Latin appetizers are made for sharing: crispy empanadas, salty tostones, a bubbling skillet of queso fundido, a cup of tangy ceviche. Whether you call them botanas, picaderas, pasapalos or bocas, these are the small bites that start every Hispanic party.
Below are 40 authentic appetizers from across Latin America, plus the Spanish tapas that always end up on the same table. They are grouped by type so you can build a balanced spread, and each one has notes on serving temperature and what you can make ahead.
Quick Picks for Your Party
Short on time? Start with these six.
- Fried & Handheld Bites
- Plantain, Yuca & Corn Bites
- Dips & Cheesy Starters
- Seafood & Cold Starters
- Grilled, Meaty & Shareable Plates
- Spanish Tapas for the Table
- Party planner
- At a glance
- FAQ
Fried & Handheld Bites
Every Latin American country has a fried, pick-it-up-with-your-fingers snack, and these are the ones that disappear first at any party. Most can be shaped days ahead and frozen, then fried or baked straight from the freezer.
1Empanadas
If you make only one Latin appetizer, make empanadas. The half-moon turnover exists in almost every country, and each one argues its version is the original: Argentina bakes them with juicy beef and a braided repulgue edge, Chile fills its empanadas de pino with beef, onion, olive and egg, and Colombia fries a crisp cornmeal shell around potato and meat.
For a party, make them cocktail-sized (a 3-inch round of dough) so guests can eat one in two bites. Freeze them unbaked on a tray, then bake from frozen and add 5 to 10 minutes.
The best empanadas from every country →|How to make empanadas →|Empanada dough guide →
2Empanadillas
Empanadillas are the little, fried cousin of the empanada. In Puerto Rico they are sold from beach kiosks stuffed with ground beef picadillo, crab or pizza filling, and the dough fries up blistered and shatter-crisp.
Spain has its own: small turnovers filled with tuna, tomato and hard-boiled egg. Store-bought pastry discs make them one of the fastest fried appetizers on this list.
3Coxinhas
Coxinhas are Brazil’s favorite salgadinho, the savory snack served at every birthday party and bar. A soft dough made with chicken broth is wrapped around shredded chicken (often with creamy catupiry cheese), shaped like a teardrop, breaded and fried.
The shape is supposed to look like a chicken drumstick, which is where the name comes from: coxa means thigh. Make mini ones for a party and serve them with hot sauce.
4Croquetas
Spanish croquetas are a creamy béchamel loaded with jamón, chicken or salt cod, breaded and fried until the outside crackles and the inside is almost molten. In Cuba and Miami, the ham croqueta is a bakery icon, eaten by the dozen with saltine crackers.
They are the best make-ahead appetizer there is: the béchamel has to chill overnight anyway, and breaded croquetas go straight from freezer to fryer.
Spanish croquetas recipes →|Croquetas de jamón →|Croquetas de bacalao →
5Tequeños
No Venezuelan party happens without tequeños. Sticks of salty white cheese are wrapped in a spiral of dough and fried until golden, so you get a crisp shell and a stretchy, melted center.
Venezuelans call party snacks pasapalos, and tequeños are the king of them. Serve with a garlicky guasacaca or a pink salsa rosada.
6Pão de Queijo
These cheese puffs from Minas Gerais are made with cassava starch instead of wheat flour, which gives them a crisp shell and a chewy, stretchy middle. They are naturally gluten-free, a big plus when you are feeding a crowd.
Roll the dough into balls, freeze them, and bake a tray whenever guests arrive. They are best warm.
Get the pão de queijo recipe →
7Alcapurrias
Alcapurrias are Puerto Rico’s signature fritter. The masa is grated green banana and yautía (taro root), wrapped around seasoned ground beef or crab and fried until dark gold.
They are the star of the beachside kiosks in Piñones and Loíza. The masa is sticky, so shape them on a piece of parchment brushed with achiote oil.
The complete guide to alcapurrias →
8Bacalaítos
Bacalaítos are thin, lacy salt cod fritters, crisp at the edges and chewy in the middle. A simple batter of flour, water, garlic and flaked bacalao is spooned into hot oil.
Soak and flake the salt cod the day before, and frying takes minutes. Squeeze lemon over the top and serve with a cold beer.
