Finger foods and other appetizers are a necessity in every social gathering. Studies say that bite-sized food portions promote independent eating as guests spend less energy consuming their morsels and more energy socializing with fellow guests.
But finding the ideal finger food recipe can be tough. That’s why we’re bringing you a bunch of amazing recipes. Each recipe will tell you which ingredients to use and share brief instructions. So, which one do you want to try before throwing your next big bash?
1. Spice-Rubbed Chicken Lettuce Cups
Let’s begin with something simple and delicious, shall we? You need ground chicken, olive oil, onion, garlic powder, smoked paprika, leaves from butter lettuce, and sliced green onions (just for garnish) to prepare spice-rubbed chicken lettuce cups. Just cook ground chicken in a skillet with olive oil (medium heat) until browned. Stir in all the spices and keep cooking for a few minutes.
After removing the skillet from heat, spoon the chicken mixture into lettuce leaves and garnish this mixture with green onions (or use cilantro). Serve this dish with a slide of hoisin sauce or sriracha for dipping.
2. Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings
Did you know that chicken wings are America’s favorite finger food ? You can prepare wings with minced garlic, grated Parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, salt, and pepper. Also, you’ll need an air fryer, a pair of tongs, and a mixing bowl to prepare the best garlic parmesan chicken wings your guests have ever tasted. The cooking process isn’t really that hard either!
Preheat your air fryer and create a cheese mixture first. Then, toss the pieces of chicken into the mixture after patting them all dry with a paper towel. Air-fry each side of the chicken for at least 10 minutes and garnish it with the necessary spices to serve at your party.
3. Pepperoni Pizzas
You can even prepare pepperoni pizzas in air fryers. You just need to procure mini pizza crusts (English muffins will do just fine, too!), pizza sauce, sliced onions & pepperoni, shredded Mozzarella cheese, and bell peppers. Then, spread the sauce on all mini crusts before topping them with cheese and pepperoni. Cooking them for about 5 minutes in the air fryer (or until the cheese gets bubbly) is the next step. That’s how you prepare air-fryer mini pizzas for your party.
4. Sweet & Sour Meatballs
The ingredient list for these meatballs is pretty simple. You’ll need beef or turkey meatballs (frozen), sweet & sour sauce, pineapple chunks (canned will do okay), and chopped green peppers. Now, you’ll need a slow cooker to cook these ingredients on low for 4 hours straight.
Keep this in mind that you have to stir the tasty blend occasionally to ensure that the meatballs get coated in hot sauce. Then, stick a toothpick in each of them to check if they’re ripe for picking!
5. Picnic Sandwich Pinwheels
Here’s another idea: Make sandwich pinwheels by using Einkorn flour tortillas, deli turkey, softened cream cheese, mustard, sliced cheddar, lettuce leaves, and bell peppers. The cooking process isn’t that difficult either; you will start by spreading cream cheese evenly over the tortillas and then layer them with the rest of the products (more veggies = better food). Roll these tortillas tightly and then slice them sharply into beautiful, easily edible pinwheels. Try to arrange these pinwheels on a platter and stick toothpicks in them (like we did with the meatballs).
6. Oreo Cheesecake Bites
If you have some softened cream cheese left after making pinwheels, use them to prepare Oreo cheesecake bites. All you need besides cream cheese is sugar, vanilla extract, chocolate drizzle, and, of course, crushed Oreo cookies. Now, take a mixing bowl to beat cheese, sugar, and vanilla in until they become smooth. After that, fold in your crushed Oreos and scoop the whole mixture into mini muffin tins lined with paper liners. After freezing them for 2 hours, drizzle these cheesecake bites with melted chocolate and serve them firm & fresh (especially as a sweet treat after a savory snack).
7. Crispy Rice Sushi
Crispy rice sushi requires cooked and cooled sushi rice, nori seaweed sheets, spicy tuna filling, avocado slices (because why not?), and a cup of soy sauce for dipping. Let’s begin the cooking process, shall we? You’ll start by pressing the rice into rectangular shapes on plastic wrap, after which the nori sheet will go on top of the rice. Don’t forget to add spicy tuna filling and avocado slices in the center. Roll each piece tightly with plastic wrap so it keeps its unique shape.
8. Garden State Empanadas
Did you know that empanadas are the most popular finger food option in states like New Jersey? Let’s show you how to make Garden State empanadas. You’ll need some flour, salt, cold water, and unsalted butter for the dough. The filling requires ground beef, chopped onion, and spices based on your taste (cumin, paprika, etc.). Start making the dough in a bowl by mixing salt and flour. Keep cutting in butter and adding water until it starts to achieve a dough-like consistency.
Next, you’ll work on the filling by cooking onion, adding ground meat, seasoning the blend with spices, and cooking it thoroughly. After the filling has been made, you should roll out the dough & cut out circles to assemble the empanadas. Place your filling in the center and fold over to give them half-moon shapes. You can seal the edges by crimping them with a fork.
Bake these empanadas at 375°F (190°C) for about 20 minutes until they become golden brown or fry in oil until crispy, and serve warm with chimichurri or salsa verde on the side. That’s how they make tasty bite-sized empanadas in the Garden State.
9. Bite-Sized Sausage Rolls
These finger-licking-good, bite-size sausage rolls require these ingredients: sausage meat, thawed puff pastry sheets, and egg wash. You’ll start by preheating the oven and then rolling out puff pastry on a floured surface. Cut this pastry into multiple rectangular sections after which you should place the meat along one edge of each section. Don’t forget to roll them up firmly and brush their tops with egg wash.
In the end, just place these mouthwatering rectangles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Baking these pieces for around 20 minutes will get the job done. Once these sections turn golden brown, you can serve these sausage rolls with mustard or ketchup.
That’s it, folks! You should give these recipes a try and see which one is the easiest for you. All these recipes are designed to make your parties unforgettable for a long time. Guests will spend more time mingling with each other and eager to attend the next big thing that you’re organizing.