Chicken Wings Are Overdone—Here's 30 Apps That Go Beyond The Usual

From game days to baby showers, a party’s not really a celebration without appetizers. If you’re looking for some that will always please your crowd, look no further than ones made out of everyone’s favorite white meat—chicken. From wings to meatballs, skewers to tacos, there’s a little something for every occasion here. Check out our 30 chicken appetizers for ideas, then get ready to make extra—these will go fast!

What kind of chicken appetizer you should make really depends on what kind of event you’re having (and what kind of guests!). Having a cocktail party and want poppable bites people can enjoy with a drink in hand? Grab some toothpicks and make some meatballs. Chicken keeps them light, so no one gets so full they stop mingling, and makes them take well to almost any flavor you can imagine. Try our garlic butter meatballs, our French onion chicken meatballs, or our chipotle chicken meatballs to see what we mean. Having more of a sit-down soirée, but still want your guests to have something to nosh on while they wait for the main event? We’ve included some of our favorite chicken apps inspired by cultures around the world here, like our Taiwanese popcorn chicken, our chicken flautas, or our Korean fried chicken. Trust us, these flavors are sure to spark lively dinner table conversation.

Throwing a game day celebration and want something laid-back that can double as a meal (why do so many sports games air at dinnertime!?)? You gotta go wings—they’re messy in all the right ways and come in so many different flavor combinations, like our classic Buffalo, our garlic Parmesan, or our chili garlic wings. We’re partial to baking them, but you can even make them in your air fryer if you’re short on oven space. Why? You’re probably making the other game day classic in there: nachos, ofc! We like them with jazzed up rotisserie chicken on top, like in our BBQ chicken nachos or our sheet-pan green chile chicken nachos. Feel free to add it to any of your favorite nacho toppings as well.

Want even more chicken in your life? You’ve got to check out our top chicken weeknight dinners, our baked chicken recipes, and our best healthy chicken dishes too.