our appetizer recipes.
More Collections: Appetizer Dips, Healthy Appetizers, BBQ Side Dishes
Easy and exceptional tasty! In addition, kid friendly! A must make1
I have been looking for some good appetizers for our family 4th of July get together. We are smoking some meat and needed some goodies to go with it. There are several here that I have bookmarked and we are making. I am so looking forward to trying that tomato corn avacado salsa!!!!
My husband likes your bacon wrapped recipes while I like the lighter items like the caprese kabobs or zucchini fries.
Pretty much live on on your salsas & dips in the summer!! We love the caprese kabobs too. Love the grilling time of year!!
Great appetizers for any occasion. No need to look further. Best ideas here!