Food & Cooking Recipes Appetizers 27 Quick and Easy Appetizers That Make Entertaining a Breeze By Rebecca Morris Rebecca Morris Rebecca is a freelance writer for MarthaStewart.com. Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 1, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Lennart Weibull From classy three-ingredient canapés for a cocktail party to lightning-fast dips for game day, we're sharing a selection of super-easy appetizers guaranteed to get any party started. All have either six ingredients or fewer, take less than 15 minutes to prep, or can be made ahead. (Sometimes, it's all three!) To help us select the best appetizer recipes, we started with these three basic rules for hosting: First, seasonal equals simpler. When produce is in peak season, less ends up being more. Next, embrace the life-changing magic of make-ahead recipes. It's savvy planning to include recipes that can be made at least partially ahead of time. Last but not least, don't be afraid to go store-bought. Just be sure to add an easy upgrade at home. The sign of a good "easy" recipe is one that taps store-bought products in a big way, but looks like a from-scratch enterprise. 01 of 27 Loaded Potato Bites Kana Okada We're kicking off this recipe collection with a six-ingredient finger food that will be a hit at any party from Oscar night to the Super Bowl. Peewee potatoes are boiled, smashed, and roasted until crispy and golden, then finished with a flavorful mix of all your favorite toppings: sour cream, scallions, bacon, and cheddar. View Recipe 02 of 27 Cucumber Feta Toasts For a streamlined approach to the classic tea sandwich, try this recipe that features crunchy sliced cucumber and a creamy three-ingredient feta spread. View Recipe 03 of 27 Chorizo, Parsnip, and Olive Bites Bryan Gardner These three-ingredient skewers bring an unlikely but inspired combination of flavors. With well-seasoned chorizo sausage, earthy-sweet parsnips, and zesty green olives, guests won't be able to stop at just one. View Recipe 04 of 27 Cheater's Deviled Eggs Raymond Hom Create all of the comforting flavors of a deviled egg in a fraction of the time with this clever deconstruction of a party food mainstay. View Recipe 05 of 27 Smoked Trout Pâté on Toasted Baguette Burcu Avsar To keep the ingredient list short for this elegant smoked trout spread, we use cream cheese as the main mix-in—it provides both a velvety texture and a balancing tang. Lemon juice, shallot, and fresh herbs round out the flavors in this quick and satisfying appetizer. View Recipe 06 of 27 Easy Sauteéd Mushrooms Turn traditional stuffed mushroom caps inside-out by serving this fast and flavorful blend of sautéed wild mushrooms alongside a log of creamy goat cheese and crisp crostini. View Recipe 07 of 27 Grilled Prosciutto-Wrapped Melon Marcus Nilsson Who doesn't love the classic pairing of prosciutto and melon? A turn on the grill only intensifies the sweet-and-salty flavor profile this appetizer is famous for. View Recipe 08 of 27 Mixed Olive Tapenade William Abranowicz This rustic tapenade really is so easy; a trip to the olive bar followed by a quick warm-up in a skillet, and you're well on your way to having a gourmet-level accompaniment to a cheese and antipasti platter. View Recipe 09 of 27 Lemony White Bean Hummus Dana Gallagher A homemade hummus is a small step up in effort from store-bought, but the payoff is huge. Serve this creamy white bean version alongside seasonal crudités and pita chips. View Recipe 10 of 27 Roasted Tomatoes and Cheese with Thyme William Abranowicz To brighten up (and lighten up) the standard baked brie while still keeping it in the super-easy appetizer realm, we took our flavor cues from the South of France. Roasting cherry tomatoes—even when they are out of season—with woodsy thyme turns them into an umami-bomb of sweet and tart flavor that stands in perfect contrast to the decadent, creamy cheese. View Recipe 11 of 27 Harissa, Goat Cheese, and Herb Tart Bryan Gardner Store-bought puff pastry dough is the perfect buttery base for this easy tart that features spicy harissa paste, creamy goat cheese, and cooling fresh herbs like mint and parsley. View Recipe 12 of 27 Taco Truck-Style Guacamole Chelsea Cavanaugh With a little help from a food processor and a secret ingredient that boasts a high level of acidity, here's a version of guacamole that's not only quicker than your traditional version—it can also be made days ahead with browning. View Recipe 13 of 27 Pear, Walnut, and Ricotta Crostini Clocking in at just five ingredients, this classy canapé is a cinch to make and a real crowd-pleaser for a holiday cocktail party. View Recipe 14 of 27 Spicy Roasted Chickpeas Another five-ingredient wonder, this recipe begins with a couple of cans of chickpeas and a hands-off stint in a hot oven. The result? A crunchy, spicy, and nut-free snack to put out for company. View Recipe 15 of 27 Mango and Avocado Salsa Sweet mango, creamy avocado, and fiery habanero join forces with cooling cilantro and tart lime juice to create this fresh, festive salsa. Just add some tortilla chips and consider yourself ready to fiesta. View Recipe 16 of 27 Bacon-Wrapped Ginger Shrimp Romulo Yanes Smoky bacon, sweet shrimp, and spicy ginger prove you don't need a long list of ingredients to make a tasty appetizer happen—and happen fast, no less. Pair with Maple-Bourbon Cider and prepare to become a household name on the holiday party circuit. View Recipe 17 of 27 Ham-and-Cheese Flatbread Gieves Anderson A crowd-pleasing, super-simple starter with French flair, this recipe starts with a pre-baked flatbread from the supermarket. Top it with a mix of ricotta, deli ham, and caramelized onions for an appetizer that's truly formidable! View Recipe 18 of 27 Spring Pesto Dip Lennart Weibull This light and bright four-ingredient dip is a snap to make, and it's ideal for setting out with crunchy in-season produce for dipping. Make this recipe even easier by picking up a container of store-bought pesto—we recommend the refrigerated kind because it has a fresher color and flavor. View Recipe 19 of 27 Sausage-Cheddar Balls John Kernick These streamlined meatballs keep the ingredient list short and sweet by using pre-made sausage, and they're as at home on the holiday appetizer table as they are on a party platter for game day. View Recipe 20 of 27 Creamy Artichoke Ranch Dip Petrina Tinslay Classic ranch gets upgraded from everyday dip to an elegant special-occasion spread in 15 minutes flat thanks to a food processor and MVP ingredients like jarred marinated artichokes and briny anchovies. View Recipe 21 of 27 Antipasto Skewers In this riff on a classic antipasto platter, these adorable skewers show off just how good these ingredients are together: creamy mozzarella and thinly-sliced prosciutto soften the edges of the hot pickled vegetables and briny olives. View Recipe 22 of 27 Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta Gabriela Herman When late summer comes around and you have the bounty of heirloom tomatoes at your fingertips, don't hesitate to let them shine in this super simple appetizer. View Recipe 23 of 27 Smoky Black Bean Salsa Chelsea Cavanaugh A combination of smoky chipotles, tart lime juice, and assertive red onion soak their way into every black bean. Pair this ultra-flavorful (and ultra-easy) salsa with tortilla or sweet potato chips. View Recipe 24 of 27 Caramelized Mustard-Marmalade Wings Marcus Nilsson On game day, bring pub-style food to your coffee table with this (mostly) hands-off, fryer-free recipe that uses two types of mustard and orange marmalade to make irresistibly sweet-and-sticky chicken wings. View Recipe 25 of 27 Quick Shrimp Relish Tray Alpha Smoot Serve this lighter appetizer on Thanksgiving or any special occasion where there will be a lot of rich foods—the clean flavors of quick-pickled shrimp and briny caper berries are sure to make guests eternally grateful. View Recipe 26 of 27 Radish Canapés with Black-Olive Butter In this classy little French appetizer, the peppery bite of the radish plays off the smooth and salty olive-flecked butter in a unexpected and delicious way. View Recipe 27 of 27 Marinated Peppers with Mint and Sesame Lennart Weibull Five minutes is all you need to make these tasty, versatile peppers. They need at least 30 minutes to stand and allow the flavors to mingle, while you finish the rest of your party prep. Serve them atop bruschetta or as part of your charcuterie board. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit