Best Game Day Snacks

The best game day snacks don’t have to be complicated recipes you spend hours preparing before kick-off. A lot of times, the best snacks for football games are incredibly simple. Carnivore Snax meat chips are a perfect example. 

We’re so excited about the start of the upcoming season, so we’ve created this list ranking the best snacks for game day - whether you want something quick and easy you can buy and put out on a tray, or something you slave over in the kitchen for hours on end. Learn more below!

20 Best Game Day Snacks

The best game day snacks don't need more than 20 minutes and a functioning oven. Some don't even need that. We’ll kick things off (pun intended) with the easiest snack you can set out for everyone to enjoy for the big game. 

1. Carnivore Snax Meat Chips

Order a bag, open it up a few minutes before everyone comes over. That’s literally it. But if you hide the packaging, your friends will truly believe you created a magical meat pastry that melts in the mouth and gives way to tantalizing flavors.

These carnivore chips are like jerky, if it was actually enjoyable. They’re whole cuts of premium meat, gently dehydrated with Redmond Real Salt. Two ingredients total. They’re light and airy like a chip rather than hard to chew through like jerky. But they’re actually good for you, so you can indulge guilt-free.

• Ribeye Chips are the crowd favorite.
• Steak Chips are New York Strip, fat cap and all.
• Brisket Chips go smoky.
• Beef Chips are the small ones you scoop guac with.
• Pork Chips taste like bacon and nobody believes it until they try them.
• Chicken Chips if you want poultry.

Can’t decide which to start with? Try them all! 

2. Guacamole

Hard to screw up if you start with avocados that are actually ripe. Smash them with lime, salt, maybe some jalapeño and cilantro (if that's not a dealbreaker for you). 

Guac is one of the best game day snacks because it goes on literally everything else on this list, and nobody has ever turned it down. Don’t be lazy with the store-bought stuff. Make it yourself to control the ingredients, and if you really want to put on a show, make it fresh in front of people!

3. Baked Chicken Wings

Non-negotiable. Literally the best game day snacks for decades now. Just throw them in the oven at 425 degrees until the skin crackles when you bite into it. 

Buffalo with hot sauce and butter if you're traditional. Dry rub if you're tired of everyone wiping their hands on your couch cushions. Maybe both so there’s something for everyone in the room. Wings are some of the best snacks for game day, full stop.

4. Buffalo Chicken Dip

Another cult-classic for big games. All you need is shredded chicken, cream cheese, hot sauce, and ranch. Throw everything in a pan and bake it until it's bubbling. 

Pair it with celery and tortilla chips for the best snacks for game day that can honestly replace dinner if you commit to it. Yeah, it takes a little more work, but it’s well worth it when you hear the satisfaction from everyone on their first bites!

5. Loaded Sweet Potato Skins

People never see sweet potatoes coming at a watch party, which is honestly part of why we included them in our list of the best snacks for football games. That’s part of the fun. 

Scoop out the flesh, pack them with black beans and cheese, and finish them off with a little sour cream as you pull them out of the oven. The potato’s sweetness beautifully contrasts with the beans. Way more interesting than regular potato skins and honestly not any harder to make.

6. Stuffed Mini Peppers

Cut the peppers in half and fill them with cream cheese (or goat cheese if you’re feeling crazy). Throw some everything bagel seasoning on top. Watch before your eyes as the whole tray vanishes before you sit down. Everybody says they'll only have two, but that never happens.

7. Deviled Eggs

Your grandmother's game day snack and she was absolutely right about it. Easier to make than you’d think, too. You just need egg yolks, mayo, a little mustard, and perhaps some pickle juice if you grew up that way - or if you just want to get a little creative. Dust the tops with smoked paprika for a little kick. These have always been the first thing cleared off the table.

8. Shrimp Cocktail

Can’t go wrong with this when you want to impress but you’re feeling lazy, or just have too many other things to do as you prepare for game day. 

Arrange a pre-cooked bag on a plate and set the cocktail sauce next to it. You did zero cooking but nobody will know (unless you let them in on your little secret). One of the best game day snacks for looking like you slaved in the kitchen.

9. Turkey Meatballs

Roll them small so people can grab a few without committing to a meal. Bake them off, then toss half in marinara and half in sweet chili glaze so there are options. Put toothpicks in a cup next to the pan and walk away. 