9Kibe & Quipe
Lebanese and Syrian immigrants brought kibbeh to Latin America, and it became a local favorite. Brazil’s kibe and the Dominican quipe are both torpedoes of bulgur wheat and ground beef, fried until crunchy.
In the Dominican Republic, quipe is a must on any picadera platter, served with a mix of ketchup and mayonnaise.
Brazilian kibe recipe →|Dominican quipe recipe →
10Carimañolas
Carimañolas are torpedo-shaped fritters made from mashed yuca and stuffed with seasoned beef or cheese. They are breakfast and party food on the Caribbean coast of Colombia and all over Panama.
The yuca dough fries up with a thin, glassy crust. Serve them with a spicy suero or ají sauce on the side.
11Papas Rellenas
Mashed potato is wrapped around a beef picadillo with raisins and olives, then fried into a crisp oval. Peru adds chopped hard-boiled egg and serves it with salsa criolla; Cubans and Puerto Ricans make them round.
For a party, make them golf-ball-sized. They hold their shape best when the mashed potato is cold.
12Pastel
The Brazilian pastel is a thin rectangle of pastry that puffs and blisters in hot oil, filled with ground beef, cheese or hearts of palm. It is the classic snack at São Paulo’s street markets, washed down with fresh sugarcane juice.
Cut them small for a party and set out a bowl of vinagrete, Brazil’s tomato and onion salsa.
Plantain, Yuca & Corn Bites
These are the backbone of Latin American snacking: green plantains, cassava and corn, turned into crunchy, scoopable bites. They are budget-friendly and most of them are naturally gluten-free.
13Tostones & Patacones
Green plantain slices are fried, smashed flat and fried again until crisp. The Caribbean calls them tostones, and Colombia and Venezuela call them patacones. Either way, they are salty, crunchy and the perfect vehicle for dips.
The trick for a party: do the first fry and the smashing hours ahead, then give them the second fry just before serving. Set out garlic mojo or mayo-ketchup for dipping.
How to make crispy tostones →|Colombian patacones →
14Tostones Rellenos
Press the plantain into a cup instead of a flat disc and you get tostones rellenos: crunchy little bowls filled with garlic shrimp, crab salad or beef picadillo. They look impressive and are easy to make with a tostonera press.
Fry the cups and make the filling ahead, then fill just before serving so the cups stay crisp.
Get the tostones rellenos recipe →
15Yuca Frita
Yuca fries are thicker, starchier and creamier inside than potato fries. Boil the cassava first, cut it into wedges and fry it until the outside is craggy and golden.
Cubans serve yuca with garlicky mojo, Peruvians with huancaína sauce, and Salvadorans pile it with chicharrón and curtido. You can boil the yuca a day ahead.
How to make yuca fries →|Yuca con mojo →
16Mini Arepas
Arepas are griddled corn cakes made from precooked corn flour such as Harina P.A.N. At Venezuelan parties they are shrunk to bite-sized arepitas and split open for fillings like reina pepiada (chicken-avocado salad), shredded beef or cheese.
Set up an arepa bar with three fillings and let guests build their own.
17Choclo con Queso
Andean choclo has huge, chewy, mildly sweet kernels, and in Peru and Ecuador it is sold on street corners with a thick slice of fresh cheese. It is about as simple as an appetizer gets.
Cut the cobs into rounds, stack them on a platter with cubes of queso fresco, and add a small bowl of ají sauce.
Get the choclo con queso recipe →
18Elote & Esquites
Elote is grilled corn on the cob slathered in mayo or crema, rolled in crumbly cotija, and dusted with chili powder and lime. Esquites is the same idea served off the cob in a cup, which makes it the party-friendly version.
Serve esquites in small cups with spoons, and let guests add their own Tajín and hot sauce.
Get the elote recipe →|Esquites recipe →
19Humitas
Humitas are the Andes’ fresh corn tamale: grated young corn mixed with onion, basil or cheese, wrapped in husks and steamed. Chile, Argentina, Bolivia and Ecuador each have a version, some sweeter, some savory.
They freeze beautifully after steaming, so you can reheat a batch in 15 minutes.
