Best list of football party dips, tailgate appetizers, and party bites!
These easy game day recipes are perfect for your Super Bowl party, college football tailgating spread, make-ahead tailgate food ideas, or football-themed get-together — from sweet dip recipes and snack dips for chips to crowd-pleasing finger foods and party appetizers for kids and adults party snacks.
Best party recipes for a group —delicious, easy, and guaranteed to score big on game day!
(Sorry, couldn’t resist.)
Football Party Foods and Tailgate Recipes
Some of these are easy dip recipes with few ingredients — which makes easy recipes for a group — and some are simple appetizers for your sports viewing party.
Whether you’re hosting a football party at home or you need potluck recipes for easy tailgating recipes to make and take, you’ll find something on this party snacks list.
BEST GAME DAY DIPS AND APPETIZERS FOR A FOOTBALL THEME PARTY
- Spicy Southwest Roll-up Pinwheels
- Buffalo Chicken Tater Tot Nachos
- Crock Pot Sausage Cheese Dip
- THE BEST Warm Blue Cheese Dip
- Easy Hot Artichoke Dip
- Homemade Pico de Gallo
- Hot Ham & Cheese Pinwheel Rollups
- Mexican Street Corn Dip
- Homemade Guacamole
- Black Bean and Corn Cowboy Caviar Dip
- Refried Bean Dip
- Fall Apple Salad with Cranberries
- Easy Fruit Dip
Recipes for Finger Foods and Party Dip Ideas for For Football Parties
Spicy Southwest Roll-up Pinwheels
If I had to choose only one finger foods recipe for a football party or make and take tailgating recipes, it would be these fiesta roll-ups that we’ve been making in my family for as long as I can remember.
The best party is that they get better if they sit in the refrigerator overnight, which means they’ll be at peak flavor by the time you get to your football tailgating party!
Get The Southwest Rollup Pinwheels Recipe
Buffalo Chicken Tater Tot Nachos
If you want an alternative to traditional buffalo wing recipes or even buffalo chicken dip for football watching, make these loaded buffalo chicken tater tot nachos.
Also known as totchos, this easy appetizer makes the perfect football party food for the big game or sports viewing parties!
Get The Buffalo Chicken Totchos Recipe
Crock Pot Sausage Cheese Dip
This sausage queso is one of those recipes that you see at almost every party gathering, but that’s why it’s a great addition to your football party — it’s a tried and true cheese dip recipe that everyone loves!
Plus, it’s easy to make in the crockpot, unplug, then plug it back in once you get to the party.
PRO PARTY TIP: People have called this traveling slow cooker a “game changer for football tailgate.” It’s perfect for this recipe, travels easily, and you can serve right from it!
Get The Crockpot Cheese & Sausage Dip Recipe
THE BEST Warm Blue Cheese Dip
OK, this is one of my all-time favorite dips, especially when I’m looking for a warm and cozy dip recipe.
Every time we make this for a party, someone asks for the recipe.
It’s a creamy mix of melted cream cheese, blue cheese, and nuts (if you can), with a crunchy bread crumb topping and baked until bubbly.
PRO PARTY TIP: Don’t just serve it with crackers or crusty bread! Try it with sliced green apples, too. SO GOOD!
Get The Blue Cheese Dip Recipe
Easy Hot Artichoke Dip
This is another dip we’ve been making in my family for years for party recipes and is one of our favorites.
Most people make a spinach and artichoke dip, but I promise you will not miss the spinach from this super easy dip recipe! (You may be surprised at the other ingredients, through!)
Get The Hot Artichoke Dip Recipe
Homemade Pico de Gallo
I love a good chunky salsa and fresh pico de gallo meets that.
Homemade pico de gallo recipe or salsa fresco is a favorite easy dip for parties and quick game day dips and appetizers. It’s thick and chunky so that it holds up to tortilla chips without a big mess.
Get The Homemade Pico De Galla Salsa Recipe
Hot Ham & Cheese Pinwheel Rollups
This pinwheel recipe is so good!
We made our rollups with ham and cheese and spicy mustard, but you can make them with any meat you like.
Prepare and roll them ahead of time and place them in the refrigerator. Then, at game time, pop them in the air fryer oven for hot and fresh party bites!
Get The Hot Ham and Cheese Rollups Recipe
Mexican Street Corn Dip
This Mexican street corn off the cob is sometimes called elote salad and eaten as a side dish.
I love it that way, but our family also loves it as a corn dip with tortilla chips, too. It’s one of our game watching dip recipes and is such a flavorful and good chip dipping recipe!
It’s an easy party recipe to make ahead and packs up easily for a make and take tailgate party recipes.
Get The Mexican Street Corn Dip Recipe
Homemade Guacamole
If you’ve never made guacamole from scratch, it can seem intimidating. But, I PROMISE, fresh guacamole is so much better than the packaged guacamole dip you get at the grocery store.
Plus, when you make guacamole at home, you can add whatever fresh ingredients you want.
We make this and the homemade pico de gallo salsa as a chip and dip platter for our football watch parties.
Get The Homemade Guacamole Recipe
Black Bean and Corn Cowboy Caviar Dip
Traditional cowboy caviar recipes use different beans, but I like the simplicity of this corn and bean dip.
I make this dip recipe the night before (including the dressing), stir it up, cover it, and refrigerate it over night. It’s another recipe that gets better the longer it sits.
Serve it with tortilla chips.
Get The Black Bean and Corn Caviar Salsa Recipe
Refried Bean Dip
I know, I know. You may be making a face with “blech! Bean dip?!?!” thoughts. BUT, this is another popular recipe on our party table.
I’ve had several people tell me that this is the best refried beans dip they ever had.
Don’t skip the layer of melty cheese to the top. It makes the perfect gooey cheese dip topping!
Serve it up with hearty tortilla chips and no regrets.
Get The Refried Bean Dip Recipe
Fall Apple Salad with Cranberries
If you’re looking for healthy football party recipes or side dishes, add this cranberry apple salad.
This is also a recipe that travels well, just wait to put the dressing on until you get to the tail gate party.
Get The Cranberries & Apples Salad Recipe
Easy Fruit Dip
A fruit tray is another easy party platter and provides a healthy snack option for your football party menu.
I like making this easy fruit dip for our fruit trays, which is an easy recipe ready in minutes!
PRO PARTY TIP: We got these “snackle boxes” for our parties and you can add different fruits in each compartment and also the fruit dip to keep everything from mixing and spilling in the car.
ALSO CHECK OUT: How To Throw The Best Football Parties For Adults and Kids!
Happy football season!
I hope you enjoy these easy football recipes!
