41 Festive Mini Appetizers to Get the Party Started
These mini appetizers put the party in the palm of your hand. They make enjoying festive food simple, and these recipes make it fun. Our recipes for mini appetizers include new twists on traditional Southern classics. From mini chicken and waffles to mini tomato sandwiches, honey we shrunk your Southern favorites! These tiny bites will disappear so quickly, and with kid-friendly mini appetizers like meatball sliders and pizza poppers, every family member will love these. Fill a plate with these mini appetizers and savor every little flavor-filled bite.
Shrimp Boil Skewers
Recipe: Shrimp Boil Skewers
Serve this colorful appetizer in small cups if you want to skip the skewers.
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Basic Deviled Eggs
Recipe: Basic Deviled Eggs
 The filling for Southern-style deviled eggs is nothing more than egg yolks, mayonnaise (Duke's if you can find it), mustard, and sweet pickle relish.Â
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Mini Tomato Sandwiches With Bacon Mayonnaise
Recipe: Mini Tomato Sandwiches With Bacon Mayonnaise
Tomato sandwiches are a Southern mainstay, so we made them appetizer friendly and added our new favorite condiment—bacon mayonnaise.
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Party Poppers
Recipe: Party Poppers
Who doesn't love this famously popular appetizer?
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Mini Potato Skins
Recipe: Mini Potato Skins
These crispy wonders have everything you love about a loaded baked potato in one bite.
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Ham-and-Cheese Sliders
Recipe: Ham-and-Cheese Sliders
Southerners will instantly recognize this handheld staple, and the first bite is bound to kickstart all kinds of reminiscing about the last time a melty, gooey, baked ham-and-cheese slider hit the taste buds.Â
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Buttermilk Chicken and Waffles
Recipe: Buttermilk Chicken and Waffles
Keep waffles warm in a 200° oven up to 30 minutes before assembling. Top waffles with chicken, and drizzle with Peach-Horseradish Maple Syrup.
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Hoppin' John Parfaits
Recipe: Hoppin' John Parfaits
Layer black-eyed pea mixture, hot cooked rice, and tomato mixture in 12 (7-oz.) glasses for a charming presentation.
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Cheese Dreams
Recipe: Cheese Dreams
This recipe makes a huge batch of these cheesy bites, but don't worry: They freeze beautifully.
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Slow-Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs
Recipe: Slow-Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs
This retro appetizer will never get old in our house.
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Loaded Deviled Eggs
Recipe: Loaded Deviled Eggs
This mash-up of two all-time favorite recipes is so creative and delicious that people will gobble them up.
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Queso-Filled Mini Peppers
Recipe: Queso-Filled Mini Peppers
If you can't go to a Mexican restaurant without ordering queso, this appetizer is a homemade must-try.
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Buffalo Chicken Sliders
Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Sliders
Whether you serve these Buffalo Chicken Sliders at a tailgate or passed during cocktail hour, we have a feeling there won't be leftovers.
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Baked Brie Bites
Recipe: Baked Brie Bites
This recipe takes everything you love about creamy baked brie and puts it into an adorable (and no-mess!) package.
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Mini Black Bean and Cheese Enchiladas
Recipe: Mini Black Bean and Cheese Enchiladas
These muffin-tin bites are way easier to throw together than the usual stuffing and rolling that comes with enchiladas.
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Fried Chicken Sliders with Pimiento Cheese
Recipe: Fried Chicken Sliders with Pimiento Cheese
Two Southern classics in one dish? Yes, please.Â
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Chipotle-Barbecue Meatballs
Recipe: Chipotle-Barbecue Meatballs
Start with a package of frozen meatballs and cook with bottled barbecue sauce and cherry preserves for this easy, 5-ingredient appetizer.
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Spinach-and-Artichoke Bites
Recipe: Spinach-and-Artichoke Bites
This recipe wraps classic spinach-and-artichoke dip in buttery crescent rolls for a mess-free appetizer.
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Crab Cake Hush Puppies
Recipe: Crab Cake Hush Puppies
Serve these tasty hush puppies with your favorite rémoulade or cocktail sauce.
