37 Best BBQ Appetizers To Kick Off Your Next Cookout 🍖

Want to create tempting appetizers for your next weekend barbecue? 

Here are 37 best BBQ appetizers that will get your guests’ mouth water!

Hosting a barbecue usually means grilling burgers, hotdogs, and smoking the occasional brisket and ribs, but what about BBQ appetizers?

As it turns out, you can also make appetizers using your BBQ grill, which you can also serve during your barbecue!

Making appetizers using your barbecue and serving it while you’re grilling the usual burgers and hotdogs will show your guests your amazing cooking skills.

It also shows them that you can do a lot with a barbecue grill.

This list of recipes also gives you a chance to play and experiment with your barbecue grill, so to speak, and try out new dishes with it.

Some of the recipes you’ll find here are pretty innovative, like the Bacon Wrapped Pickle Spears and Grilled Watermelon Skewers.

There are also some that you won’t believe can be made with a barbecue grill, until you try them, like #25 and #36!

A few of these recipes you may already be familiar with, but they’re so yummy, I just needed to add them to this list.

Ready to try out these appetizers at your next weekend event?

Let’s jump right into these recipes!

1. Grilled Pineapple Salsa

Salsa has always been considered a side dish, but did you know that it can also be served as an appetizer?

Just place the smoky, tangy, and sweet mélange on top of toast or crackers, and you’re good to go!

2. Bacon Wrapped Sausages

Bacon in sausages and smoked to perfection.

When it comes to a meaty, sweet, savory, and utterly yummy appetizer, you can’t ask for anything more.

3. BBQ Pork Loin Sliders

Here’s a dish you can serve either as an appetizer or as a main alongside your burgers and wieners.

It also works as a snack on game day!

Serve as is or top with some of the grilled pineapple salsa, and you’ve got one super tasty delight.

4. Hawaiian Chicken Teriyaki Skewers

When you’re looking for a grilled appetizer that’ll be great for a luau, here’s one!

The fantastic thing about this dish is it’s so versatile.

So, should you have leftovers, you can serve them with rice, and it becomes a meal.

5. Grilled Jalapeno Poppers

For the perfect combination of spicy, savory, and smoky, this is what you should make!

This is a party favorite and will be a sure hit at your barbecue.

6. Margarita Shrimp Kebabs

Another recipe you can make as an appetizer or as a main course is this grilled shrimp skewer dish.

You can even serve these without the skewers, in a platter family style, or in shot glasses as individual pieces with lime slices as classy hors d‘oeuvres.

7. Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

What can be more tempting than fresh, crisp asparagus wrapped in smoky and sweet bacon?

This dish is not only unbelievably easy to make, but it’s also delectable!

8. Grilled Peach Crostini

Another fruity appetizer that gets a smoky upgrade thanks to the grill.

This crostini can be made ahead of time and served as people arrive at your party.

9. Grilled Loaded Potato Skins

Here’s an appetizer that you can tweak according to your taste.

Want to add more veggies, more cheese, and more meat?

You can do it with this dish!

10. Grilled Crostini Platter

Want to give your guests a yummy selection of appetizers on a single platter?

This is one idea you can try.

You can even create a “make-your-own-crostini” table and fill it with plates of grilled crostini, a variety of toppings, and cold cuts.

11. Grilled Loaded Nachos

Another dish that’s great as an appetizer, as a snack for game day, and as a side dish for any meal is this grilled skillet recipe.

As with most dishes with lots of toppings and ingredients, this can be modified to suit your taste.

12. Grilled Fig With Goat Cheese

If you want a simple appetizer, then it’s a simply grilled appetizer you get with this fruity and cheesy combo.

You can drizzle some balsamic vinegar on top of each fig for some tang or sprinkle with some salt for a briny twist.

13. Grilled Watermelon, Peach, & Halloumi Skewers

This is a dish you can grill alongside your beef patties and hotdogs.

You can serve these on toothpicks, or if you’re keen on making sliders with them, just plop one or two meatballs in a soft bun to do this.

14. BBQ Meatballs

This is a dish you can grill alongside your beef patties and hotdogs.

You can serve these on toothpicks, or if you’re keen on making sliders with them, just plop one or two meatballs in a soft bun to do this.

15. Zucchini & Hummus Roll-Ups

If you’re looking for a vegetarian appetizer for your next barbecue, this is one you can make while you’re heating up your grill.

These are great to make for your vegan and vegetarian guests.

16. Veggie BBQ Skewers

Another appetizer you can make on your grill for your vegetarian and vegan guests is this skewer dish.

If you want to transform this into a main dish for them, simply add some firm tofu cubes to each skewer, and you’re good to go.

17. Grilled Tomato Bruschetta

While we’re on the subject of vegan and vegetarian appetizers for a barbecue, let’s add this recipe to the list.

All the veggies and the baguette in this dish are grilled, providing you with the smoky and slightly charred flavor that makes each bite memorable

18. Olive & Tomato Grilled Pizza

Yet another versatile dish that can either be an appetizer or a main dish is this grilled pizza with fresh ingredients.

