40 Super Bowl Appetizers For Your Tastiest Watch Party Yet

Updated January 28, 2021
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Super Bowl Sunday is a special day—mostly because it provides an excuse to eat lots of cheese, nurse an ice-cold beer, and (of course) watch some football. There’s nothing better than settling in on the couch to watch the game with good friends and great food. These bite-sized, easy-serving Super Bowl appetizers make it easy to enjoy snacking while you keep your eyes on the game. No matter how you like to set up your Super Bowl party, we have an appetizer idea that’s sure to wow the crowd.

We’ve given classic finger foods a serious update with some delicious bite-sized, handheld snacks: Your guests will rave over Cheese Dreams, Bacon-Parmesan Tassies, and Cheeseburger Egg Rolls with Special Sauce. If you’re already late to the party or entertaining in a pinch, back-pocket recipes like Tater Nachos or Alabama Fire Crackers require minimal effort but deliver maximum reward. If you prefer to set up a family-style appetizer spread, boards, chips, and dips are the way to go. But as far as we’re concerned, there are two essential components to any Super Bowl appetizer spread: Cheese and bacon. Our Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers—a staple of our Super Bowl table—have got both. Whether your team wins or loses, you’ll be the MVP of Super Bowl appetizers. Game over.

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Smoked Sausage Pretzel Bites

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Smoked Sausage Pretzel Bites

Your guests will forget all about Nancy’s famous pigs in a blanket when you bring out this plate of these puffed, golden-brown Smoked Sausage Pretzel Bites.

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Sheet Pan Nachos with Chorizo and Refried Beans

Credit: Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Sheet Pan Nachos with Chorizo and Refried Beans

Go full-out fiery with extra jalapeño or ditch the chorizo for a vegetarian app. You can load up these sheet pan nachos any way you’d like.

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Crispy Baked Chicken Wings with Pepper Jelly Glaze

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Crispy Baked Chicken Wings with Pepper Jelly Glaze

There’s no need to attempt any deep-frying at home when these chicken wings crisp so beautifully in the oven. 

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Mini Potato Skins

Credit: Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop styling: Claire Spollen; Food styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Mini Potato Skins

These miniature Potato Skins are the perfect size for snacking (but you may want to make a double batch if you want them to last past halftime).

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Warm Cheese-and-Spicy Pecan Dip

Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Warm Cheese-and-Spicy Pecan Dip

Hot, bubbling cheese and toasted, cayenne-spiced nuts? Talk about a touchdown!

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Pull Apart Pizza Bread

Credit: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Pull Apart Pizza Bread

When it comes to this Pull-Apart Pizza Bread, there’s no slicing necessary. Just set it on the counter and watch the pieces disappear.

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Fried Pickle Chips

Credit: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Fried Pickle Chips

Forget about the French fries—this year, we’re all about the fried pickles. These chips are just as addicting as the riff on Comeback sauce we’ve paired them with. Sounds like a match made in heaven.

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Honey BBQ Chicken Wings

Credit: Photography and Styling: Caitlin Bensel

Recipe: Honey BBQ Chicken Wings

Amazingly crispy without a hint of greasiness, these homemade wings are sure to be a hit. 

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Garlic-Butter Shrimp

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Garlic-Butter Shrimp

Design a whole appetizer platter around these buttery garlic shrimp. We promise, they’re worth it.

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Cheeseburger Egg Rolls with Special Sauce

Credit: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Cheeseburger Egg Rolls with Special Sauce

A whimsical way to serve up an American classic, these egg rolls are sure to be the star of the show on the fried appetizer spread.

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Instant Pot Chicken Wings

Credit: Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland; Food Styling: Melissa Gray

Recipe: Instant Pot Chicken Wings

Super Bowl party prep will be a breeze with the help of your handy kitchen companion, the Instant Pot. These drumettes are the ideal size to set out as an appetizer.

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Cheesy Collard Dip

Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Cheesy Collard Dip

An afternoon of football and a big dish of cheesy collard greens? Folks, it doesn’t get much more Southern than that.

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Bacon-Ranch Pasta Salad

Credit: Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Bacon-Ranch Pasta Salad

This pasta salad is good enough to convert anybody into a football fan, even if it’s only for one day of the year.

