Let’s be real — while your friends may show up for the big game, they’re really staying for the Super Bowl snacks. When it comes to football, there are a few necessary appetizers that can be expected. We’re talking dips, sides and snacks with an emphasis on anything cheesy, salty, saucy and spicy. Whatever recipes you choose to make, delivering big flavors is the name of the game here.
But, between hosting and cooking, we understand if you don’t want to cook a full meal come game day. It’s no small feat to feed a crowd and spending too much time in the kitchen can take the fun out of celebrating. Instead, we’re all about putting together a spread of crowd-pleasing appetizers and easy snacks to fulfill your friends and families biggest game day cravings. Finger food is the perfect way to fill up while getting to try different dishes.
Here, we’ve rounded up 70 of our favorite recipes to solve for all your game day needs. If you’re looking for quick and easy recipes, why not try slow-cooker Buffalo dip, pesto palmiers, tater tot nachos or barbecue-spiced popcorn? For more adventurous palates, recipes like masala wings, tarte flambée or smoky deviled eggs with pico de gallo are not to be missed. Of course, we’ve included all the classics like homemade caramelized onion dip, pizza pockets, macaroni and cheese bites and a DIY chili bar for those who can’t get enough of the classics. Whatever your preference, we’ve got a recipe for you.
Dips
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
Everything bagel seasoning is beloved for good reasoning. Made with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, garlic, onion and salt, a sprinkle of this seasoning packs a ton of flavor and texture to anything it touches. Here, it’s used to create a dip that brings together all the best parts of a bagel — cream cheese, capers and scallions. Serve it with bagel chips for the full effect.
TODAY
As a queso lover, Jenna Bush Hager knows what to include to make this cheesy dip a standout. This recipe is a twist on a popular dish served at the Magnolia Cafe in Austin, Texas. The joy of Jenna’s approach is that all it takes is stirring everything together in a pot. With cheese, beans and meat, you’ll have a crowd-pleasing queso in no time.
Casey Barber
We love anything deconstructed, and this jalapeño popper dip is no different. Cream cheese and yogurt are mixed with shredded cheese, spices and of course, chopped jalapeños. The dip gets topped in crushed cheesy crackers to add some crunch. The best part? There’s no frying required.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
Matt Adobo shares a family favorite recipe courtesy of his mother-in-law. Made with cream cheese and Swiss cheese, and topped with crispy bacon and scallions, this dip takes inspiration from bagel toppings. With only a handful of ingredients, it comes together in under 15 minutes, which is great when you’ve got a hungry crowd of game day-viewers at your house.
Zach Pagano / TODAY
Pimento cheese is a Southern staple that’s crucial to any Super Bowl spread. Al Roker adds a special ingredient to his version — Sriracha! Along with cheddar, mayonnaise and pimentos, the Sriracha adds a bit of heat and depth of flavor to this classic dip.
Kara Birnbaum / TODAY
As long as there’s a bowl of hot queso on your game day spread, everyone’s a winner. This one-pot recipe includes jalapenos and tomatoes for a bit of heat and texture. While you can serve this with chips, queso is also great over nachos or chili dogs.
Courtesy Matt Abdoo
Buffalo chicken and football are a classic pair. Matt Adobdo’s recipe brings all the flavors of wings and transforms it into dip form. Rotisserie chicken meat is combined with cream cheese, blue cheese and hot sauce to get that classic buffalo flavor. The addition of banana peppers and celery adds a welcome crunch and acidity to the otherwise rich dish.
Elizabeth Heiskell
While we’ll never say no to the store-bought stuff, homemade onion dip really is so much better . The key here is to cook the onions low and slow until they’re deeply caramelized. Mix the onions with a trio of cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise and you’ve got a dip that’ll keep your friends and family coming back for more.
Signature Kitchen Suite
Parm dip is all about bringing umami flavor to the forefront of whatever you’re pairing it with. Here, hunks of Parmesan cheese are blended with Asiago, garlic, herbs and olive oil to create a chunky dip. While it’s great served with crackers, you can also use it to top crostini, pasta, steak or chicken for an elevated approach to game day.
Fresco by Scotto
Baked brie shouldn’t get all the fun in the oven. To make this cheesy dip, combine ricotta, mozzarella and grated Parmesan and bake them together until melted and browned. To serve, top it with an aromatic garlic sauce that amps up the flavor.
