Turn delicious Antipasto Salad into a fun and fancy finger food! This Antipasto Skewers Appetizer is a delicious treat that is easy to prepare and packed with delicious pieces of Italian meat, cheese, and veggies. They’re great as an appetizer or tasty snack and are the perfect party food.
Original post: December 2020 | Updated: October 2024
Why This Recipe Works
- I have been making these yummy appetizer skewers for years
- They are an easy and delicious recipe for any party.
- These are great for after school snacks or even adding to your kids lunch boxes. Make them ahead of time and keep them in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Easy finger food to munch on, whether guests are over or not.
- I’m always on board when meat, cheese and artichoke hearts are involved!
I have been making these Antipasto Skewers for years. Everyone in my family loves them and asks for them often! And I’m always on board when meat, cheese and artichoke hearts are involved! It’s one of my favorite appetizers.
We particularly enjoy making them as easy appetizers for holiday parties. But they’re great all year round and are the perfect easy summer appetizer, after school snack or a great addition as part of your kids’ lunches.
They are such an easy finger food to make and to munch on, whether guests are over or not. And they make a great midnight kitchen snack!
Antipasto Skewer Recipe Ingredients
Use fresh ingredients for the best tasting results from these delicious antipasto skewers.
Olive oil – Substitute olive oil with Italian salad dressing, if desired.
Italian parsley – Use fresh flat-leaf parsley.
Mozzarella pearls – Or purchase an 8-oz. fresh mozzarella ball and cut into bite size pieces.
Whole mushrooms in a jar – Marinated or not.
Quartered artichoke hearts – Delicious and a great source of fiber!
Colby jack cheese – Or cheese of your choice.
Meat – Salami slices, genoa salami, chicken chunks, pepperoni or summer sausage can all be used.
Cherry tomatoes – Or other small tomato variety like grape tomatoes.
Spanish and Kalamata olives – Pitted; replace with other types of olives if desired.
How to Make Easy Antipasto Skewers
These antipasto skewers are so easy to make. Just gather your ingredients, create a pattern, make a little assembly line, and start skewering!
Step 1
In a medium bowl, combine olive oil, parsley, mozzarella, mushrooms, and artichokes. Mix well to combine the ingredients.
Step 2
Add the cold meat slices and/or cubes with the seasoned veggies and cheese and mix to combine everything together.
Step 3
Skewer all the ingredients until all are gone, making sure to put 1-2 of each ingredients on each skewer.
Step 4
Wrap the prepared skewer in foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- Allow the ingredients to marinate for a few hours or overnight for a more concentrated flavor before skewering them.
- If you use cheese tortellini for this recipe, be sure to cook tortellini according to package directions first. Rinse in cold water and let cool.
- Substitute olive oil with Italian salad dressing or other favorite salad dressing
- The recipe makes a lot of food. You’ll be able feed a large crowd of 12-15 hungry people, so modify quantities as needed.
Antipasto Skewer Ideas
It’s fun to have all sorts of different flavors in mind as you select your skewer ingredients. Simply create a pattern with your favorite ingredients and add them to the wooden skewers.
- Choose from classic antipasto ingredients like salami, pepperoni, summer sausage, grape or cherry tomatoes, any color of bell peppers, chicken chunks, quartered artichoke hearts, fresh baby mozzarella balls, cooked tortellini or cubed cheese.
- Fresh basil leaves, black and green olives, pepperoncini peppers, shrimp, onions, marinated veggies, prosciutto or tortellini make great options, too.
- If you’d like a theme, you could make Greek Antipasto Skewers with any combination of feta cheese chunks, garlic cloves, cucumber, Kalamata, bell peppers, olives and/or cherry or grape tomatoes.
- A Mediterranean theme involving cold chunks of chicken, roasted red peppers, red onions, fire-roasted tomatoes, Kalamata or black olives, fresh mozzarella and/or marinated artichoke hearts would be absolutely delicious.
- Balsamic Glaze, Teriyaki Glaze and Italian dressing or olive oil with Italian or Greek spices are a few ideas for some great marinades.
- Greek yogurt with lemon and fresh herbs and spices make great options for topping or dipping your skewers if you want to dress them up.
How to Serve Italian Antipasto Skewers
Serve these as an Italian appetizer to a main meal or with a side of pasta as a main meal itself. They also make the perfect appetizer or charcuterie or cheese board option for a holiday party.