To serve as an appetizer, just cut it into bite-sized pieces!

19. Grilled Stuffed Mushrooms

Cheesy, earthy, and super satisfying, this is a dish that you can also make in the oven.

To serve these warm, and grill them alongside your other barbecued favorites, make the filling in advance so you can just fill the mushroom caps and pop them on the grill before guests arrive.

20. Bacon Wrapped BBQ Chicken

If you’re planning on serving this, make sure to have enough for seconds and thirds!

Yes, it’s that good and is one of those appetizers that will have people coming back for more.

21. Smoked Chicken Wings

Smoked and then grilled, these wings are to die for!

With amazing flavor all the way to the bone, this is one dish that friends and family will surely ask for every time you have a barbecue.

22. Smoked Bacon Wrapped Pickle Spears

Bacon-wrapped pickles in your smoker?

Why not?!

If you’re a fan of fried pickles, or simply love snacking on these sweet, sour, crunchy cured veggies, you should really try making this.

23. Grilled Corn Salad

Here’s an appetizer that you can also serve as a side dish.

While this salad is sweet, tangy, and mild, you can always amp up the flavor with some pepper flakes or a sprinkling of cayenne pepper.

Serve family style or in lettuce cups for individual servings.

24. Grilled Artichokes

This appetizer dish is crazy simple; it’s mind-boggling!

Yet, it’s utterly mouthwatering and fantastic for anything, from barbecues to formal dinners.

25. Smoked Buffalo Chicken Dip

Here’s a smoky and spicy dip that you can serve with your favorite crackers, chips, and veggie sticks.

The BBQ is used twice in this recipe–once to smoke the chicken and the second time to melt the cheese in the dip.

26. Lemon & Garlic Grilled Broccoli

This appetizer is another one you can serve when you have guests who are vegetarian.

To keep it strictly all veggies, you can omit the grated parmesan at the end.

27. Cajun Shrimp & Sausage Bites

When you want a surf-and-turf-style grilled appetizer, this is it!

You can add some fire to the savory and smoky flavor of the Cajun rub by adding a teaspoon of cayenne powder.

28. Smoked Cream Cheese Balls

Now, here are four smoked cheese balls you can make simultaneously!

Making four balls with different toppings all at once will give you and your guests lots of cream cheese choices for your crackers or chips!

29. Vietnamese Style Ribs

Ribs are the ultimate finger food for any occasion.

Marinate overnight for more flavorful ribs, but if you’re pressed for time, a few hours in the marinade should work well too.

30. Avocado Bruschetta

Want a somewhat trendy appetizer for your next barbecue?

Try this recipe that rides the wave of the avocado toast craze!

31. Pulled Pork Nachos

For a total crowd-pleaser, this is the appetizer you should make.

You’ll need to make the smoked pulled pork way ahead of time and freeze it for future use.

When it’s time to serve, simply defrost and reheat your pork before assembling your nacho platter.

32. Street Corn Flatbread

How about a Mexican-style appetizer that you can make on your outdoor grill?

This is one of those BBQ appetizers that is made from start to finish on the grill.

33. Tandoori Paneer Tikka

From Mexico, let’s now travel to India with this hearty, spicy, vegetarian appetizer.

This recipe is so adaptable; not only can you make it on your outdoor grill, but you can also make it in your air fryer, oven, and stovetop grill.

34. Grilled Zucchini Canapes

Love tapenade with crostini and bruschetta, but are you trying to keep things low-carb?

Don’t despair, you can enjoy the same flavors you love without the bread by trying this grilled zucchini appetizer instead.

35. Grilled Vegetable Agrodolce Crostini

Want to add some Italian flavor to your barbecue menu?

Here’s a crostini that’s topped with prosciutto, goat cheese, vegetables, and herbs coated with agrodolce.

36. Smoked Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are a very traditional appetizer (our favorite version) that people make for any occasion.

You may have made these before, but have you tried Smoked Deviled Eggs?

Here’s a recipe that you need to try at least once in your lifetime!

37. Grilled Potato Wedges With Dip

Let’s close this list out with one of the easiest and simplest recipes you can try on your barbecue.

This is made with a combination of potatoes, which are sliced in wedges and grilled till soft and replete with grill marks.

The dip here is curry aioli, but you can always substitute it with your favorite dip.

The bottom line

As you can easily see, this list of BBQ appetizers consists of a wide variety of dishes that range from simple to complex, vegetarian to non-veg, and classic to unusual.

It also has recipes that use the BBQ as a grill, hot smoker, cold smoker, and even as a pizza oven.

This just shows how versatile your BBQ can be.

This list gives you ideas on how you can further utilize your BBQ to make more than just your usual burger patties and grilled sausage links.

So, when you think about firing up your barbecue grill, try one or more of these appetizer recipes and wow your family with your culinary expertise.