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Bacon Wrapped Smokies
Recipe: Bacon Wrapped Smokies
Mini smokies are always a hit at parties,and wrapping them in bacon only ups the delicious ante.
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Spicy Bisquick Sausage Balls
Recipe: Spicy Bisquick Sausage Balls
These bites are the best thing you can do with that box of baking mix in the pantry.
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Muffin Pan Tomato Tarts
Recipe: Muffin Pan Tomato Tarts
Love tomato pie? Try these colorful, mini versions for a fun appetizer.
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Mini Crab Cakes with Cajun Sauce
Recipe: Mini Crab Cakes with Cajun Sauce
Crab cakes feel fancy but are super easy to make. Creating tiny patties makes them perfect pre-dinner.
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Prosciutto-Wrapped Mango Bites
Recipe: Prosciutto-Wrapped Mango Bites
This recipe proves how a few simple ingredients can look and taste totally elegant together.
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Chicken Salad Tarts
Recipe: Chicken Salad Tarts
This chicken salad appetizer recipe is perfect for any occasion and (almost!) too pretty to eat.
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Bacon Deviled Eggs
Recipe: Bacon Deviled Eggs
Go ahead and make a second batch—these deviled eggs with thick bacon are so easy to make and tend to disappear quickly.Â
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Meatball Sliders with Tomato Sauce
Recipe: Meatball Sliders with Tomato Sauce
This kid-friendly appetizer comes together with help from your slow cooker.
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Inside-Out Hot Brown Bites
Recipe: Inside-Out Hot Brown Bites
Louisville's famous Hot Brown sandwich gets appetizer treatment with these savory bites.
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Mini Shrimp Rolls
Recipe: Mini Shrimp Rolls
These shrimp sliders have the perfect amount of kick thanks to pickled jalapenos.
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Ham-and-Cheese Skewers
Recipe: Ham-and-Cheese Skewers
We love a no-cook appetizer that is still full of flavor.
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Sweet Potato and Chorizo Sausage Bites
Recipe: Sweet Potato and Chorizo Sausage Bites
There are plenty of inventive ways to enjoy sweet potatoes, and these spicy sausage balls are one of the best.
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Pizza Pepper Poppers
Recipe: Pizza Pepper Poppers
These mini peppers are kid-friendly, fun, and gluten-free!
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Bacon Bow Tie Crackers
Recipe: Bacon Bow Tie Crackers
This addicting appetizer only requires two ingredients, but it's delicious with brown sugar or parmesan cheese sprinkled on top, too.
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Cranberry Brie Bites
Recipe: Cranberry Brie Bites
These pretty bites only need four ingredients, including a topping of pecans for a satisfying crunch.
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Melon, Mozzarella, and Prosciutto Skewers
Recipe: Melon, Mozzarella, and Prosciutto Skewers
Salty ham, fresh melon, and creamy mozzarella meet in appetizer harmony in this recipe.
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Petite Sweet Potato Biscuits with Pulled Pork and Slaw
Recipe: Petite Sweet Potato Biscuits with Pulled Pork and Slaw
Get the whole cookout in one bite with these mini biscuits.
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Fresh Herb-Tomato Crostini
Recipe: Fresh Herb-Tomato Crostini
You can prep the tomato topping up to two days in advance to save you time before you serve this appetizer.
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Curried Shrimp Tarts
Recipe: Curried Shrimp Tarts
Simply stir the ingredients, spoon them into the pastry tarts, and voila: You have an Instagram-worthy appetizer.
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Mini Caprese Bites
Recipe: Mini Caprese Bites
Leave the fork and knife behind and still get all the caprese salad goodness you love.
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Herbed Goat Cheese-Melon Party Bites
Recipe: Herbed Goat Cheese-Melon Party Bites
We try to use fresh watermelon as much as possible during the summer, and these pretty bites are a unique way to do so.
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Pepperoni Pizza Sliders
Recipe: Pepperoni Pizza Sliders
Possibly the easiest party food in existence, these pizza sliders keep things ooey and gooey.