38 Festive Mini Appetizers To Get The Party Started

Cheesy Mushroom Tartlets — Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

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.

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Shrimp Boil Skewers

Shrimp Bowl Skewers — Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Lydia Degaris Pursell

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.

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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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Pizza Sliders

Recipe: Pizza Sliders

Possibly the easiest party food in existence, these pizza sliders keep things ooey and gooey.

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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.

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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

Skewered Persimmon and Herb Bites — Photo: Johnny Miller; Styling: Sarah Smart

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.

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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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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.

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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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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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