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Home » Recipes

Appetizer Recipes

No matter the occasion, a good appetizer sets the tone for the meal. Whether you're cooking on the smoker, air frying, or keeping it simple, these recipes are easy to make and always a hit.

A platter of crispy Pit Boss smoked chicken wings with a golden brown dry rub, served with a side of dipping sauce.

Most Popular Appetizer Recipe

These Smoked Chicken Wings are the most popular appetizer recipe year after year - readers love them!

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Top Appetizer Recipes

  • Extra crispy air fryer chicken wings on a serving tray with ranch dipping sauce.
    Extra Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings With Baking Powder
  • Classic deviled eggs garnished with paprika and fresh parsley on a serving platter.
    Old-Fashioned Deviled Eggs With Miracle Whip
  • Crispy smoked shotgun shells stacked in a pyramid style on a wooden cutting board.
    Smoked Shotgun Shells on Pellet Grill
  • Smoked jalapeno poppers on a grilling tray, garnished with red pepper flakes.
    Best Smoked Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

Smoked Appetizers

  • Traeger smoked salmon on a baking sheet.
    Traeger Smoked Salmon Dry Brine Recipe
  • Smoked queso dip in an aluminum pan, on a cooling rack, with tortilla chips beside the pan on the table.
    Easy Smoked Queso Dip Recipe on Pellet Grill
  • Smoked shrimp on a white serving platter, with a side of lemon wedges and seafood sauce.
    Easy Smoked Shrimp on Pellet Grill
  • A foil pan of smoked party ribs with a glossy BBQ glaze.
    Smoked BBQ Party Ribs
  • A closeup of smoked perogies wrapped in bacon on a grilling tray.
    Bacon Wrapped Smoked Perogies
  • Crispy 0-400 chicken wings on a serving platter, garnished with fresh parsley, served with buffalo sauce for dipping.
    Crispy Smoked 0-400 Chicken Wings on Pellet Grill

Air Fryer Appetizers

  • Crispy air fried gnocchi stacked in a white bowl with buffalo dipping sauce.
    Crispy Air Fryer Gnocchi
  • Crispy golden brown shrimp tempura in a white bowl with lemon slices, and a yellow napkin in the background.
    Air Fryer Shrimp Tempura Recipe
  • Air fryer armadillo eggs on a white serving platter, with one cut open in the middle.
    Easy Air Fryer Armadillo Eggs
  • Two shrimp skewers on a dinner plate with pasta.
    Easy Air Fryer Shrimp Skewers (Kabobs)

Dips and Salsas

  • The best peanut butter hoisin sauce in a white dipping bowl garnished with sesame seeds.
    Best Peanut Hoisin Sauce Recipe
  • A white bowl filled with mango habanero salsa.
    Easy Mango Habanero Salsa Recipe
  • A white bowl filled with creamy keto spinach dip, surrounded by carrots, mushrooms, and celery.
    Cold Keto Spinach Dip Recipe with Cream Cheese
  • Homemade salsa served in a white bowl, with fresh salsa ingredients surrounding it.
    Easy Chunky Salsa Recipe With Fresh Tomatoes
  • Layered gluten-free taco dip in a serving dish, showing layers of cream cheese, lettuce, peppers, onion, tomatoes, and shredded cheese.
    Gluten-Free Taco Dip Recipe
  • A bowl of food on a plate, with pico de gallo.
    Easy Peach Pico de Gallo Recipe

Vegetarian Appetizers

  • Zucchini rounds on a serving platter with ranch dip.
    Air Fryer Zucchini Parmesan (Keto)
  • The cottage cheese ranch dip being scooped with a carrot stick, showing creamy texture.
    Easy Cottage Cheese Ranch Dip (2 Ingredients)
  • Baked brie on a serving platter, with some warm melty cheese oozing out.
    Easy Baked Brie with Honey Recipe
  • Two rice paper rolls on a dinner plate with peanut dipping sauce.
    Fresh Spring Rolls With Shrimp And Peanut Sauce