Andrea Lynn
There’s no better time to make use of your slow cooker than when you’re hosting a Super Bowl party . Start by cooking the chicken low and slow in hot sauce until it becomes easily shreddable. Then, add in the other buffalo chicken essentials like cream cheese, blue and cheddar cheese. If you’re looking to save even more time, opt for using rotisserie chicken.
Joy Bauer
If spinach artichoke dip wasn’t already a winner, this recipe takes it to the next level. First, feta gets added to the mixture, which adds a creamy texture and salty flavor. Then, the dip gets baked until golden brown, resulting in a great crispy top layer.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
This recipe has all the flavor of buffalo chicken dip with a few lighter swaps.. It’s made with cauliflower rice and Greek yogurt, as well as the usual sour cream and cream cheese (just use reduced fat options when possible).
Joy Bauer
If you’re looking for a vegan-friendly dip for your game day spread, hummus is a great option. Here, take hummus one step further by creating a whole spread around this chickpea dip. All it takes is ensuring that there’s an assortment of crackers and vegetables such as sliced peppers, endive and cucumbers to serve alongside.
American Bar / American Bar
While this looks like a classic spinach-artichoke dip, there are two special ingredients that make it a real knockout. Chicken seasoning and queso fresco add a great savory flavor, as well as more interesting texture, to this beloved dip. Serve it hot straight out of the cast iron to cut down on cleanup.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
Seafood lovers, this one’s for you. This dip has some of the trappings of spinach artichoke, but instead of spinach, you’ll find generous pieces of lobster meat. The result is a decadent dip that packs in a ton of summery flavor.
Nachos
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
This recipe draws on inspiration from Philadelphia’s famous Italian American pork sandwich. If you’re unfamiliar, the sandwich layers roasted pork shoulder with garlicky broccoli rabe and slices of provolone cheese. Here, all of the same elements get layered with tortilla chips to create the ultimate game day nachos.
Andy Lee
When it comes to nachos, chef Ford Fry keeps it classic. These nachos are smothered in cheese, refried beans and pickled jalapenos. While Fry makes his own tortillas from scratch (the flavor and texture is totally worth it), you can use store-bought chips to cut down on time.
Courtesy Elena Besser
These nachos are the perfect balance of store-bought and homemade elements. Tortilla chips, cheese, canned black beans and shredded rotisserie chicken are all layered together to ensure that no chips are left uncovered. Homemade pickled red onions and cilantro-lime crema add a touch of acidity and creaminess to every bite.
Casey Barber
While we love digging into a big platter of nachos, there’s something especially nice about having your own individual portion. That’s where these foil packet nachos come into play. Each packet includes tortilla chips smothered in Velveeta and cheddar cheese. Cooked them on the grill to keep the kitchen clean and build a smoky charred flavor.
Joy Bauer
Buffalo chicken gets the nacho treatment with Joy Bauer’s recipe. Leftover chicken gets tossed with your hot sauce of choice, shredded Mexican cheese and tortilla chips. Top it off with dollops of Greek yogurt to add some creaminess and more hot sauce to pack a punch.
Making and serving nachos on a sheet pan is as easy as it gets. Not only is clean-up a breeze, but this method also means every chip will get covered with toppings. This recipe keeps it simple with tortilla chips, shredded cheese, canned black beans and chopped pickled peppers.
Sydney Adler / TODAY
These flavorful tortilla cups take all the best parts of nachos and turn them into a bite-sized snack. A cookie cutter comes in handy to cut out circles of tortilla that make up the cup portion. Just place them in a muffin tin and bake until crispy. The tortillas get filled with barbecue chicken and cheese and baked once more until melty. They’re a novel snack that the whole family will get excited about.
TODAY
If you like nachos, you’ll love Siri’s tatchos (aka tater tot nachos). Instead of tortilla chips, Siri makes use of frozen tater tots as the base of her recipe. Once crispy, the tots are topped with cheese and crumbled bacon and baked until melty and crispy. Serve topped with hot sauce-spiked sour cream, avocado, tomatoes and green onions.
Samantha Okazaki / TODAY
Potato skins are a game day snack staple, so why shouldn’t they riff on another snack classic for the ultimate mash up? Rather than tortillas, crispy potato skins and ridged potato chips make up the bulk of the nachos. They’re topped with crispy bacon, two kinds of cheese, sour cream and herbs.
Sunny Anderson
The flavors of philly cheesesteak work well with just about anything they touch. Here, thinly sliced ribeye is smothered in two varieties of cheese sauce on top of a pile of tortilla chips. It’s the best of two game day dishes rolled into one appetizer.
Wings
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
To claim something is better than Buffalo sauce, which is perhaps the most beloved of all the game day flavors, you’ve got to deliver something incredibly impressive. And these better-than-Buffalo wings do. Dry brined and smoked to render out excess fat and moisture, these wings are finished on the grill. The final result is an impossibly crispy wing full of great flavor.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
Garlic, butter and Parmesan cheese are one of the most beloved flavor trios. Here, the trifecta is made into a sauce along with Creole seasoning and parsley. Deep-fried wings are tossed in the sauce until every nook and cranny is fully coated, resulting in a flavorful bite.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
There’s so much to love about these wings. First, there’s no frying involved — which means less mess and cleanup. Instead, the wings are dry brined and baked until cooked through. Finish them off on the grill to get that great char and smoky flavor. The finished wings get tossed in a scallion-chile chermoula, a punchy green sauce that hails from Northern Africa. Serve the wings with a white sauce to cut the heat.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
Traditional shawarma is all about balancing textures, flavors and spreads. Here, Adam Richman takes inspiration from the Middle Eastern meal and transfers them to chicken wings. Think za’atar, aleppo pepper, hawaij and a white sauce reminiscent of toum for dunking.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
This dish is a far cry from your everyday ho-hum wings. Chicken wings get a long marinade in the fridge in adobo spices, which infuses the wings with a ton of flavor. To add some crunch, a mixture of panko bread crumbs and spices are combined before the wings get baked. Serve them with a coconut milk-based sauce to cut down the heat.
Courtesy Anthony Contrino
Dry brining wings is a great technique to add great flavor and texture without a ton of work. Here, pre-made taco seasoning is added to the brine to impart even more flavor. Toss the baked wings in a mayonnaise-based sauce spiked with chipotles in adobo, lime juice and spices.
Camila Alves
With only five ingredients, these wings couldn’t be easier to make. Chicken is marinated in a simple rub of lemon juice and spices overnight, which delivers all the flavor. After baking, drizzle the wings in honey and boil until deeply golden and shellacked.
Tiffani Faison
Spice lovers, this one’s for you. These Indian-inspired wings are first coated in a mixture of tomato paste, honey and spices before getting baked. Serve the crispy wings with a side of yogurt to take down the heat and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
If you’re unfamiliar, mochiko is a glutinous rice flour that’s finely milled to a powder. This flour gives an incredibly crispy coating to anything it touches. Mixed with oyster sauce, soy sauce and aromatics, the chicken wings take on a nuanced umami flavor before getting deep fried.
Zach Pagano / TODAY
A far cry from Buffalo wings, these Asian-inspired snacks take on a whole new flavor profile. Crispy baked wings are tossed in a sweet and sticky sauce made with a host of East Asian pantry staples like soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and garlic. Since there’s no marinating involved, these are a great candidate to throw together when you’re short on time.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
These wings take inspiration from Korea and the Middle East. Each wing gets double fried in a cornstarch mixture until golden brown and impossibly crispy. After frying, toss the wings in a spice blend made of za’atar and sumac for a flair of Middle Eastern flavor.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
Korean-style wings are all about the crunch. Coated in a mixture of potato starch and flour, they’re impossibly crispy. After frying, toss the wings in a butter sauce spiked with soy sauce, fish sauce, gochujang, honey and garlic to add a burst of umami to every bite.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
If you’ve ever been to Kentucky, you know the state is all about incorporating the flavors of Bourbon in every preparation possible. This recipe combines Bourbon with chunky peach preserves, onion confit and habanero peppers for sweet-meets-spicy flavor. Here, chicken wings are the most obvious choice to show off this Southern-inspired glaze.
Ray Kachatorian
Curtis Stone takes a cue from Thai cooking with these game day-ready wings. Marinated in a mixture of lemongrass, garlic, shallots and herbs, the wings are imparted with flavor even before they hit the grill. Finishing them off over fire ensures a charred exterior with a bonus of some smoky flavor.
Bite-sized appetizers
Helen Healey / TODAY
This recipe mashes up two game day favorites — pull-apart bread and pigs in a blanket. Instead of baking the pigs in a blanket on their own, place them next to each other standing up to create a ring shape. After baking, place a bowl of beer cheese in the center for easy serving.
Helen Healey / TODAY
When it comes to creating the perfect game day assortment, we’re all about making snacks that pack a ton of flavor without much effort. Here, phyllo dough is stuffed with feta and sprinkled with sesame seeds before it’s rolled up and baked. Serve it with a Sriracha honey dipping sauce to add some heat.