20Tamales & Chuchitos
Full-size tamales are a meal, but small ones make a great party appetizer. Guatemala’s chuchitos are made that way on purpose: compact corn husk-wrapped tamales filled with chicken or pork in a tomato recado.
Tamales are the ultimate make-ahead dish. Steam them days before, freeze, and resteam to serve.
Tamales guide and recipes →|Guatemalan food, including chuchitos →
Dips & Cheesy Starters
Put out a dip and a hot cheese dish and you already have half a party. These are the fastest crowd-pleasers on the list.
21Guacamole
Guacamole goes back to the Aztecs, who mashed avocados into a sauce called ahuacamolli. The best version is still the simplest: ripe avocado, white onion, serrano chile, cilantro, lime and salt, mashed in a molcajete.
Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to keep it green for a couple of hours, and serve with warm tortilla chips or tostones.
Get the guacamole recipe →|Pico de gallo →
22Queso Fundido
Queso fundido is a skillet of melted Oaxaca or Chihuahua cheese, usually topped with crumbled Mexican chorizo and roasted poblano strips. Scoop it with warm flour or corn tortillas.
It is the showstopper of any appetizer table. Cook the chorizo ahead, then bake the cheese right before guests sit down so it comes out bubbling.
Get the queso fundido recipe →
23Provoleta
Provoleta is the first thing that comes off the grill at an Argentine asado. A thick disc of provolone-style cheese is grilled until crusty outside and gooey inside, then finished with oregano, chili flakes and olive oil or chimichurri.
No grill? A cast-iron skillet on high heat works. Serve with crusty bread.
Get the provoleta recipe →|Chimichurri →
24Queso Frito
The easiest appetizer on this list: thick slices of salty queso de freír (frying cheese) seared in a hot pan until golden. The cheese softens but keeps its shape.
It is part of the Dominican breakfast called los tres golpes, and a standard on any picadera platter next to salami and tostones.
25Papa a la Huancaína
Peru’s classic starter is boiled yellow potatoes covered in huancaína sauce, a smooth blend of ají amarillo pepper, queso fresco, evaporated milk and crackers. It is garnished with black olives and hard-boiled egg.
For a party, cut the potatoes into thick coins and serve the sauce as a dip. It also goes great with yuca fries.
Get the papa a la huancaína recipe →|Salsa huancaína →
Seafood & Cold Starters
Cold appetizers are a lifesaver when the oven and stove are full. Peru and Mexico own this category.
26Ceviche
Peru’s national dish is raw white fish cured in fresh lime juice with red onion, ají limo and cilantro. The tangy marinating liquid is called leche de tigre, and in Peru it is served with sweet potato and corn.
Peruvian ceviche is meant to be eaten minutes after mixing. Chop everything ahead, keep it cold, and combine just before serving in small cups or on tostadas.
Everything you need to know about Peruvian ceviche →
27Aguachile
Aguachile comes from Sinaloa, Mexico. Raw shrimp is butterflied and doused in a blended “chile water” of lime juice, serrano chiles and cilantro, then topped with cucumber and red onion.
It is spicier and brighter than ceviche, and it is served right away. Scoop it onto tostadas or saltine crackers.
28Causa Rellena
Causa is mashed yellow potato seasoned with lime and ají amarillo, layered with tuna or chicken salad and avocado. It is served cold, so it is ideal for parties.
Build it in a baking dish and cut squares, or press it into small ring molds for individual bites. It actually tastes better after a night in the fridge.
Grilled, Meaty & Shareable Plates
These are the bar snacks and grill starters, the plates people crowd around with a drink in hand.
29Anticuchos
Anticuchos are Peru’s iconic street skewers: beef heart marinated in ají panca, vinegar, garlic and cumin, then grilled over hot coals. The meat is tender and smoky, with no organ-meat taste.
If your guests are squeamish, use sirloin or chicken thighs with the same marinade.
30Choripán
Choripán is the classic opener at an Argentine asado, often eaten standing by the grill: a grilled pork chorizo split down the middle and tucked into crusty bread with chimichurri. The name is simply chorizo plus pan.
For a crowd, slice the chorizos into coins and serve them on toothpicks with chimichurri for dipping.
