Everyone loves finger foods – in fact, studies show they help people with mental degeneration reclaim some cognition. Parties become way more fun when you add them to the celebration, too! Everyone’s excited to try a new flavor or texture with their hands, especially when they’re bite-sized.
Here are six recipes for finger foods for parties:
Fried Green Tomatoes
Southern fried green tomatoes are one of the best finger foods for a party because they can be eaten as-is or used as a scrumptious base for your ultimate show-off appetizer.
Cut the desired number of green (unripened) tomatoes in half-inch slices. In one bowl, whisk together cornmeal, self-rising flour, and Cajun seasoning. In another bowl, whisk together hot sauce, eggs, and buttermilk. Bathe the tomato slices in the liquid mixture then cover them in the dry mixture.
Heat up cooking oil in a saucepan using medium heat. Deep fry the tomato slices for about four minutes. Serve as-is or add toppings and other appetizers (like prawns and lunch meats and veggies) and enjoy!
Full recipe here.
Fried Mashed Potato Balls
This is usually a post-Thanksgiving or Christmas leftovers recipe using leftover mashed potatoes. You can also prepare a fresh bowl of mashed potatoes for this recipe too!
In a large bowl, throw in your mashed potatoes, finely chopped chives, garlic powder, and bits of cooked bacon. Season with salt and pepper then mix everything until uniform.
Place two whisked eggs into one bowl, and panko bread crumbs into another. Scoop the mashed potato mix into balls and soak in the eggs, then in the panko.
Deep fry in a saucepan with cooking oil until golden brown (usually three minutes). Serve and enjoy!
Full recipe here.
Fried Ravioli via Air Fryer
Photo by James G. Milles
In a bowl, whisk eggs. In another bowl, mix uniformly Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, salt, and breadcrumbs. Soak the ravioli (store-bought or homemade) in the egg bowl, then in the other bowl. Air fry at 400 degrees until golden brown. Serve with marinara or your favorite sauce and enjoy!
Full recipe here.
Sambossa
Photo by Nico Paix
Sambossa is a popular Ethiopian appetizer. Ethiopian cuisine is one of the most famous and flavorful worldwide. This finger foods for party appetizer is no exception.
Using medium heat, boil water in a deep saucepan then add finely chopped red onion, ground beef, minced ginger and garlic, turmeric, cayenne, cinnamon, salt, and chopped sprigs of mint and cilantro. Stir occasionally. Let all the water boil off, increasing stirring to keep ingredients from sticking to the saucepan. You can drain some of the fat if too fatty.
Taste and add more of the ingredients if the flavor is off. Stuff wonton wrappers with the boiled-off stuffing you’ve just made. Press closed the wrappers into a triangular shape. Fry the wrappers until golden brown and you can serve with chutney! Enjoy.
Full recipe here.
Fried Zucchini
Photo by Christine Wisnieski
Cut zucchini into sticks then season with salt. In one bowl, place flour. In another bowl, whisk eggs and milk together. In a third bowl, mix Parmesan cheese, salt, seasoned breadcrumbs, and black pepper.
Soak the zucchini sticks in the flour, then the egg bowl, then finally, the third bowl. Fry the zucchini in extra virgin olive oil until golden brown. Serve with lemon wedges and some chopped parsley and enjoy!
Full recipe here.
Fried Falafel via Air Fryer
Photo by Momo
Falafel is so versatile: it can be a snack, an appetizer, or an entire meal. It’s gained so much popularity in the recent two centuries that it was featured in Batman Begins.
That said, it requires a bit of overnight preparation where you need to soak dried chickpeas in three inches of water for almost a whole day. Drain the chickpeas and toss into a food processor with cilantro, parsley, garlic, onions, cumin, sea salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Blend using the food processor until it becomes a coarse meal, but not mushy. Place the mixture in the freezer for an hour.
Scoop the chilled mixture into balls and air fry at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Once golden brown, flip to cook all sides. Serve and enjoy as-is or use as an ingredient in wraps and pizza and sandwiches!
Full recipe here.
Hopefully, these simple-to-make recipes for finger foods for party will add that extra exciting jubilee your celebration needs. In all honesty, it can mean the difference between a boring get-together and a lively cheer!