Meat-Based Appetizers

  • Buffalo chicken dip in a glass casserole dish, with tortilla chips sprinkled along the outside of the dish.
    Buffalo Chicken Dip - No Cream Cheese
  • Sweet and Sour Venison Meatballs simmering in white baking dish, showing glossy sauce coating each meatball.
    Best Ever Sweet And Sour Venison Meatballs
  • Smoked venison meatballs garnished with fresh parsley and sesame seeds.
    Smoked Venison Meatballs On Pellet Grill
  • Cranberry glazed turkey meatballs in white baking dish topped with fresh herbs and cranberries..
    Turkey Meatballs with Stuffing & Cranberry Glaze
  • Air fried scallops wrapped in bacon on a white plate, garnished with fresh parsley.
    Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Scallops
  • Teriyaki pineapple meatballs on a white plate.
    Easy Teriyaki Pineapple Meatballs Recipe

More Appetizer Recipes

  • Frozen meatballs cooked in the air fryer.
    Frozen Meatballs in Air Fryer
  • Homemade red pepper jelly made with chopped peppers, shown in an open jar with sealed jars behind.
    Homemade Red Pepper Jelly
  • A crisp white bowl filled with homemade keto pico de gallo, nested perfectly in the center of a large yellow bowl overflowing with crunchy tortilla chips.
    Authentic Keto Pico de Gallo (Low Carb Salsa Fresca)
  • Air fryer green bean fries coated in crispy Parmesan panko breadcrumbs served with creamy dipping sauce.
    Air Fryer Green Bean Fries
  • Crispy chicken wings on parchment paper on a white table with buffalo sauce in a container in the background.
    Frozen Chicken Wings in Air Fryer
  • Crispy turkey wings in the air fryer basket garnished with parsley.
    Crispy Air Fryer Turkey Wings
  • Carnitas street tacos with tender pulled pork, jalapeño slices, red onions, and avocado lime crema on corn tortillas.
    Easy Carnitas Street Tacos
  • Cinnamon sugar puff pastry christmas trees on a white countertop, topped with small star sugar cookies.
    Cinnamon Sugar Puff Pastry Christmas Trees
  • Homemade sourdough discard crackers baked until golden and crispy on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
    Savory Sourdough Discard Crackers (6 Ingredients) 
  • Cooked shrimp in a casserole dish with lemon slices and cilantro for a garnish.
    Pre-Cooked Shrimp in Air Fryer
  • Sheet pan of loaded nachos topped with pulled pork, sliced jalapeños, red onion, black beans, and a creamy sauce drizzle.
    BBQ Pulled Pork Nachos
  • Freshly made smoked salsa in a rustic bowl with tortilla chips.
    Easy Smoked Salsa Recipe (Pellet Grill)
  • Smoked cream cheese in a cast iron skillet topped with red pepper jelly and surrounded by crackers.
    Smoked Cream Cheese on a Pellet Grill (2-Ingredients)
  • A platter of crispy Pit Boss smoked chicken wings with a golden brown dry rub, served with a side of dipping sauce.
    Pit Boss Smoked Chicken Wings
  • Homemade canned salsa stacked on a wooden counter.
    Easy Canned Salsa Recipe with Fresh Tomatoes
  • Creamy 3 ingredient pumpkin fluff in a serving bowl, topped with white chocolate chips.
    3 Ingredient Pumpkin Fluff
  • A glass mason jar filled with homemade refrigerator pickled jalapeños, sitting on a wooden board with fresh jalapeño slices scattered around.
    Small-Batch Refrigerator Pickled Jalapenos
  • An aluminum tray filled with smoked pork belly burnt ends.
    Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends on Pellet Grill
  • Bacon-wrapped smoked meatballs glazed and served on a grilling tray.
    Smoked Bacon Wrapped Meatballs (Moink Balls)
  • Four pictures of fun pink party food ideas: beetroot hummus, pink popcorn, blood orange margarita, and no bake kool aid pie.
    50 Fun Pink Party Food Ideas
  • Mushrooms piled in a cast iron dish, topped with chopped fresh basil for garnish.
    Smoked Mushrooms on Pellet Grill
  • Three golden-brown baked pulled pork taquitos on a white plate, garnished with chopped green onions and served with ranch dipping sauce.
    Crispy Pulled Pork Taquitos (Oven or Air Fryer)
  • Crispy air fryer stuffed mushrooms on a white serving platter.
    Air Fryer Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
  • Perfectly air-fried morel mushrooms on a rustic ceramic plate, showing their golden-brown color and slight crisping at the edges, garnished with fresh thyme leaves and a light butter drizzle.
    Air Fryer Morel Mushrooms (No Breading)
  • Crispy breaded morel mushrooms with ranch dip.
    Crispy Breaded Air Fryer Morel Mushrooms
  • Juicy meatballs made without breadcrumbs piled high on a white plate.
    Easy Meatball Recipe without Breadcrumbs or Cheese
  • Crispy pork belly bites in the air fryer basket, garnished with green onion.
    Crispy Air Fryer Pork Belly Bites
  • Smoked smashed potatoes on a baking sheet, garnished with chives.
    Crispy Smoked Smashed Potatoes
  • Chocolate covered strawberries in a white dish, with dark and white chocolate strawberries on a plate in the background.
    Chocolate Covered Strawberries for Valentine's Day
  • Smoked chex mix piled high in a glass bowl, with a tray in the background.
    Smoked Chex Mix on Pellet Grill
  • Smoked jalapeno popper dip an a cast iron skillet, with tortilla chips beside it for dipping.
    Smoked Jalapeno Popper Dip Recipe
  • A closeup view of chicken teriyaki on a stick on a bed of white rice with grilled pineapple.
    Grilled Teriyaki Chicken on a Stick
  • Smoked pork butt bites in a foil pan just after being removed from the pellet smoker.
    Smoked Pork Butt Burnt Ends On Pellet Grill
  • A bowl of creamy salsa con queso in the center, surrounded by a circle of crispy tortilla chips, invitingly set up for dipping and sharing.
    Best Salsa Con Queso Recipe
  • Pictures of tacos and elote corn for the roundup post on 30 plus cinco de mayo party recipes.
    30+ Best Cinco De Mayo Party Recipes
A photo of Jeri Walker smiling in her kitchen while holding a cup of coffee, welcoming her readers to her website.

