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4th of July Finger Foods & Appetizers (Because Forks Inhibit Our American Freedoms)

The Founding Fathers envisioned a world where you’re free to eat these 56 appetizers with your hands.
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Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Amy Wilson

The 4th of July is about feeling free. Free to eat as many hot dogs as you’d like, free to grill things over open flames (and try not to set things on fire), and definitely free from the constrictions of silverware. No matter if your Independence Day party is fancy-pants crudités or pigs in a blanket, we have 71 finger foods and appetizers you want to take a bite of.

This way for staff-selected 4th of July recipe picks →

  • Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski
    3/71

    Spicy Lightly Pickled Cucumbers

    These zippy, zingy, crunchy pickled cucumbers are sure to be the sleeper hit of your party spread.

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  • Photo by Gentl and Hyers, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Nina Lalli
    4/71

    Spice-Drawer Chicken Wings

    This dry rub is great on any cut of chicken, including whole birds for roasting (make a double batch).

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Chris Morocco and Tom Cunanan, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime
    5/71

    Spicy Pork Skewers

    Simmering the leftover marinade and using it as a basting sauce ensures none of its powerful flavor goes to waste.

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  • Photo by Chelsie Craig
    6/71

    Jammy Eggs With Paprika Mayo

    Like deviled eggs—but faster, easier, more delicious, and fancier-sounding.

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  • Alex Lau
    21/71

    Creamy Kimchi Dip

    This stuff is crazy good.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Andy Baraghani
    22/71

    Muhammara

    This vibrant Middle Eastern dip made from walnuts and red bell peppers pairs perfectly well with fresh pita bread.

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  • Photo by Peden + Munk
    23/71

    Sambal Chicken Skewers

    Kebabs get a bad rap. (Decades of alternating zucchini coins and cherry tomatoes can do that.) But this Asian take, with a spicy, sticky glaze, makes for a very convincing comeback.

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  • Photo by Chelsie Craig
    24/71

    Pretzel Bites

    These pretzel nubbins are crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.

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  • Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Molly Baz, prop styling by Emily Eisen
    29/71

    Niçoise Toast

    Fried bread, with buttery oil-packed tuna on top. This is what you call dinner toast.

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  • Matt Duckor
    30/71

    “Tater Tots” with Spicy Mayonnaise

    No disrespect to the frozen tots these are based on, but making your own is way more fun than opening a bag (and they taste better, too).

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  • Alex Lau
    37/71

    Grilled Zucchini and Ricotta Flatbread

    The only way to make flatbread even better? Grill it.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski
    38/71

    Mortadella Moments

    This party-ready dish hits all the right notes—bready, fatty, pickle-y—in a single bite-sized portion, delivering maximum satisfaction with the least amount of friction.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Andy Baraghani
    39/71

    Smoky Eggplant Dip (Eggplant Moutabal)

    The flavor of this woodsy, deeply-flavored dip relies comes from cooking eggplants on a grill or a gas stovetop until the skin blackens and the flesh collapses in on itself.

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  • Peden + Munk
    40/71

    Chickpea Sundal

    Serve this light snack warm, room temp, or cold; just make sure you give it a generous dose of acid and salt.

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  • Peden + Munk
    47/71

    Radish Yogurt with Pine Nuts

    Dunk cucumbers in this radish yogurt for a satisfying snack or starter. Or spoon some on a plate, throw a fried egg on top, and call it breakfast.

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  • Christopher Testani
    48/71

    Pickled Vegetable Lettuce Cups

    You can prep your vegetables ahead of time (store them in a zip-top bag in the crisper drawer), but wait to assemble these at the last minute.

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  • Alex Lau
    59/71

    Scallion Pancakes

    The secret to layered, flaky, chewy-crunchy Chinese scallion pancakes? It’s all in the roll (and the spin, and the re-roll).

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski
    60/71

    Lemon-Pepper Salami Bites

    Bright citrus and fresh-ground pepper put a festive spin on two party staples: Cured meat and Marcona almonds.

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  • Alex Lau
    63/71

    BA's Best Buffalo Wings

    Two key steps ensure extra-crisp wings: letting them sit at room temperature evens the cooking time, and the cornstarch dredge transforms into a crunchy shell when fried. If you like your wing sauce super spicy, increase the amount of cayenne in our best hot wings recipe. This is part of BA's Best, a collection of our essential recipes.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Sue Li
    64/71

    Jalapeño-Cilantro Yogurt Sauce

    Think of this as a spicy Green Goddess dressing.

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  • Photo by Heidi's Bridge, styling by Anna Billingskog
    65/71

    French Onion Dip

    There’s no shortcut when it comes to caramelizing the onions—be patient.

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  • Marcus Nilsson
    66/71

    Avocado-Tomatillo Salsa Verde

    Oh, the inherent stress in choosing the perfect avocado. The “ready to eat” ones can go from ripe to rotten quickly, so buy uniformly firm Hass avocados instead. Let them sit at room temperature until they have a slight give, usually a day or two (plan ahead!). This goes great with quesadillas, grilled snapper, and pork.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau
    71/71

    Parsnip Skordalia

    This riff on the Greek classic swaps out potatoes for parsnips, which gives the dip a touch of sweetness that pairs well with the feta and chiles.

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