Easy Antipasto Skewers (Appetizer Recipe)

Easy antipasto skewers are a perfect party appetizer that can be made ahead of time and will disappear in minutes.

A Good Antipasto Platter is Always Welcome

When I show up at holiday parties or dinner parties and there is an antipasto platter available, I’m happy! It’s one of my favorite appetizers to have before a meal.

Think of it as a type of Italian charcuterie board. It’s usually a collection of cold dishes such as meats, vegetables, cheeses and breads. 

And, the great thing is that there is so much variety found in antipasto recipes. You can create a platter based on your very own personal taste.

Some of my favorite ingredients on an antipasto platter include:

• Green olives
• Black olives
• Cherry tomatoes
• Marinated vegetables 
• Roasted bell peppers
• Sun-dried tomatoes
• Prosciutto
• Focaccia bread

Frankly, I could make this list twice as long and still not name ALL of my favorites!

So, I was thinking how I could make a fun, easy appetizer based on the antipasto platter. That’s when I thought appetizer skewers might be a lot of fun and a great party food.

Making the Easy Antipasto Skewers

For this delicious appetizer, I definitely wanted to use simple, fresh ingredients that you can find at your local grocery store. I also wanted something that would take little time to pull together.

So, I put together this simple antipasto skewer recipe. Think of it as fun, little antipasto kabobs! And, I definitely wanted to make sure there was a great combination of meat, cheese and vegetables. 

For the cheese, I thought fresh, plain mozzarella balls would be perfect. The cheese compliments the other ingredients so well and they’re so easy to skewer.

I used a simple salami for the meat as it’s easy to cube, readily available and simple to skewer. For the vegetables, I used some of my favorites that are also easy to skewer including grape tomatoes, artichoke hearts and kalamata olives.

From there, you just need to toss those simple ingredients in a prepared pesto sauce, set up an assembly line and skewer away. In about 15 minutes you have yourself delicious antipasto skewers.

Make Ahead Easy Antipasto Skewers

These are a great make ahead appetizer – especially for the busy holiday season. Simply assemble the mini antipasto skewers and put them in an airtight container or a medium / large bowl covered in plastic wrap.

Put them in the fridge until you area ready to serve. I think they are best if you do this one to two days ahead of time, but you can keep them in the fridge for 4-5 days, if necessary. 

Easy and Adaptable

Besides all of their deliciousness, I love these antipasto skewers because 1) they’re incredibly easy to make 2) they’re a perfect party appetizer and 3) you can make them ahead of time which helps to keep the stress level of any party down.  

What’s not to love about all of that? Oh, and they’re just cute finger food!

They’re also very adaptable, if there’s an ingredient you don’t care for, swap it out for something you do like. There are so many options. 

​You can try different salamis, experiment with different types of olives, add in some marinated vegetables – you really can’t go wrong!

The recipe is also very easy to double or triple if you are serving a large crowd. And, since the ingredients are relatively inexpensive, you don’t have to break to the bank to feed a big group.

So, if you’re looking for a fun, easy Italian appetizer for a party or as the perfect addition to a main course meal, these easy antipasto skewers are just what you need!

Tips and Tricks

• Make sure that all of your ingredients are in bite size pieces. The skewers are intended to be finger food, so each piece on the skewer should be one bite.
• Wooden skewers should be just fine, but if you are concerned with the integrity to the skewers, bamboo skewers tend to have a bit more integrity. I would not use metal skewers as you are eating these right off the skewer and cocktail picks are traditionally too small.
• If there’s an ingredient that you don’t care for, feel free to swap it out for another bite size ingredient. Some good substitutions/additions could be jarred roasted red peppers, provolone cheese, marinated mushrooms or cooked cheese tortellini.
• These can be assembled a day or two ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to serve.

Ingredients Needed to Make Easy Antipasto Skewers

Full Instructions Can Be Found Below in the Printable Recipe Card

• Small fresh mozzarella balls
• Grape tomatoes – I prefer these over cherry tomatoes as they work better on a small skewer
• Canned petite artichoke hearts – Packed in water or packed in oil will both work
• Salami – Summer sausage also works well
• Kalamata olives – Feel free to substitute green olives
• Prepared pesto – My favorite brand is Costco’s because it has a looser consistency than a lot of other pestos
• Wooden skewers

How to Make Easy Antipasto Skewers

• Toss all ingredients in enough pesto to coat.
• Thread one of each ingredient onto a skewer.

More Quick and Easy Party Appetizers

• Bacon Wrapped Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates
• Chicken Taco Pinwheels
• Baked Brie Bites
• Spicy Caribbean Shrimp

ENJOY!