Meet Jeri

I'm Jeri, the recipe developer, photographer, and writer behind Winding Creek Ranch. With over 40 years of hands-on cooking experience, I specialize in creating easy, family-friendly recipes that actually work. From pellet grill and air fryer dishes to everyday meals, each recipe is tested to ensure it turns out perfectly every time.

More About Jeri →

Smoker Favorites

  • Smoked 3-2-1 ribs on a white plate with a bowl of baked beans.
    Best Fall Off The Bone Smoked 3-2-1 Ribs Recipe
  • Smoked salmon fillet baked to perfection, placed on a slate board with slices of lemon beside it.
    Best Smoked Salmon on Pellet Grill Recipe
  • Crispy smoked shotgun shells stacked in a pyramid style on a wooden cutting board.
    Smoked Shotgun Shells on Pellet Grill
  • A platter of crispy Pit Boss smoked chicken wings with a golden brown dry rub, served with a side of dipping sauce.
    Pit Boss Smoked Chicken Wings

Reader Favorites

  • Perfectly cooked air fryer boneless thighs in the air fryer basket.
    Perfectly Juicy Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
  • Six jars of pickled beets on a wooden counter with beet leaves.
    Easy Old Fashioned Pickled Beets Recipe
  • A loaf of homemade sourdough bread in the Dutch oven it was just baked in.
    Easiest Ever No Knead Sourdough Bread Recipe
  • Jars of homemade canned spaghetti sauce on a wooden table.
    Homemade Canned Spaghetti Sauce Recipe with Fresh Tomatoes

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