Appetizer, Hors D’Oeuvre and Snack Recipes

Cutting board with tapas
Image by Terence Lim

Appetizers and hors d’oeuvre are the enticing entrance to a full meal. They pique the appetite without satisfying it and encourage easy conversation among gathered guests. Appetizers can be plated or passed, but they are most often finger food, easy to eat while standing and never overly messy in the hands.

Appetizers are mini meals that go by different names around the world. Spaniards have tapas, delicious bar food with a deep history. The Italians throw together antipasti platters with elegant simplicity. Hunger pangs in the eastern Mediterranean are calmed with meze and a beverage. Cantonese diners pick out an entire meal from dim sum carts. And the spicy chaat of India are some of the most flavorful snacks in the world.

International Appetizer Recipes

Buffalo Wings 
(American chicken wings in spicy sauce)
Bowl of Buffalo wings

Buffalo Wings 
(American chicken wings in spicy sauce)

Olive Marinate 
(Italian marinated olive appetizer)
A bowl of marinated olives

Olive Marinate 
(Italian marinated olive appetizer)

Law Bok Gow 
(Chinese steamed radish cake)
Plate of Chinese steamed radish cake

Law Bok Gow 
(Chinese steamed radish cake)

Empanadas 
(Latin savory stuffed pastries)
Tray of empanadas

Empanadas 
(Latin savory stuffed pastries)

Guacamole 
(Mexican avocado sauce and condiment)
Small dish a guacamole with avocados and a tomato

Guacamole 
(Mexican avocado sauce and condiment)

Sausage Rolls 
(Australian, New Zealand sausage-stuffed puff pastry)
Couple of sausage rolls

Sausage Rolls 
(Australian, New Zealand sausage-stuffed puff pastry)

Jamaican Beef Patties 
(Jamaican spicy curried meat pies)
Two Jamaican beef patties on a plate with some hot sauce

Jamaican Beef Patties 
(Jamaican spicy curried meat pies)

Tortilla Española de Patata 
(Spanish open-faced potato omelet)
Large tortilla espanola on a platter

Tortilla Española de Patata 
(Spanish open-faced potato omelet)

Oysters Rockefeller 
(American oysters with green sauce appetizer)
Plate of oysters Rockefeller

Oysters Rockefeller 
(American oysters with green sauce appetizer)

Siu Mai 
(Chinese steamed pork and shrimp dumplings)
Siu main in a steaming basket

Siu Mai 
(Chinese steamed pork and shrimp dumplings)

Mejillones Fritos 
(Spanish batter-fried mussels)
Spanish batter-fried mussels with aioli dipping sauce

Mejillones Fritos 
(Spanish batter-fried mussels)

Baleadas 
(Honduran flour tortillas with beans and cheese)
Baleada on a plate

Baleadas 
(Honduran flour tortillas with beans and cheese)

Domatokeftedes 
(Greek tomato fritters)
Small mezze plate with tomato fritters

Domatokeftedes 
(Greek tomato fritters)

Pakora 
(Indian, Pakistani vegetable fritters)
Pakora (Indian, Pakistani vegetable fritters)

Pakora 
(Indian, Pakistani vegetable fritters)

Queso Fundido 
(Mexican melted cheese appetizer)
Bowl of queso fundido

Queso Fundido 
(Mexican melted cheese appetizer)

Köttbullar med Gräddsås 
(Swedish meatballs with cream sauce)
Plate of Swedish meatballs

Köttbullar med Gräddsås 
(Swedish meatballs with cream sauce)

Sigara Boregi 
(Turkish cheese-filled filo appetizers)
A plate of sigara boregi, Turkish cheesy roll ups

Sigara Boregi 
(Turkish cheese-filled filo appetizers)

Coxinhas 
(Brazilian deep-fried chicken croquettes)
Two coxinhas

Coxinhas 
(Brazilian deep-fried chicken croquettes)

Khinkali 
(Georgian meat-filled dumplings)
Hand making homemade khinkali dumplings

Khinkali 
(Georgian meat-filled dumplings)

Pâtés Haïtiens 
(Haitian puff pastry beef patties)
Pâtés Haïtiens (Haitian puff pastry beef patties)

Pâtés Haïtiens 
(Haitian puff pastry beef patties)

Acharuli Khachapuri 
(Georgian boat-shaped cheesebread with egg and butter)
A loaf of Acharuli khachapuri, Georgian cheese bread