Helen Healy / TODAY
While often thought of as a sweet pastry, this palmier recipe leans savory. Made with only two ingredients, it couldn’t be easier to make. Puff pastry is brushed with store-bought pesto before it’s rolled into that classic palmier shape and baked until golden brown. It’s an irresistible snack to pass before digging into the rest of your game day spread.
Zach Pagano / TODAY
If you love pigs in a blanket, buckle up because your world is about to be rocked. Instead of puff pastry dough, Hoda makes her version with mustard-brushed croissant dough. The final result is an impossibly flaky bite with a bit of tang. It’s novel, elevated and so much fun to eat.
Zach Pagano / TODAY
Pre-cooked phyllo cups are a must when it comes to creating a game day spread. These crispy cups can be filled with just about anything, and are the perfect single bite snacks. For this recipe, combine cream cheese with spinach and feta for a Greek-inspired treat.
Tastemade / Nick Agro
If you’re a pizza lover, you’ll love these hand-held pizza pockets. Store-bought puff pastry rectangles are stuffed with diced meatballs, tomato sauce and mozzarella to give you all of the flavor of pizza in an individual serving. If you’re not into the idea of meatballs with your pizza, add whatever traditional toppings you like. Pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms and even pineapple are all great options.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
Tacos can be a messy — albeit delicious — meal on their own. That’s why we love this mini version, which gives you all the joy of a shrimp taco in two bites. Saucy adobo shrimp are tossed with crunchy red onion and peppers before getting drizzled with a punchy cumin sour cream sauce. Use a cookie cutter to create petit tortillas by cutting them out of burrito-size versions.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
These lasagna bites are the perfect way to get your pasta fix at a tailgate or game day gathering with ease. Packed with flavor, this snack gives you the full experience of traditional lasagna with some added crunch, thanks to a deep-fried golden brown exterior.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
While we love a piping hot casserole of mac and cheese, it’s not always ideal for serving at a big gathering. This recipe transforms mac and cheese into a portable, bite-size party appetizer, giving you the best of both worlds. Our mac and cheese is set into the insert of a muffin tin. Instead of baking, these get finished over the grill, which imparts a smoky flavor into each bite.
Courtesy Elena Besser
Deviled eggs are a year-round party snack, but they’re especially fitting come game day. Packed with protein, they’re approachable enough for the kiddos and tasty enough for adults. These get a splash of vinegar to add some acidity and a touch of curry powder, which adds some warmth to the filling. The best part is that deviled eggs can be made well ahead of time, checking one more thing off the to-do list.
TODAY All Day / TODAY All Day
Popcorn is truly a blank slate when it comes to taking on different flavors. And while we’ll never say no to buttered popcorn, there’s so many other variations to try. Here, garam masala and cayenne pepper are toasted in olive oil until fragrant. Toss the popcorn with the spiced oil and nutritional yeast to ensure every nook and cranny is coated. It’s a vegan snack that’ll keep your friends coming back for more.
Courtesy Robin Ventress
If you’re looking for a slightly more elevated take on pigs in a blanket, look no further. Each bite is coated in a homemade everything bagel seasoning, which adds more visual interest and flavor. The real star here, though, is the cranberry mustard, which adds a spiced sweetness to cut the richness of the pork.
TODAY
Arancini, a Sicilian street food staple, are easier to make than you might think. A piece of mozzarella is tucked into a ball of leftover risotto before it’s breaded and fried until golden brown. The final result is a bite that’s crispy on the outside and oozing with melted cheese on the inside. It’s a perfect dish to pass for a game day party.
Katie Stilo / TODAY
Quesadillas are an ideal finger food for game day festivities. While plain cheese quesadillas are great on their own, it’s hard to beat them stuffed with thinly sliced flank steak. We took a cue from TikTok and opted for the fold-over method here, but you can use whatever technique works best for you. The key is to ensure every part of the tortilla is covered in cheese and steak.
Casey Barber
If you’re looking for snacks to pass, mini meatballs should be at the top of your list. These are made with a mixture of ground beef and turkey, which makes them a little lighter while packing a ton of flavor. The meatballs get tossed in a homemade barbecue sauce made with ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar and spices for an umami-rich edge.
Courtesy Joy Bauer
Smaller than a slider, Joy Bauer’s cheeseburger meatballs are the perfect game day party snack. To get the cheeseburger effect, shredded cheddar cheese is added to the meatball mixture, ensuring every bite comes out oozing with cheese. The meatballs are then skewered with a toothpick along with lettuce, red onions, tomatoes and pickle chips.