31Matambre Arrollado
Matambre is a thin cut of beef that Argentines roll around hard-boiled eggs, carrots and red peppers, then poach, chill and slice into spirals. The name is said to come from mata hambre, “kills hunger.”
Served cold, it is a centerpiece of an Argentine picada board and looks spectacular sliced on a platter.
32Chicharrón
Chicharrón means fried pork, and every country does it differently. Colombia’s version is thick pork belly fried until the skin puffs and crackles, served with arepas and lime.
Cut it into bite-sized chunks and serve it on a board with lime wedges and ají. In the Dominican Republic, chicharrón de pollo (fried chicken bites) plays the same role at parties.
Colombian chicharrón recipe →|Chicharrón de pollo →
33Chorrillana
Chorrillana is the ultimate shared bar plate from Valparaíso, Chile: a mountain of French fries topped with strips of beef, caramelized onions and fried eggs.
Bring it to the table on one big platter with forks for everyone. It is made for a group and a round of beers.
34Chifrijo
In Costa Rica, bar snacks are called bocas, and chifrijo is the most famous. The name joins chicharrón and frijoles: a bowl of rice, beans and crispy pork topped with tomato-onion salsa and avocado, scooped up with tortilla chips.
Serve it in small bowls or as a layered dip in a glass dish.
Spanish Tapas for the Table
Spain isn’t part of Latin America, but its tapas share a table with Latin appetizers at almost every Hispanic party. These six are the classics.
35Gambas al Ajillo
Shrimp sizzling in a clay dish of olive oil, sliced garlic and dried guindilla chile. It takes about five minutes to cook.
Bring it to the table still bubbling and put plenty of bread on the side. Mopping up the garlic oil is the best part.
Get the gambas al ajillo recipe →
36Patatas Bravas
Madrid’s favorite bar tapa: crisp fried potato cubes with a smoky, spicy sauce made with pimentón, and often a garlicky alioli too.
Make the sauce up to three days ahead. The potatoes can be par-boiled in the morning and fried to order.
Get the patatas bravas recipe →
37Pimientos de Padrón
Small green peppers from Galicia, blistered in olive oil and showered with flaky salt. Most are mild, but about one in ten is hot, which makes every handful a little game.
This is the lowest-effort tapa in Spain and among the most addictive.
Get the pimientos de Padrón recipe →
38Pan con Tomate
Catalonia’s pa amb tomàquet is toasted rustic bread rubbed with garlic and ripe tomato, then finished with good olive oil and salt. Top slices with jamón or anchovies.
It takes almost no work and it is what the rest of the tapas get eaten with.
Get the pan con tomate recipe →
39Tortilla Española
The Spanish potato omelette is thick, golden and soft in the middle. Potatoes (and onions, if you’re on that side of the debate) are slowly poached in olive oil, then bound with eggs.
It is served at room temperature, so you can make it the day before. Cut it into small squares and spear each with a toothpick.
Get the tortilla española recipe →
40Ensaladilla Rusa
Every bar in Spain has a dish of ensaladilla rusa on the counter: a creamy salad of potato, carrot, peas and tuna in mayonnaise, decorated with roasted red pepper or olives. It began as a Spanish version of Russia’s Olivier salad.
Spoon it onto crackers or picos (small breadsticks), the way it is served in Spanish bars.
Get the ensaladilla rusa recipe →
How to Plan a Latin Appetizer Spread
A good appetizer table has variety in texture and temperature, and doesn’t keep you stuck at the stove all night. Here is the formula that works for a party of 10 to 30 people.
One fried bite, one dip with something to scoop, one cold or seafood dish, one cheese dish and one meaty plate. Add a tapa or two if you like.
That’s for appetizers before a meal. If the appetizers are the meal, plan on 12 to 15 bites per person.
At least half of the spread should be cold or room temperature (ceviche, causa, guacamole, tortilla española) so you aren’t frying all evening.
Empanadas, croquetas, tequeños, coxinhas and tamales can all be made a week or more ahead and cooked from frozen.
Ceviche, aguachile, queso fundido and gambas al ajillo are best made right before serving. Prep the ingredients, then cook in minutes.
Mojo, chimichurri, salsa huancaína, pico de gallo and mayo-ketchup turn a simple fried snack into something special.