They’re high protein without that heavy feeling that shuts the room down by the third quarter. They’re also some of our favorite clean bulking snacks if you're counting macros on game day.

10. Hummus Board

Put a bowl of hummus in the middle of a big plate and surround it with carrots, cucumbers, bell pepper strips, pita, and olives. It's our take on a charcuterie board because it hits the same type of vibe, but you don’t have to spend much time preparing it. 

It also happens to be one of the fun vegan options on our list of the best game day snacks if you’re scrambling to accommodate everyone’s dietary restrictions.

11. Jalapeño Poppers

Halve the jalapeños, fill them with cream cheese, wrap them up, and bake the tray until they’re golden. You honestly can’t beat these snacks for game day, and they’re really hard to mess up. The heat is part of the fun, but make sure you warn your friends that they pack a punch!

12. Bruschetta

Another one that looks like it took more effort than it did. Just 10 minutes of work and your friends will look at you in awe as they bite into it. All you need to do is toast bread, dice some tomatoes with garlic and basil, and add olive oil. 

13. Bacon-Wrapped Dates

Sounds weird if you’ve never had one. Then you eat one and replicate the recipe time and time again, wondering how you went all those years without this classic game day snack. 

The marriage of sweetness and saltiness from the date and the bacon is honestly really tough to put into words. You have to taste it to understand. We like to stuff goat cheese inside for a little twist on the traditional style.

14. Caprese Skewers

A little monotonous to prepare a whole batch, but pretty easy as far as getting it right. Just stick tomato, mozzarella, and basil on a toothpick. Repeat until you run out of toothpicks. Then drizzle balsamic over the plate for a bit of tang.
You never touched the oven, yet these look like you hired a chef. One of the best snacks for game day when you're running behind and need something on the table fast.

15. Chili

The slow cooker is doing all the work here, and it’s another one of the best game day snacks that people have been enjoying for generations. You can save time (and stress) on game day by making a pot the night before. Then just plug it in before guests arrive and let people serve themselves. 

16. Spinach Artichoke Dip

Every game day spread eventually has one of these, and for good reason. Sub in Greek yogurt to lighten it up if that matters to you, but realistically, nobody's reading ingredients during a fourth-quarter comeback. Bake it until the top goes golden and bubbly. Crackers or baguette slices for scooping.

17. Edamame

Another super simple recipe. If you can even call it a recipe. Just steam a bag, season it with some flaky salt, and put it on the table. It’s one of those snacks you eat with one hand and never look away from the TV. 

The best part? High protein and you can put away a huge pile of them without feeling like you need to take a nap after. No food coma or guilt here. Most people don't think of edamame for game day, until they’ve had edamame on game day.

18. Stuffed Mushrooms

You could make the case this is the most underrated snack on our entire list. Pull the stems off button mushrooms then fill the caps with cream cheese, garlic, and whatever herbs you've got. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit until they go golden on top. 

19. Lettuce Wraps

Maybe a little boring compared to some of the other options you have at your fingertips, but let’s be honest. Sometimes you need to balance out the heavier snacks with lighter options. These still satisfy, too.

Put out individual containers of ground turkey or chicken cooked with soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and a hit of hot sauce. Let people spoon the good stuff into butter lettuce cups on their own so you aren’t doing all that extra prep work. The crunch from the cold lettuce against the warm filling is so satisfying.

20. Cucumber Bites

You can season thick cucumber rounds with cream cheese and everything bagel seasoning. Take it up a notch with smoked salmon and lemon juice if you’re feeling like making a statement. These are super fast to throw together but still look like someone with a food blog made them. 

Get Ready For Kickoff With the Best Snacks For Game Day!

There you have it, all the best game day snacks - a lot of which you may have never associated with football season. That all changes now.

Just pick 5-6 of these for a nice spread that everyone can appreciate. Mix something heavy with something light, throw in at least one option that doesn't need the oven, and you've got a table that carries from pregame straight through overtime. 

The best game day snacks aren't trying to compete with the game for attention. They just make the whole day better. Try Carnivore Snax for the simplest, most satisfying option and you’ll understand why they never last long on the table!

Related Resources

Fasting Snacks | Gamer Snacks | Movie Night Snacks | Healthy Snacks For Athletes