These Antipasto Skewers are the easiest appetiser ever! Thread meat, cheese, tomatoes and a few delicious extras onto a wooden skewer for simple but impressive party food. Packed with Italian flavours, and an incredible mixture of textures, these are perfect for putting together at the last minute, or they can be made in advance.
I always go overboard with party food, but these Antipasto Skewers are always the first to go - they are always a hit! They take just a few minutes to assemble, they look far fancier than they are and they are easy to adapt with different meat, cheese and vegetables. They are perfect for any occasion, and not just parties. We love making them up for picnics. This isn't really even a recipe - it's that easy. But I had to share it anyway.
If you love these Antipasto Skewers, but want something on a larger scale, then why not try our Antipasto Platter, Tapas Platter or Grazing Platter.
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Why you will love it
- Perfect party food - This is pretty much the best party food. It's small, can be eaten by hand without a plate and it isn't messy. Your guests are going to love these.
- So quick and easy to make - These take just 5 minutes to prepare, with no cooking and minimal chopping. All you have to do is thread everything onto a skewer.
- Adaptable - Use this recipe as a guide and then adapt it with the ingredients that you have and to suit your own tastes and dietary requirements. It's a great way to use up what you have.
- Can be made in advance - Although these are so quick to make, you could make them as your guests are walking through the door, if you want to be a bit more prepared then you can make them in advance. They store really well in an air tight container in the fridge.
Ingredients needed
- Cherry tomatoes - With the meat and cheese, these antipasto skewers can feel a bit heavy, so adding some cherry tomatoes add some freshness and lightens them you. You can use cherry or grape tomatoes. We would recommend using smaller tomatoes like this, or on the vine ones, rather than cutting up a larger tomato.
- Sun-dried tomatoes - These just intensify the tomato flavour and really add to the Italian flavours. Try to drain as much oil off them as you can though, otherwise the skewers will be quite drippy.
- Olives - I know not everyone is a fan, but we think these are a must. Olive haters can always pick them off, or you could do some with olives and some without. The great thing about olives is that there are so many different types. Why not try using garlic or chilli stuffed olives?
- Mozzarella balls - Although mozzarella doesn't have a lot of flavour, the creamy texture it adds to these skewers is amazing. You can use plain mozzarella balls, or you could use pesto coated ones for added flavour.
- Spinach - A basil leaf is usually the only greens that you would find on skewers like this, but we added spinach to a nutritional boost. Plus, spinach is cheap! Sure, they are still heavy on the meat and cheese, but added vegetables is always a good thing.
- Artichoke - Just used artichoke from a jar and not only do these have an incredible flavour, but they are really chunky too. Like the sun-dried tomatoes, try to drain as much oil off them as possible.
- Salami and Prosciutto - These are our meat of choice. Folder up and thread on to the skewers they add so much flavour. Any sandwich meat will work though.
A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step by step
One: Arrange the different meats and vegetables onto a skewer.
Two: Serve.
What is Antipasto?
Antipasto (or Antipasti) is loosely translated as "before the pasta" and is like tapas in Spain or meze in the Middle East. It is a starter to the main meal and to be enjoyed with friends and family. Typically, it would include cheese, cured meat, pickles and olives and some kind of marinated vegetables, which is why you will find all those things on our Antipasto Skewers.
Variations
You can use our recipe as a guide and then adapt it with the options below to create your own, that you know your guests will love. The key thing to keep in mind is colour, texture and flavour. You want a good mixture of colour and texture and although you want different flavours, you don't want it to be too overwhelming with different ones competing against each other.
Meat - We used salami and prosciutto, however any sandwich deli meat will work. You want to make sure that you use really good quality meat, as it is one of the stars of these skewers. We like adding some honey roast ham. Just make sure it isn't something that will fall apart from being threaded.
Cheese - Mozzarella is an easy way to keep with the Italian theme, however it isn't the only cheese that can be used. You could use a mature cheddar, cubed, which would have a much stronger flavour. You could also use slices of Swiss cheese and fold them up the same way as the meat. Whatever cheese you use, it needs to be sturdy so it can go on the skewer. Chunks of Parmesan would work well too.
Pasta - If you wanted to make these a little more filling, but still keep with the Italian vibe, then why not add some cooked tortellini to the skewers? This will add some cooking time on to the recipe, but they are quick cooking. The great thing about them is that they come with so many different fillings too, and it will be a little surprise for your guests as they bite in to them.
Potatoes - This is another way to make the antipasto skewers a bit more filling. You could roast quartered new potatoes and they would add a lovely crunch. Season them with Italian herbs to keep with the same flavours.
Vegetables - We love anything that we can add vegetables to, and there are lots of options here. We have the spinach and artichoke, but why not add some roasted bell peppers, or courgette (zucchini) or aubergine (eggplant)?
Frequently Asked Questions
These are heavy on cheese and meat, and they are quite salty. But, they are meant to be enjoyed during the party season! However, there are lots of opportunities to add vegetables to these for a nutritional boost.
You can store these in an air tight container and they will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. After that, the edges of the meat and cheese will start to go dry.
No, we wouldn't recommend freezing these.
Processed meat like salami is not always gluten free, so look out for that. As long as you make sure there is no cross contamination, then these can be gluten free.
We actually had a vegan at the party when we last served these, and make vegan versions with just the tomatoes, olives, artichokes and spinach. They went down well with the meat eaters too. You could always add some vegan alternative cheese and meat slices.
Yes, you can easily double or triple this recipe. Just make sure you have extra ingredients and enough wooden skewers to make more.
More party food recipes
If you’ve tried this antipasto skewer recipe, then let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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Recipe
Antipasto Skewers
Ingredients
- 12 Cherry tomatoes - halved
- 12 Sun-dried tomatoes
- 24 Olives - mived colours
- 12 Mozzarella balls
- 12 Spinach
- 12 chunks Artichoke
- 12 slice Salami
- 2 slice Prosciutto - cut into smaller pieces
Instructions
- Arrange the different meats and vegetables on to a skewer.
- Serve
Notes
- Try to drain as much oil off the sun-dried tomatoes and artichokes as possible, otherwise you will have oil dripping over all your party guests.
- We like to soak the skewers first, before threading anything on to them. This isn't a must, as you aren't cooking them, but we find that it helps to prevent splinters.
- There is no right or wrong way to thread these skewers. But, we like to evenly alternate between salty, creamy and fresh. We just follow the same pattern for them all, so they all look uniform and neat.
- We think these taste better at room temperature, so leave them out of the fridge a little while before serving.
Matej @ CookWeWill.Com
Great idea for an appetizer! And I love the photos and presentation too :)
Gina
These are genius! Everything I want in an antipasto on my own personal skewer! The best idea for a holiday party!
Danielle Wolter
Awesome appetizer idea! Love how easy these are and they were an absolute hit!
Claudia Lamascolo
Oh we love these and make them often you have such great ideas for the skewers to add I am going to love these additions! thanks
Tavo
Very nice skewers! I like that it even includes some greens in them! Not only adds flavour and colour but nutrition.
Jere Cassidy
I can't wait to have a party to serve your skewers, I love how colorful they are and how easy they are to serve.
Carrie Robinson
These are so much fun! Loving this idea. :)
Katherine
These skewers are such a great, simple appetizer. Yum!
Caroline
Finger foods like this are perfect for entertaining and I love the mix of flavors and colors in these - yum!
veenaazmanov
Colorful, healthy and delicious combination and perfect party platter.