Hosting during Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15), a holiday or a game day? Pick one appetizer from each section above and you will have a spread that travels across the whole region.
What Appetizers Are Called in Spanish (and Portuguese)
The general Spanish words are aperitivos, entradas and entremeses, but every country has its own word for party bites. Use the local one and you will sound like you grew up there.
| Word | Where | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Botanas / antojitos | Mexico | Botanas are bar snacks and nibbles; antojitos are masa-based street snacks |
| Tapas, pinchos & raciones | Spain | Small plates; pinchos (pintxos) are bites on bread; raciones are larger shared plates |
| Picada | Argentina & Uruguay | A shared board of cheeses, cured meats, olives and bread |
| Picadera | Dominican Republic | A party platter of fried bites like quipe, salami, queso frito and tostones |
| Pasapalos | Venezuela | Party snacks like tequeños and mini empanadas |
| Pasabocas | Colombia | Bite-sized party snacks |
| Bocas | Costa Rica | Small plates served with drinks at bars |
| Piqueos | Peru | Assorted small dishes to share |
| Bocaditos | Cuba & Peru | Small party bites and finger sandwiches |
| Picoteo | Chile | A spread of snacks to pick at |
| Frituras / cuchifritos | Puerto Rico | Fried snacks like alcapurrias and bacalaítos |
| Petiscos / salgadinhos | Brazil | Bar snacks and savory party bites like coxinhas |
Stock the Party Pantry
A few ingredients and tools make a big difference in these recipes. These are the ones worth having on hand before a party.
The precooked corn flour behind arepas and Colombian empanadas.
Peru’s yellow chile, the base of huancaína sauce, causa and many ceviches.
Smashes perfectly even tostones and presses tostón cups for tostones rellenos.
The traditional stone bowl for guacamole and salsas, and a great serving dish.
Chili-lime seasoning for elote, esquites, fruit and michelada rims.
Spanish smoked paprika for patatas bravas sauce and gambas al ajillo.
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All 40 Latin Appetizers at a Glance
Use this cheat sheet to mix and match. Tap any name to jump to it.
| # | Appetizer | Country | Serve | Make ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Empanadas | Argentina, Chile, Colombia & beyond | Hot or room temp | Freeze unbaked |
| 2 | Empanadillas | Puerto Rico & Spain | Hot | Freeze unfried |
| 3 | Coxinhas | Brazil | Hot | Freeze breaded |
| 4 | Croquetas | Spain & Cuba | Hot | Freeze breaded |
| 5 | Tequeños | Venezuela | Hot | Freeze unfried |
| 6 | Pão de Queijo | Brazil | Hot | Freeze dough balls |
| 7 | Alcapurrias | Puerto Rico | Hot | Freeze unfried |
| 8 | Bacalaítos | Puerto Rico | Hot | Batter keeps 1 day |
| 9 | Kibe & Quipe | Brazil & Dominican Republic | Hot | Freeze shaped |
| 10 | Carimañolas | Panama & Colombia | Hot | Freeze shaped |
| 11 | Papas Rellenas | Peru, Cuba & Puerto Rico | Hot | Shape 1 day ahead |
| 12 | Pastel | Brazil | Hot | Fill and freeze |
| 13 | Tostones & Patacones | Puerto Rico, Cuba, DR & Colombia | Hot | Fry once ahead |
| 14 | Tostones Rellenos | Puerto Rico | Hot | Cups & filling ahead |
| 15 | Yuca Frita | Cuba, Peru, El Salvador & more | Hot | Boil ahead |
| 16 | Mini Arepas | Venezuela & Colombia | Warm | Dough keeps 1 day |
| 17 | Choclo con Queso | Peru & Ecuador | Warm | Day-of |
| 18 | Elote & Esquites | Mexico | Warm | Grill ahead |
| 19 | Humitas | Chile, Argentina, Bolivia & Ecuador | Warm | Freeze cooked |
| 20 | Tamales & Chuchitos | Mexico & Guatemala | Warm | Freeze cooked |
| 21 | Guacamole | Mexico | Cold | Make 2 hours ahead |
| 22 | Queso Fundido | Mexico | Hot | Prep ahead, bake to serve |
| 23 | Provoleta | Argentina & Uruguay | Hot | Day-of |
| 24 | Queso Frito | Dominican Republic | Hot | Day-of |
| 25 | Papa a la Huancaína | Peru | Cold | Sauce keeps 3 days |
| 26 | Ceviche | Peru | Cold | Prep ahead, mix to serve |
| 27 | Aguachile | Mexico | Cold | Day-of |
| 28 | Causa Rellena | Peru | Cold | Make 1 day ahead |
| 29 | Anticuchos | Peru | Hot | Marinate overnight |
| 30 | Choripán | Argentina & Uruguay | Hot | Day-of |
| 31 | Matambre Arrollado | Argentina | Cold | Make 1 day ahead |
| 32 | Chicharrón | Colombia, Peru & across Latin America | Hot | Day-of |
| 33 | Chorrillana | Chile | Hot | Day-of |
| 34 | Chifrijo | Costa Rica | Warm | Components ahead |
| 35 | Gambas al Ajillo | Spain | Hot | Day-of |
| 36 | Patatas Bravas | Spain | Hot | Sauce ahead |
| 37 | Pimientos de Padrón | Spain | Hot | Day-of |
| 38 | Pan con Tomate | Spain | Room temp | Day-of |
| 39 | Tortilla Española | Spain | Room temp | Make 1 day ahead |
| 40 | Ensaladilla Rusa | Spain | Cold | Make 1 day ahead |
Explore Appetizers by Country
Want to go deeper into one cuisine? These guides cover each country’s snacks and starters in detail, and the appetizers & starters hub collects them all.
Latin Appetizers FAQ
What are the most popular Latin appetizers?
Empanadas, guacamole, tostones, ceviche, croquetas, tequeños and queso fundido are the most popular Latin appetizers. Empanadas are the most universal: almost every country in Latin America has its own version.
What is a good Latin appetizer for a party?
Choose bites guests can eat standing up with one hand: mini empanadas, tequeños, croquetas, coxinhas and tostones rellenos. Add a dip like guacamole or queso fundido and one cold dish like ceviche or causa for balance.
What Latin appetizers can I make ahead?
Empanadas, croquetas, tequeños, coxinhas, pão de queijo and tamales all freeze well and can be cooked from frozen. Causa, matambre, tortilla española and ensaladilla rusa are served cold, so they are best made the day before.
What are some easy Latin appetizers?
Queso frito, pimientos de Padrón, pan con tomate, choclo con queso and guacamole each take 15 minutes or less. Store-bought empanada discs also make empanadillas quick to put together.
Are there vegetarian Latin appetizers?
Yes. Pão de queijo, provoleta, queso frito, guacamole, tostones, yuca frita, elote, humitas, papa a la huancaína, patatas bravas, pimientos de Padrón and tortilla española are all vegetarian.
What are cold Latin appetizers?
Ceviche, aguachile, causa rellena, guacamole, papa a la huancaína, matambre arrollado and ensaladilla rusa are all served cold, which makes them ideal for summer parties or when your stove is busy.
What do you call appetizers in Spanish?
The general words are aperitivos, entradas or entremeses. Each country also has its own term: botanas in Mexico, tapas in Spain, picadas in Argentina, picaderas in the Dominican Republic, pasapalos in Venezuela and bocas in Costa Rica.
Start the Party the Latin Way
The best Latin appetizer spreads mix countries: Argentine empanadas next to Peruvian ceviche, Puerto Rican tostones beside a skillet of Mexican queso fundido. Pick a few from each section, make what you can ahead, and save the sizzling dishes for when guests walk in.
Found a new favorite? Every appetizer above links to a full recipe, so pick one and start cooking.
More Latin Favorites
See all →
Jorge Garcia is the founder of AmigoFoods, where he has spent over 20 years helping readers discover authentic Latin American and Spanish cuisine. Raised in a Cuban-American household, Jorge learned to cook at the hands of his mother and grandmother, carrying forward generations of family recipes. That heritage, backed by his family’s four-generation history in the Latin food industry, inspired him to launch AmigoFoods in 2003. With more than 1,000 published articles on recipes, ingredients, and food culture, Jorge’s mission is simple: make authentic Latin cooking approachable for home cooks everywhere while honoring the traditions behind every dish.
