Recipes Snacks 24 Bar Snacks for Social Noshing By Food & Wine Editors Updated on January 21, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Jen Causey Bar snacks are a fun, timeless category of low-lift foods that are easy to enjoy whenever you've got a cold drink in hand. Maybe that drink is a lightly chilled, citrusy Albariño that begs to be paired with garlicky sautéed shrimp. Perhaps you've got a margarita that calls for a side of spicy taquitos or a crisp helles lager just destined to accompany a salty soft pretzel. For this roundup, we've gathered recipes for our favorite small bites to nosh on while imbibing on a cocktail, beer, or glass of wine. Grab yourself a drink and decide on a well-suited snack. 01 of 24 Popcorn with Sesame-Glazed Pistachios © John Kernick Mixing popcorn with glazed pistachios creates a sweet-salty snack that's fantastic with cocktails. Get the Recipe 02 of 24 Ultimate Loaded Chili-Topped Hot Dogs Jen Causey Like any “loaded” situation, this hot dog is all about constructing your plate. Split-top buns allow you to hollow out the sides a bit, fitting extra toppings into each bite. A touch of sweetness in the chili balances out the salt from corn nuts and the hot dog, while the sharp bite of pickled jalapeños creates balance. Radishes and sour cream offer a welcome hit of freshness. Get the Recipe 03 of 24 German Soft Pretzel Sticks © Lucy Schaeffer "I've always been a fan of any food high in salt and starch," chef Grant Achatz says, "and soft pretzels right out of the oven are awesome." You can eat these slightly sweet, chewy, dark pretzel sticks plain or with mustard; Achatz goes for ranch dressing. Get the Recipe 04 of 24 Buffalo Wings Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Amelia Rampe Cook these classic Buffalo wings in an air fryer or on the stove, then toss them in a buttery hot sauce and serve with creamy blue cheese dressing. If you like extra-crispy wings, fry them for an extra minute or two. Or if you're using an air fryer, cook the wings skin-side up to keep the skin as crispy as possible. Get the Recipe 05 of 24 Fried Pickles with Spicy Mayonnaise © Wendell T. Webber Chef Zak Pelaccio grew up eating fried pickles in New York's Brooklyn Heights neighborhood. He coats his extra-crisp version in panko and fries them in schmaltz (chicken fat), though vegetable oil works well, too. Get the Recipe 06 of 24 Queso Fundido © Frances Janisch This simple, 20-minute dip recipe of melted cheese flavored with tomatoes, chiles, onion, and a hit of tequila is just the thing to satisfy a craving for something warm, salty, and gooey. Get the Recipe 07 of 24 Fried Citrus Peanuts © Lucy Schaeffer To make these irresistible peanuts extra tangy, chef Chris Yeo soaks them in lime juice before frying and tossing them with tart shredded lime leaves. Get the Recipe 08 of 24 Natchitoches Meat Pies with Spicy Buttermilk Dip © Anna Williams Natchitoches, Louisiana, is renowned for its meat pies. Chef Kelly English serves his mini version with a dipping sauce that combines two quintessential Southern ingredients: buttermilk and hot sauce. Get the Recipe 09 of 24 Lobster Sliders © Tina Rupp These little sliders are lush, miniature takes on classic New England lobster rolls. Get the Recipe 10 of 24 Black Pepper Jerky © Tina Rupp This classic jerky gets a double dose of peppery flavor from both cracked peppercorns in the marinade and coarsely ground peppercorns on top. Get the Recipe 11 of 24 Jalapeño-Lime Pepitas Aubrie Pick As pepitas toast, they puff up, forming a light, crisp outer shell and a slightly chewy center. The floral notes of the lime balance the spicy jalapeño, making this a great bar snack to pair with Mexican lagers or tequila-based cocktails. Get the Recipe 12 of 24 Soy-Glazed Chicken Yakitori © Wendell T. Webber Walking into a yakitori bar in Tokyo, chef Dean Fearing was