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100+ Easy, Family-Friendly Hot Appetizers

Hot appetizers are a great way to kick off game day events, holiday feasts, and more! Discover over 100+ easy, family-friendly hot appetizer recipes including saucy meatballs, chicken wings, zesty poppers, and more!

Chicken Wings & Chicken Tenders

Rather than order takeout, make one of our delicious chicken tender or chicken wing recipes for your next party or easy dinner.

Close-up of glazed chicken tenders with celery sticks on a white plate.

Winger’s Sticky Fingers

Top view of Crispy Baked Chicken Wings on a green background.

Crispy Baked Chicken Wings

A plate of crispy fried chicken wings with a bowl of dipping sauce on the side, placed on a checkered cloth.

Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings

A rectangular plate with glazed chicken drumsticks garnished with sesame seeds and herbs. A small bowl of white rice and a small bowl of chopped green onions are visible on the side.

Asian Glazed Chicken Drumsticks

A plate of glazed chicken wings with sesame seeds and cilantro, accompanied by a bowl of creamy dipping sauce, on a marble surface.

Slow Cooker Sticky Chicken Wings

A pan of Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings with two sauces on the side and chopped celery and carrots in the background.

Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings

Nachos, Quesadillas, & Taquitos

Triangular quesadillas on a baking sheet with bowls of shredded lettuce, salsa, jalapeños, cilantro, cherry tomatoes, and sour cream on a marble surface.

Sheet Pan Ground Beef Quesadillas

Tray of loaded tater tots topped with melted cheese, bacon bits, diced tomatoes, green onions, and drizzled with a white sauce.

Totchos (Tater Tot Nachos)

A plate of nachos topped with shredded chicken, sliced jalapeños, black olives, green onions, cherry tomatoes, and drizzled with white sauce, placed on a blue cloth.

Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Nachos

Stacked pineapple quesadilla topped with jalapeño slices on a plate; a whole pineapple in the background.

BBQ Chicken and Pineapple Quesadillas

Meatballs

procupine meatballs

Porcupine Meatballs Recipe

A white dish filled with meatballs, chunks of pineapple, red and green bell peppers, and a sauce, placed on a white cloth.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

A white plate filled with meatballs and mushrooms in a creamy sauce, garnished with chopped parsley.

Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs

Close-up of a plate with meatballs in sauce, served over white rice with a side of broccoli. A white bowl is in the background.

Sweet Polynesian Meatballs Recipe

A baking dish filled with cooked glazed meatballs, garnished with chopped green onions.

Honey Sriracha Ground Turkey Meatballs Recipe

A close-up of a dish featuring meatballs, yellow pineapple chunks, and red bell peppers on a bed of rice.

Instant Pot Hawaiian Meatballs Recipe (Dump and Go)

Top view of Crispy Baked Chicken Wings on a green background.

Crispy Baked Chicken Wings

A white plate filled with meatballs and mushrooms in a creamy sauce, garnished with chopped parsley.

Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs

Two small glasses filled with Crispy Air Fryer Frozen French Fries wrapped in a paper towel with a side of ketchup off to the side.

Crispy Air Fryer Frozen French Fries

Close-up of glazed chicken tenders with celery sticks on a white plate.

Winger’s Sticky Fingers

Close-up of golden-brown pastries filled with a green avocado mixture on a white plate. One pastry is cut open to show the filling.

Avocado Chicken Bites

A lined sheet pan crispy zucchini fries and a small cup of dipping sauce.

Crispy Zucchini Fries with Creamy BBQ Sauce

Potato wedges on a tray with a small bowl of pink dipping sauce.

Baked Tater Wedges and Utah’s Famous Fry Sauce

A basket of seasoned sweet potato fries garnished with herbs, placed on a piece of parchment paper, with two dipping sauces in bowls on the side.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

procupine meatballs

Porcupine Meatballs Recipe

A plate of nachos topped with shredded chicken, sliced jalapeños, black olives, green onions, cherry tomatoes, and drizzled with white sauce, placed on a blue cloth.

Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Nachos

classic pigs in a blanket recipe with ketchup

Classic Pigs in a Blanket Recipe

Close-up of several bacon-wrapped chicken pieces seasoned with spices, arranged in a row on a white plate.

Brown Sugar Bacon Chicken Tenders

A pan of Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings with two sauces on the side and chopped celery and carrots in the background.

Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings

A baking dish filled with cooked glazed meatballs, garnished with chopped green onions.

Honey Sriracha Ground Turkey Meatballs Recipe

Small cheese balls coated with chopped nuts and bacon, each with a pretzel stick in the center, arranged on a white plate.

Holiday Cheeseball Bites

Tray of baked cranberry bacon jam crostinis topped with cheese, bacon, and parsley.

Cranberry Bacon Jam Crostini

Plates of bacon-wrapped tater tots on skewers, served with dipping sauce in small bowls.

Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots

Three stuffed mushrooms filled with a savory mixture are placed on a white plate, with more stuffed mushrooms visible in the background.

Parmesan Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe

A close-up of a dish featuring meatballs, yellow pineapple chunks, and red bell peppers on a bed of rice.

Instant Pot Hawaiian Meatballs Recipe (Dump and Go)

Hot dogs wrapped in dough to look like mummies, with candy eyes peeking out, arranged in a row on a white surface.

Halloween Mummy Dogs

Close-up of a plate with meatballs in sauce, served over white rice with a side of broccoli. A white bowl is in the background.

Sweet Polynesian Meatballs Recipe

Three chicken taquitos on a plate, served with a lime wedge and a bowl of creamy dipping sauce.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

A plate of breaded and fried zucchini slices surrounding a small bowl of creamy dipping sauce garnished with herbs.

Baked Zucchini Bites Recipe

A rectangular plate with glazed chicken drumsticks garnished with sesame seeds and herbs. A small bowl of white rice and a small bowl of chopped green onions are visible on the side.

Asian Glazed Chicken Drumsticks

Slow Cooker Honey Buffalo Meatballs Recipe

Top view of Several pieces of Cheesy Garlic Texas Toast on a countertop.

Cheesy Garlic Texas Toast

Baked Mozzarella Cheese Sticks Recipe

Baked Zucchini Fries with a side of dip

Baked Zucchini Fries

meatballs in sweet sauce over rice on a white plate

Slow Cooker Sweet and Tangy Meatballs Recipe

Ham and Cheese Crescents Recipe

Baked Southwest Egg Rolls Recipe

A plate of white rice topped with glazed meatballs, placed on a green and white striped cloth with a fork in the background.

Instant Pot Sweet and Tangy Meatballs Recipe

Triangular quesadillas on a baking sheet with bowls of shredded lettuce, salsa, jalapeños, cilantro, cherry tomatoes, and sour cream on a marble surface.

Sheet Pan Ground Beef Quesadillas

Tray of loaded tater tots topped with melted cheese, bacon bits, diced tomatoes, green onions, and drizzled with a white sauce.

Totchos (Tater Tot Nachos)

Buffalo chicken wings on a white plate with a side of creamy dipping sauce garnished with chopped herbs.

Baked Buffalo Wings

Three rolled tortillas filled with shredded chicken and melted cheese, served with a side of BBQ sauce.

Baked BBQ Chicken Taquitos

A white dish filled with meatballs, chunks of pineapple, red and green bell peppers, and a sauce, placed on a white cloth.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Oven Baked Seasoned Steak Fries on a plate

Oven Baked Seasoned Steak Fries

A plate of glazed chicken wings with sesame seeds and cilantro, accompanied by a bowl of creamy dipping sauce, on a marble surface.

Slow Cooker Sticky Chicken Wings

A plate of crispy fried chicken wings with a bowl of dipping sauce on the side, placed on a checkered cloth.

Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings

A plate of white rice topped with meatballs and diced vegetables in sauce.

Slow Cooker Hawaiian Meatballs Recipe

Four breaded chicken tenders on parchment paper with a cup of dipping sauce in the corner, placed on a wooden board with a cloth underneath.

Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

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