50 Memorial Day Apps That'll Set The Tone For Your Summer Kick Off
Picture this: Everyone at your Memorial Day BBQ is mingling, cracking beers (or drinking summer cocktails), and getting hungry, but you’re still heating up the grill or waiting on a few stragglers to arrive. Whether you’re grilling, picnicking, or sitting on the beach, you’ve GOTTA have apps! You could just put out a bag of chips and store-bought dip, but to truly impress, go homemade. Check out our list of 50 Memorial Day appetizers for ideas.
Here at Delish, we’ve got a trifecta of appetizers we always defer to—creamy dips, portable kebabs, and poppable bites—and Memorial Day is no different. Possibly the only change we make to our list of party faves is swapping our favorite summer produce in. Our spinach artichoke zucchini bites, our grilled corn salsa, our tomato tart, and our cowboy caviar really let all the best the season has to offer shine.
More of a cheesy dip fan? Relatable! Try our campfire Caprese brie (made over a fire or your grill), our Instant Pot street corn queso (inspired by Mexican elote), our Nashville hot chicken dip, or our whipped mozzarella with burst cherry tomatoes. No picnic tables or don’t want to deal with plates? Try an app on a skewer, like our tomato gnocchi kebabs, our Buffalo cauliflower kebabs, or our grilled hoisin chicken kebabs. They’re easy to make and to eat—win, win.
Looking for bite-size apps to feed your crowd? Try our sloppy joe cups, our shrimp tostada bites, our cheesy corn poppers, or our classic deviled eggs. We bet you won’t be able to eat just one, so make extra!
Want even more Memorial Day inspiration? Check out our Memorial Day salads, Memorial Day desserts, and Memorial Day cocktails too.
Loaded Campfire Nachos
Thanks to a handful of canned goods, these nachos come together almost instantly—they only need to heat 5 to 10 minutes to get that cheese n nice and melty. Take our method as inspiration, and layer with your ultimate nacho ingredients.
Get the Loaded Campfire Nachos recipe.
Cowboy Caviar
Brimming with beans, avocado, and tons of veggies, the only thing missing is a big pitcher of frozen margaritas. 😎 Yeehaw!
Get the Cowboy Caviar recipe.
French Fry Board
Forget charcuterie, your newest obsession is going to be French fry boards. You can fill them with whatever type of fries you like best, though we do recommend a variety. As for sauces, you can do better than just ketchup. Think: mango chutney, spicy mayo, and honey mustard!
Get the French Fry Board recipe.
Spicy Apricot Glazed Wings
If you’re looking to expand your horizons beyond classic Buffalo wings, this recipe is a great place to start. They’re just as spicy, but also super-savory, sticky, and juuust sweet enough. With a sauce like this, you don’t even need blue cheese dressing (then again... we're not stopping ya!).
Get the Spicy Apricot Glazed Wings recipe.
Avocado Salsa
Creamy, just-ripe avocados are tossed with chopped tomatoes, jalapeño, red onion, sweet corn, and tons of chopped fresh cilantro to create this refreshing hybrid dip. Now you’ll never have to decide between salsa and guac ever again!
Get the Avocado Salsa recipe.
Esquites Fritters
We’re happy to report that esquites, the irresistible and less-messy salad version of everyone’s favorite cotija-coated snack, elote, were the perfect inspiration for these bite-sized fritters. Paired with a lime and garlic-spiked sour cream sauce, these crisp patties are guaranteed to disappear in a crowd in minutes.
Get the Esquites Fritters recipe.
Campfire Caprese Brie
We used a big wheel of brie to fit perfectly inside a 10" skillet. It was almost THREE POUNDS. You can definitely use something a bit smaller, depending on the size (and brie obsession level) of your crowd.
Get the Campfire Caprese Brie recipe.
Grilled Chicken Kebabs
Many cookouts are plagued by folks using breasts and not knowing how to grill them. Chicken thighs, however, are a lot more forgiving due to their natural tenderness and flavor. They taste even better when slid on skewers alongside bok choy and scallions, then glazed with a hoisin BBQ sauce.
Get the Grilled Chicken Kebabs recipe.
Blooming Quesadilla Ring
Buffalo chicken is one of our faves, and this creamy, spicy technique is one of our favorite ways to serve it. It's also the best, most impressive way to make quesadillas for a crowd, so feel free to get creative with your fillings!