Acharuli Khachapuri 
(Georgian boat-shaped cheesebread with egg and butter)

Lo Mai Gai 
(Chinese rice steamed in lotus leaves)
Two lo mai gai on a plate

Lo Mai Gai 
(Chinese rice steamed in lotus leaves)

Pimento Cheese 
(American Southern cheese spread and sandwich filling)
Pimento cheese sandwich

Pimento Cheese 
(American Southern cheese spread and sandwich filling)

Cancha 
(Ecuadorian, Peruvian toasted corn snack)
Small bowl of toasted cancha

Cancha 
(Ecuadorian, Peruvian toasted corn snack)

Gamberetti all’Agro 
(Italian lemon-marinated shrimp)
Shrimp on a cutting board with a whole lemon

Gamberetti all’Agro 
(Italian lemon-marinated shrimp)

Chopped Chicken Livers 
(Jewish liver paté spread)
Chopped chicken livers spread on a crostino

Chopped Chicken Livers 
(Jewish liver paté spread)

Tod Mun 
(Thai spicy fish cakes)
Tod mun on a plate

Tod Mun 
(Thai spicy fish cakes)

Plantain Fritters 
(Jamaican fried plantains)
Crate of plantains

Plantain Fritters 
(Jamaican fried plantains)

Mücver 
(Turkish zucchini fritters)
Zucchini mucver fritters

Mücver 
(Turkish zucchini fritters)

Yangnyeom Dak 
(Korean sweet and spicy fried chicken)
Yangnyeom Dak (Korean sweet and spicy fried chicken)

Yangnyeom Dak 
(Korean sweet and spicy fried chicken)

Tostones 
(Caribbean fried plantains)
Twice-fried plantain slices

Tostones 
(Caribbean fried plantains)

Alcapurrias 
(Puerto Rican stuffed fritters)
A tray full of alcapurrias

Alcapurrias 
(Puerto Rican stuffed fritters)

Pilus 
(Indonesian sweet potato puffs)
Sweet potatoes

Pilus 
(Indonesian sweet potato puffs)

Dolmathes 
(Greek grape leaves stuffed with rice and meat)
Dolmas steaming in a pot

Dolmathes 
(Greek grape leaves stuffed with rice and meat)

Torshi 
(Iranian, Afghan pickled vegetables)
Jars of vegetable torshi

Torshi 
(Iranian, Afghan pickled vegetables)

Medu Vada 
(South Indian deep-fried lentil fritters)
Medu vadas on a thali platter

Medu Vada 
(South Indian deep-fried lentil fritters)

Lumpia Shanghai 
(Filipino meat-filled eggrolls)
Small bowl of lumpia Shanhai with dipping sauce

Lumpia Shanghai 
(Filipino meat-filled eggrolls)

Tlacoyos 
(Mexican bean-stuffed masa patties)
Woman making blue corn tlacoyos

Tlacoyos 
(Mexican bean-stuffed masa patties)

Muhammara 
(Middle Eastern spicy roasted pepper dip)
Middle Eastern spicy red pepper and walnut dip

Muhammara 
(Middle Eastern spicy roasted pepper dip)

Hummus bi Tahina 
(Middle Eastern chickpea and sesame dip)
Bowl of hummus topped with parprika with a drizzle of olive oil

Hummus bi Tahina 
(Middle Eastern chickpea and sesame dip)

Buñuelos de Queso 
(Puerto Rican cheese fritters)
Plate of bunuelos de queso

Buñuelos de Queso 
(Puerto Rican cheese fritters)

Okonomiyaki 
(Japanese savory “as-you-like-it” pancakes)
Osaka-style okonomiyaki on the griddle

Okonomiyaki 
(Japanese savory “as-you-like-it” pancakes)

Muchines de Yuca 
(Ecuadorian stuffed and fried cassava balls)
Bowl of muchines de yuca

Muchines de Yuca 
(Ecuadorian stuffed and fried cassava balls)

Pâté de Campagne 
(French country-style pork terrine)
Slices of pâté de campagne

Pâté de Campagne 
(French country-style pork terrine)

Gefüllte Eier 
(German deviled, stuffed eggs appetizer)
Small plate of deviled eggs

Gefüllte Eier 
(German deviled, stuffed eggs appetizer)

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