12 Best Appetizer Recipes for Your Next Get-Together

There’s something freeing—nay, liberating—about the idea of an appetizer: without the pressure of the main meal, you pretty much have carte blanche to do what you like with it. Here are all of our favorite bites for anything from game day to a lazy weekday, featuring knockouts like the perfect dry-rubbed wings,a dynamite queso fundido, and a few salads (for balance).

Grilled Chicken Wings with Texas BBQ Rub and Scallion-Ranch Dressing

We would not—could not—do an appetizer roundup without at least one wings recipe. These bad boys from Creative Culinary Director Rhoda Boone are everything you ever wanted a wing to be: spicy, smoky, sweet, and grilled to crispy perfection. These are served with—what else? —a homemade buttermilk ranch.

Queso Fundido with Chorizo

If you think this dish looks suspiciously like a skillet of melted cheese, you’d be 100% correct: queso fundido (whose name literally translates to “melted cheese”) consists of a high-moisture cheese like Oaxaca or mozzarella, baked until molten and bubbling. You’ll commonly find chorizo and chopped green chiles—included in this version from the Made In Studio—as well.

You could fully eat this as a dip, a la Swiss-style fondue, though we prefer to scoop it into warm tortillas.

Salsa Verde en Molcajete

While not technically an appetizer in itself, this versatile green salsa from Marcela and Tania Medina of Duplo Design is perfect for livening up freshly fried chips, tacos, or a pile of nachos—pretty much anything masa-centric. Leftovers go great with eggs, rice and beans, and grilled meats.

Grilled Oysters, Two Ways

How does one grill an oyster, you ask? Why, with plenty of butter and hot sauce, of course. These two versions—New Orleans-style and Bloody Mary-style—each feature fresh oysters grilled on the half shell with tons of savory, spicy, and/or boozy ingredients.

Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread with Honey Butter

Featuring the classic Tex-Mex duo of cheddar and jalapeno, this skillet cornbread from the Made In Studio is a killer swap for your usual bread basket—or the boxed variety.

Ginisang Hipon (Sautéed Shrimp)

To offset the carb and cheese-centric nature of most appetizers, we recommend having a fresh, bright option available—and this Filipino sautéed shrimp dish from Seattle-based Chef Melissa Miranda is more than happy to fill that need. Using Sprite for deglazing, caramelization, and a hint of acidity, it'll put any store-bought shrimp cocktail to shame.

Potato Latkes

Life is too short to wait until the holidays for latkes: we believe you should get to eat these hot, crispy, freshly fried potato pancakes—recipe courtesy of Made In co-founder Jake Kalick’s mother, Kelly—any time the craving hits. As for the sour cream vs. applesauce debate? We plead the fifth.

Kale Salad with Pomegranate and Maple-Glazed Carrots

Goat cheese, pomegranate seeds, and toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds bring a trifecta of tangy, toasty and tart flavors to this kale salad, courtesy of Creative Culinary Director of the Made In Studio, Rhoda Boone. We could easily (and happily) enjoy it as a meal in itself, but it also provides a welcome verdant contrast to other apps.

Potato Pierogies with Caramelized Onions

To turn humble ingredients like potatoes and onions into flavorful, comforting pierogies, you'll need a little patience (and the right kitchen tools, of course). Chef Jakub Czyszczon of Garrison in Austin pairs the classic filling with a beginner-friendly dough and tops with more onion, perfect for sharing.

Mushroom Tart with Gruyère and Parmesan

Created by our own Associate Director of Hospitality Sales Jenna Seco, this savory number is built on a base of store-bought puff pastry and finished with a golden-brown cheesy lid. Pair with one of the aforementioned salads for a pretty perfect meal.

Fried Green Tomatoes with Warm Curried Crab Salad

Good luck eating this dish standing up: these juicy, crunchy fried green tomatoes—courtesy of Houston-based and Top Chef alum Chef Dawn Burrell—are a definite knife-and-fork affair. And with a curry-laced dressing and tender crab salad, they’re more than worth the effort.

Chilled Cucumber Tofu Salad

Created by Chef Keegan Fong of Los Angeles’ Woon restaurant, this salad is the best kind of salad: one that doesn’t require any cooking at all. All you’re responsible for is cutting up the tofu (which typically comes pre-marinated), cucumbers, and cilantro, mixing up the dressing, and tossing all ingredients together.

Ready to Cook?

Appetizers should never be an afterthought, and each of these twelve recipes are delicious enough to take center stage. Of course, you’ll want to have the right tools on hand: that’s why we recommend our Stainless Clad and Carbon Steel cookware lines for all your wing-grilling, latke-frying, cornbread-baking needs.