Get the Blooming Quesadilla Ring recipe.
Antipasto Bites
Fresh tortellini make these the hearty bite-size appetizer of our dreams. If you're not a fan of olives, pepperoncini peppers would be a delicious substitute!
Get the Antipasto Bites recipe.
Nashville Hot Chicken Dip
Need a flavor-packed dip to really amp up your Memorial Day party? This Nashville hot chicken-inspired dip brings the heat and MORE. Beware—this is for major spice fans only.
Get the Nashville Hot Chicken Dip recipe.
Elote (Mexican Street Corn) Nachos
During the summer, we pretty much can’t get enough of elote, (aka Mexican street corn). It’s such an incredible flavor combination, we knew it shouldn’t be confined to just the cob. The solution? Turning it into skillet nachos, ofc!
Get the Elote (Mexican Street Corn) Nachos recipe.
Whipped Mozzarella Dip With Burst Cherry Tomatoes
This dip might just be the perfect Memorial Day appetizer. Not only does it feature tons of mozzarella, but ricotta and heavy cream join in to make an epic base for the juicy cherry tomatoes and dollops of pesto. It also comes together in just 30 minutes!
Get the Whipped Mozzarella Dip With Burst Cherry Tomatoes recipe.
Sloppy Joe Cups
Store-bought crescent dough is stuffed with our sloppy Joe recipe before being covered in gooey cheese—what more could you want? They only take a little over half an hour to come together, meaning they're the perfect comfort food for sharing this Memorial Day.
Get the Sloppy Joe Cups recipe.
Fried Green Tomatoes
When green tomatoes are in season, this Southern staple is the first dish we think of. A classic remoulade is our condiment of choice, but if you don’t feel like whipping one up from scratch, making a simple two-ingredient spicy mayo will absolutely do the trick.
Get the Fried Green Tomatoes recipe.
Tempeh Buffalo “Wings”
Quicker to make and easier to eat than its inspiration, Buffalo chicken wings, this plant-based version swaps chicken for snackable triangles of tempeh to mimic the crowd-pleasing appetizer.
Get the Tempeh Buffalo “Wings” recipe.
Homemade Cornbread
What defines the perfect slice of cornbread is a little different for everybody. Here at Delish, we want our perfect slice of cornbread to be thick, tender, just a little bit sweet, and not at all dry. THIS is that perfect recipe.
Get the Homemade Cornbread recipe.
Tomato Galette
This tomato galette uses an herb speckled savory pie crust and is topped with ripe heirloom tomatoes and fresh ricotta for an extremely easy yet impressive-looking dish. It's perfect served as an appetizer at your outdoor Memorial Day party.
Get the Tomato Galette recipe.
Cheesy Corn Poppers
These savory bites have earned a notorious reputation here at Delish because they're pretty impossible to stop eating. The contrast of sweet juicy corn, salty Parmesan, and bright scallions is pretty unbeatable.
Get the Cheesy Corn Poppers recipe.
Ranch Wings
If the best (undebatable) wing flavor and sauce combination is hot Buffalo wings and ranch dip, then it stands to reason that a ranch wing with hot Buffalo dip would be equally delicious—right? Damn right.
Get the Ranch Wings recipe.
Tomato Gnocchi Skewers
The gnocchi paired with blistered grilled tomatoes and tender red onion make for a perfect summer snack. They come together in minutes and if you are really pressed for time you can skip the homemade salsa verde and opt for store-bought (though we promise it’s worth making).
Get the Tomato Gnocchi Kebabs recipe.
Whipped Feta With Balsamic Roasted Strawberries
If you’re a fan of our cranberry whipped feta recipe, this is the summer appetizer for you. Fresh feta is combined with mascarpone, whipped until super-smooth, then topped with balsamic-roasted strawberries and fresh basil. 😍
Get the Whipped Feta With Balsamic Roasted Strawberries recipe.
Rotel Dip
You only need 4 ingredients to make this cheesy dip—ground beef, Rotel tomatoes (with the chopped green chiles), Velveeta, and chili powder. It comes together all in one pot too, meaning less dishes!
Get the Rotel Dip recipe.
Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
Craving something a little more creative than your average Buffalo wings? Enter: Buffalo chicken meatballs. Ready in just 30 minutes, these meatballs are a flavor-packed app you can have ready in no time, so you don't have to miss any of the Memorial Day BBQ fun.
Get the Buffalo Chicken Meatballs recipe.
Grilled Corn Salsa
We love a good homemade fresh salsa in the summer, and this one is especially good when sweet summer corn is in season. If you don't have a grill or grill pan, give your cobs a quick sear in a cast-iron skillet to get that smoky, charred flavor.
Get the Grilled Corn Salsa recipe.
Pimento Cheese
If you love party dips like Buffalo chicken or spinach artichoke, you’ll LOVE pimento cheese. Affectionately known as the “caviar of the South,” pimento cheese has been a Southern party staple since the early 1900s (so you know it's good).
Get the Pimento Cheese recipe.
Deviled Eggs
While deviled eggs are fairly simple to make, there are a few ways you can go wrong when making this staple party appetizer. If you’re looking for a foolproof method to hard boiling and filling yours, this recipe should be your new go-to.
Get the Deviled Eggs recipe.
Avocado Hummus
Only got room for one dip on your Memorial Day spread? Now you don't have to choose favorites—this dip is the best of hummus and guacamole combined.
Get the Avocado Hummus recipe.
This salsa has the perfect balance of flavors. Serve it with homemade tortilla chips for an incredible salty, sweet, and spicy snack.
Get the Mango Salsa recipe.
Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip
While beer cheese, Buffalo chicken, and queso will always have special places in our hearts, we keep coming back to good ol' spinach & artichoke dip. Full of creamy, cheesy goodness, it really is the dip to end all dips.
Get the Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip recipe.
Nothing screams summer quite like bruschetta. We know it may sound skippable, but rubbing the toasted bread with garlic will help impart TONS of flavor into your tiny toasts, so we highly recommend it. Top them with simple marinated tomatoes for the ultimate Memorial Day snack.
Get the Bruschetta recipe.
Jalapeño Popper Corn Fritters
These crispy golden corn fritters are filled with everything we love about spicy jalapeño poppers. They're studded with crispy bacon, jalapeños, cheddar, and cream cheese (which also helps hold them all together). The sweet corn balances the spicy jalapeño for the perfect summer appetizer.
Get the Jalapeño Popper Corn Fritters recipe.
If you haven't experienced the flavor combo of prosciutto + melon, get on it STAT. It's the ultimate in sweet and salty.
Get the Melon Prosciutto Skewers recipe.
We love serving this Buffalo chicken dip with chips, crackers, toasted baguette, and raw vegetables—celery and carrots especially. But honestly, we’ve also definitely just eaten it straight, with a spoon. No judgment!
Get the Best-Ever Buffalo Chicken Dip recipe.
To save time, skip the fried wings this year and make these baked Buffalo wings instead. They're so much easier while still giving you a deliciously crispy, saucy, and caramelized result.
Get the Classic Buffalo Wings recipe.
Blueberry Salsa
Wanna make this fruity salsa ahead of time? Toss everything together but leave out the lime juice, olive oil, and cilantro. Cover and refrigerate, then dress and add the herbs when you're ready to serve!
Get the Blueberry Salsa recipe.
Tiny hot dogs before your regular-size hot dog? Why not?! There's something very classic about the crescent roll dough flavor, so we tend to gravitate towards it, but puff pastry or even biscuit dough both should work here too.
Get the Pigs In A Blanket recipe.
Black Bean Dip
Black beans are blended with lots of garlic, jalapeño, and cheese, and then topped with even more cheese before baking (cue the perfect cheese pull). Pile on the delicious topping after baking for not only a truly delectable dip, but a truly stunning Memorial Day app.
Get the Black Bean Dip recipe.
Loaded potato skins are kind of the perfect party food, especially for Memorial Day. They're inexpensive to make, they're full of flavor, and they're topped with ALL our favorite things (we're talkin' bacon, sour cream, and lots of cheese).
Get the Potato Skins recipe.
Best Guacamole
Whether you serve it as a simple dip, load it on top of your tacos, or smear it on a bun as a burger topping, we can all agree—it’s not a party without Mexico’s most famous dip. Though some recipes like to go wild with the mix-ins, we prefer to keep it simple to really let the avocados shine (but you do you!).
Get the Best Guacamole recipe.
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