How to Store Antipasto Skewers
Store antipasto skewers in a large airtight container or well sealed storage bag. They usually fit in the gallon size freezer bags. Stored properly, skewers will be at their best for 3-4 days.
I do not recommend freezing leftover skewers.
More Recipes With Artichokes
I’m always looking for recipes that contain artichokes! They are such a mysterious yet delicious food. If you are looking for ideas about what to do with the succulent hearts, check out this post for 27 delicious recipes with artichokes as a main ingredient! Here are just a few ideas to get you started.
- Hot dips – Toss those succulent artichoke hearts into a hot, cheesy dip such as this creamy artichoke dip.
- Pasta – Any variety of cooked pasta tastes wonderful when artichoke hearts are included. Don’t forget the pesto, cheese, extra virgin olive oil and fresh basil. Add them as an ingredient to create a delicious artichoke pasta salad.
- Pizza – Top your favorite pizza crust with a white sauce, artichoke hearts and mozzarella cheese.
- Bruschetta – Combine the hearts with oil, pesto and cheeses and spread over bread slices to create a simple yet super yummy finger food for parties.
- Charcuterie or cheese board – Set out marinated artichoke hearts, various meats including salami and fresh cheeses for a delicious and convenient charcuterie board for your next dinner party.
Substitute for Kalamata Olives
You can use any variety of olives for your antipasto skewers. You could also sub small gherkin pickles, large capers, or even preserved lemon pieces.
How Long Do Olives Last In Fridge
An opened jar of olives can last up to 18 months when refrigerated properly. That is, well- sealed and stored in the coldest part of your refrigerator. Marinated olives, like the kind usually found at the grocery store salad bar, stored in an airtight container will be good for 2-3 weeks.
Can You Freeze Mozzarella Balls
Mozzarella balls are best eaten fresh. Freezing them can degrade the texture and make it crumbly or rubbery when thawed. The great flavor of fresh mozzarella is also diminished during freezing.
FAQs
The term is a combination of the Latin words for “before” and “meal”, so technically it can mean any food served as an appetizer or before the main meal. Most often, antipasto typically contains olives, cheeses, and various meats and marinated vegetables.
Finger Food Recipes For a Party
- Olive Cheese Bread
- Pickle Rollups
- Marinated Steak Bites
- Ground Beef Sliders
- Bruschetta with Balsamic Glaze
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Antipasto Skewers Appetizer Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup Italian parsley chopped
- 8 oz mozzarella pearls
- 9 oz whole mushrooms in a jar drained
- 14 oz artichoke hearts quartered and drained
- 8 oz colby jack cheese cubed
- 4 oz sliced salami consider using a mix of genoa salami, chicken chunks, pepperoni or summer sausage
- 8 oz cherry tomatoes
- 4.75 oz Spanish olives pitted
- 4.75 oz Kalamata olives pitted
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine olive oil, parsley, Mozzarella, mushrooms and artichokes. Mix well.
- Combine cold meat slices and/or cubes with the seasoned veggies and cheese. Skewer all ingredients until gone, making sure to put 1-2 of each on each skewer.
- Wrap in foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Allow the ingredients to marinate for a few hours or overnight for a more concentrated flavor before skewering them.
- If you use cheese tortellini for this recipe, be sure to cook tortellini according to package directions first. Rinse in cold water and let cool.
- Substitute olive oil with Italian salad dressing or other favorite salad dressing
- The recipe makes a lot of food. You’ll be able feed a large crowd of 12-15 hungry people, so modify quantities as needed.
Hi Megan this looks AMAZING!!!! Can’t wait to make this for an appetizer for Thanksgiving! What is the cubed meat/salami shown in the picture? I know the thin sliced one is the Genoa salami. Thank you!
Hi Karen, Thank you for alerting me to that missing ingredient! It’s summer sausage cut into cubes vs slices. I hope you enjoy them – they are so good!
Can u make it the day before and refrigerate or only a few hrs beforehand?
Sure! For sure a few hours ahead of time. But if you skewer them the day before, just wrap some tinfoil around them and they’ll be good to go.
Is the thin slice of meat pepperoni? It’s not listed in the ingredients.
Hi Bella! That is actually thinly sliced salami (I have two types pictured). Pepperoni would be great, too, though!
Megan