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Buffalo-Style Sweet Potato Waffle Fries

Credit: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Buffalo-Style Sweet Potato Waffle Fries

Frozen sweet potato waffle fries transform into a loaded appetizer platter in this deceptively simple, buffalo-style dish.

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Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers

Credit: Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers

With just the right balance of heat, smoke, and creamy cheese, these Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers deserve a prime place on any Super Bowl spread.

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Classic Pimiento Cheese

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Classic Pimiento Cheese

We’ve been serving a bowl of Classic Pimiento Cheese at our Super Bowl party for so many years now, it’d simply be bad luck to reverse that tradition.

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Sausage Balls

Credit: Photo: Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Sausage Balls

Yeah, we know, there’s a game to watch, but isn’t the Super Bowl really just an excuse to whip out Mama’s recipe for Sausage Balls?

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Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings

Credit: Photographer: Greg DuPree; Food Stylist: Rishon Hanners; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

Recipe: Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings 

Let your air fryer in on the appetizer fun with these simple wings that offer the perfect combination of saucy and crispy in every bite. 

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Baked BLT Dip

Credit: Skyler Burt

Recipe: Baked BLT Dip

When it comes to the Super Bowl, appetizers reign supreme; rather than preparing a platter of sandwiches, set this creative BLT Dip out on the table for guests to enjoy.

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Tater Nachos

Credit: Photo: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Tater Nachos

A bag of frozen potato puffs is the secret to seriously upgrading any tired plate of nachos. Bake in a skillet and top with sour cream, avocado, pico de gallo, and scallions.

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Instant Pot Meatballs

Credit: Photography: Caitlin Bensel, Prop Styling: Audrey Davis, Food Styling: Rishon Hanners

Recipe: Instant Pot Meatballs

This innovative new way to cook your cocktail meatballs may just convince you to move on from Grandma’s age-old recipe.

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Sweet Potato Chips

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Sweet Potato Chips

The secret to crisp sweet potato chips is to fry them in small batches, in peanut oil, at a low temperature. This makes 6 servings when served as a side but will be plenty for 10 with the other foods on the tray.

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Pimiento Cheese-Stuffed Pickled Okra

Credit: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Pimiento Cheese-Stuffed Pickled Okra

Two Southern favorites come together to create one delicious recipe.

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Sweet Onion and Bacon Dip

Credit: Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Sweet Onion and Bacon Dip

Dips are an ideal way to feed a hungry crowd without fussing over perfect presentation or pre-set portions; this Sweet Onion and Bacon Dip has the potential to be your party’s MVP.

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Slow-Cooker Beef Nachos

Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Beef Nachos

You can also serve the delicious Slow-Cooker Beef in slider buns with your favorite sandwich toppings for a heartier meal.

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Muffuletta Deviled Eggs

Credit: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Recipe: Muffuletta Deviled Eggs

This easy appetizer melds the flavors of olives, egg, and salty salami.

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Bacon-Cheese Dip

Credit: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Recipe: Bacon-Cheese Dip

Keep your game day party easy by making this tasty dip ahead of time.

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Bacon-Wrapped Potatoes with Queso Blanco Dip

Credit: Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Bacon-Wrapped Potatoes with Queso Blanco Dip

You can keep the queso blanco warm in a fondue pot or 1-qt. slow cooker. These are hearty, and would be a winner for a tailgate too.

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Bacon-Parmesan Tassies

Credit: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Bacon-Parmesan Tassies

These tasty little appetizers made of pastry shells, bacon, and Parmesan cheese will be a hit at your party!

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Spicy Roasted Chile Peanuts and Pepitas

Credit: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Spicy Roasted Chile Peanuts and Pepitas

Spicy Roasted Chile Peanuts and Pepitas are an addictive snack. Make extra because they're gone just as quickly as they're put out.

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Chili-Roasted Black Eyed-Peas

Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Chili-Roasted Black-Eyed Peas

Turn canned chickpeas or black-eyed peas into a unique and affordable party snack. Simply toss them in olive oil with a few seasonings and roast until crisp. The key is to bake the beans as long as possible without letting them burn. This will dry them out, making them extra-crunchy like nuts. Enjoy by the handful or sprinkle over a salad.

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