Anthony Contrino
If you love mozzarella sticks, you’ll love mozzarella en carrozza. This Italian snack, which is essentially a fried grilled cheese, is the ultimate comfort food. Carbone’s version adds homemade parsley-basil pesto, which add an herbaceous note to the otherwise decadent dish.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
While you could of course just order pizza from your local shop, it’s so much more fun to make at home. This version, called tarte flambée, involves a thin pizza crust topped with goat cheese, caramelized onions and crispy bacon. Serve it sliced as a passable appetizer or make individual pizzas for the main course.
TODAY
In a sea of appetizers, a pot of chili can get lost in the background. Let chili take centerstage by filling individual bowls and allowing your friends to top them as they please. While the chili bar can have any assortment of toppings, chopped avocado, shredded cheese, red onion, tomatoes and chips are always a hit.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
For Siri Daly, soft pretzels illicit memories of attending sporting events as a kid. If you share that nostalgia, we have good news for you — soft pretzels can be easily made at home. For a classic savory option, dip them in mustard or queso. If you’re into a sweeter treat, coat them in cinnamon sugar. Better yet, leave it up to your game day guests to choose team sweet or savory.
Daniel J. van Ackere / America’s Test Kitchen
America’s Test Kitchen debunks the myth that fondue has to be fussy. With their foolproof recipe, you can get creamy fondue without constant attention. Ask your guests to bring their fondue dippers of choice such as cubed bread, apple slices, sliced meat or even veggies.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
Potato skins are the perfect vessel for everything from fillings to dips. Here, potato skins are filled with a crab, crispy salami and creme fraiche mixture. Top with shredded cheese and broil until crispy for this elevated game day appetizer.
Nate Congleton / TODAY
While these deviled eggs may look unsuspecting, they pack big flavor. Hard boiled eggs get placed in the smoker until they take on a deep golden hue. While the filling is fairly traditional, the taste of smoked eggs is anything but. They’re topped with crumbled bacon, chorizo and pico de gallo.
Jennifer Carroll
Making your own popcorn is so much easier than it looks — and you get to control the seasonings. Here, freshly popped kernels take inspiration from another snack favorite — barbecue chips. They’re tossed in a homemade spice blend of paprika, garlic and onion powder, brown sugar and cheese powder. The final result is an addictive snack that’ll have you coming back for more with every bite.
Courtesy Molly Yeh
Molly Yeh is a pro at developing craveable recipes that hit on nostalgia. Here, jalapeño poppers take a cue from a classic midwestern dip that combines cheese, ham and pickles. While the filling is good enough to eat on its own, we love the contrast of the gooey cheese to the crispy exterior of the popper.
Lauren Volo
Puff pastry is one of those ingredients that ensures a hit with whatever it’s paired with. Here, strips of pastry are brushed with oil and sprinkled with salt, Parmesan and sesame seeds. Gently twist the pastry strips and bake them until golden brown and you’ve got your new favorite game day snack.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
Make good use of leftover adobo chicken and level up your corn fritter game. Diced adobo chicken gets folded into the fritter batter along with corn, scallions and celery. After frying, serve the fritters with a punchy soy ginger dipping sauce.
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
This recipe takes a steakhouse favorite and turns it into a snack that’ll get the whole game day crowd excited. Better yet, it couldn’t be easier to make. Seasoned cubes of steak tenderloin are wrapped in bacon before getting quickly baked. Stick a toothpick in each and serve them alongside horseradish cream sauce.
TODAY
Stuffed mushrooms are one of those vegetarian snacks that everyone can get excited about. Filled with a mixture of cheesy breadcrumbs, the mushrooms get baked and broiled until crispy. They’re umami bombs of flavor in every bite.
Courtesy Ed Anderson
While mixed nuts on their own may not sound exciting, take it from Bobby Flay that they can be anything but boring. Tossed in a maple and brown sugar glaze spiked with chiles, mixed nuts take on a sweet-and-spicy flavor profile. They’re the perfect easy snack for watching the big game.
Evan Sung
A quesadilla can be so much more than melted cheese on a tortilla. Here, marinated chicken breast is grilled on a cast iron. Onions and peppers get added to the same pan and cooked until softened. Both chicken and vegetables are tucked into tortillas with a duo of cheeses and griddled to perfection. They’re worth every bit of extra effort.