startled by the thick grill smoke filling the room, then delighted by the delicious flavor of the skewered meats. "These chicken skewers are as close to the food from that grill as I can remember," he says. Get the Recipe 13 of 24 Shrimp in Garlic Sauce Diana Chistruga Based on a popular Spanish tapa, this dish is delicious enough to serve as a main course. You just sauté the shrimp in garlicky, spicy olive oil and then toss them with sherry, lemon juice, and a handful of parsley. The shrimp are equally good hot or at room temperature. Get the Recipe 14 of 24 Lampe's Chicken Wings with Sweet-and-Spicy Pantry Sauce © Reed Davis National barbecue champion Ray Lampe bumps up the flavors in these sweet and sticky chicken wings by slashing the inside of the joints so the seasonings can penetrate. Nothing's better with a platter of spicy wings than beer. Reach for a malty, flavorful ale like Old Speckled Hen. Get the Recipe 15 of 24 Fried Cheese Curds with Buttermilk Ranch Dipping Sauce Photo by Huge Galdones / Food Styling by Christina Zerkis White cheddar cheese curds are battered and deep-fried until they're golden brown for an irresistible appetizer or snack. The batter includes white rice flour, which is the secret to extra-crispy frying. It's spiked with lager and gets a subtle zip from yellow mustard. Get the Recipe 16 of 24 Tater Tot Nachos (Tatchos) with Kimchi Cheese Sauce © Kay Chun Tater Tots on their own are good. Tater Tots dipped in cheese sauce are even better. Tater Tots turned into nachos are THE BEST. Get the Recipe 17 of 24 Crispy Chickpeas © Dave Lauridsen To make these salty snacks, chef Jason Travi tosses canned chickpeas with flour, coriander, and cumin, then fries them. Get the Recipe 18 of 24 Potato and Poblano Taquitos Victor Protasio Taquito means “little taco” in Spanish and will delight any snack lover. Roll a corn tortilla around your favorite filling, fry until crispy, and serve as a party snack with crema or other salsa. Any leftovers will freeze and reheat beautifully. Get the Recipe 19 of 24 Fig and Prosciutto Flatbreads © Quentin Bacon This flatbread is topped with sticky-sweet fig jam, pungent Gorgonzola cheese, and salty prosciutto, then garnished with sliced scallion. Get the Recipe 20 of 24 Butternut Squash and Sage Wontons © Tina Rupp "Wonton wrappers are terrific for making ravioli when you don't have time to make homemade pasta," says food writer Jill Donenfeld. The wontons here, filled with mashed butternut squash and roasted garlic, get nicely crispy when sautéed in a touch of oil, but they're also delicious simply steamed. Get the Recipe 21 of 24 Bloody Mary–Pickled Green Beans © Eva Kolenko F&W culinary director at large Justin Chapple loves drinking Bloody Marys, so he created a fantastic Bloody Mary "brine" — made with tomato juice, vinegar, horseradish, peppercorns, and garlic — which he boils and pours over green beans. They're irresistible eaten on their own and delicious served with an actual Bloody Mary. Get the Recipe 22 of 24 Fried Oysters with Remoulade Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Christina Daley These crunchy fried oysters are an elegant, fun appetizer. They're served with a creamy remoulade made from mayonnaise, horseradish, capers, hot sauce, and Creole mustard — the perfect dipper for the crispy oysters. Get the Recipe 23 of 24 Warm Olives with Rosemary, Garlic, and Lemon © Quentin Bacon Chef Marc Murphy serves these olives warm to accentuate the marinade's lemony flavor. They're ready in just 25 minutes. Get the Recipe 24 of 24 Gouda, Pancetta, and Onion Fondue with Pretzels © Quentin Bacon Leyden, a Dutch cheese flecked with cumin seeds, inspired cheese aficionado Laura Werlin to create this cumin-spiced Gouda fondue. Serve it with soft, warm pretzels or pickled vegetables for dipping. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit