Antipasto skewers will be the highlight of any appetizer spread. These little nibbles combine signature Italian antipasto ingredients into a flavorful and fun snack everyone will love.

A platter of antipasto skewers for the best appetizer.
Photo: Gayle McLeod

Why You’ll Love These Antipasto Skewers

I love a good charcuterie board, but sometimes you just want to grab an appetizer quickly. That’s where these mini antipasto skewers come in! They’re threaded with all the classic Italian appetizer ingredients—cured meats, marinated vegetables, and cheeses. But because they’re on a skewer, they’re so much easier for guests to pick up and enjoy (just like my caprese skewers). And I’ll admit it: I’m a sucker for any appetizer that looks stunning on a platter, and these definitely do! Here’s what else you’ll love about this appetizer recipe:

  • No cooking required. It’s all about fresh or jarred ingredients—my favorite kind of prep!
  • Easily customizable. Want to swap in a different cheese or cured meat? I’ve got some ideas listed below in the ingredient section.

Antipasto Skewers Ingredients

Antipasto skewers ingredients.
  • Cured meat: I’m using salami, but you can also use prosciutto or capicola.
  • Cheese: Make sure to get ciliegine mozzarella, which are the mini mozzarella balls. You can also use Parmesan cubes or slices of provolone.
  • Vegetables & fresh herbs: I’m threading a mix of artichoke hearts, grape tomatoes, Castelvetrano olives, kalamata olives, and basil leaves. You can also add roasted red peppers for a different marinated vegetable.
  • Italian dressing: I highly recommend making my Italian dressing from scratch for the freshest flavor. It’s really easy!

Find the printable recipe with measurements below

How To Make Antipasto Skewers

  • Step one: Using 5-inch bamboo skewers, thread the ingredients onto each skewer. The order I threaded was a kalamata olive, artichoke heart, salami slice, basil leaf, tomato, salami slice, mozzarella ball, and castelvetrano olive.
  • Step two: Before serving, drizzle the skewers with Italian dressing.
Threading antipasto skewers.

Assembly Tips

  • Use 5-inch bamboo skewers for the perfect amount of ingredients on each one. If your skewers are longer, just thread any leftover ingredients on top.
  • You can assemble these up to 24 hours in advance and store them in the fridge. Make sure to wrap the platter with plastic wrap or store the skewers in a container. And if using ingredients that release moisture (like tomatoes or marinated veggies), pat them dry with a paper towel before assembling to prevent sogginess.
Antipasto skewers on a platter.

More Appetizer Ideas

If you make this antipasto skewers recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more healthy food inspiration and exclusive content, join my free newsletter here.

Antipasto skewers appetizer.

Antipasto Skewers

Author: Lisa Bryan
5 from 6 votes
Read 14 Comments
Serves 16 skewers
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
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Description

Made with classic antipasto ingredients, these antipasto skewers will be the highlight of any appetizer spread—fresh, easy, and so delicious!

Equipment

Ingredients 
 

  • 16 mini mozzarella balls (ciliegine mozzarella)
  • 32 slices salami
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) jar quartered artichoke hearts
  • 16 grape tomatoes
  • 16 Castelvetrano olives
  • 16 Kalamata olives
  • 16 leaves fresh basil
  • ÂĽ cup Italian dressing

Instructions 

  • Thread the skewers. Using 5-inch bamboo skewers, thread the ingredients onto each skewer. The order I threaded was a kalamata olive, artichoke heart, salami slice, basil leaf, tomato, salami slice, mozzarella ball, and castelvetrano olive.
    How to make antipasto skewers.
  • Drizzle with dressing. Before serving, drizzle the skewers with Italian dressing.
    Antipasto skewers for a party.

Lisa’s Tips

  • This recipe makes 16 skewers.
  • My 6-ounce container of mini mozzarella balls had 16 balls, but note that yours may be different. 
  • I also purchased the 4 ounce container of Applegate organics uncured genoa salami, which had the perfect number of slices. 
  • I purchased a pint of tomatoes and 10 ounce jars of olives, which did leave me with leftovers. The mozzarella balls were the limiting factor for me on the number of skewers, but if your skewers are larger, you can always add more tomatoes and olives to use them all up! 
  • If you can find them, marinated artichoke hearts are even better as well!

Nutrition

Calories: 97kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 414mg | Potassium: 78mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 378IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 0.3mg
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!
Several antipasto skewers on a platter.

Behind The Scenes

I recently served these up (yet again!) when I had family in town for my nephew’s high school graduation. And everyone loved them! There’s a surprising amount of flavor thanks to the Italian dressing and marinated artichokes (I always default to marinated artichokes if I can find them). Plus, the little nibbles of protein keeps everyone full and out of my secret stash of cookies in my pantry, ha!

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

5 from 6 votes

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14 Comments

  1. I’m making these right now for a big bash with 125 guests tomorrow. Made The Cowboy caviar too. They both look great!! Thanks, Lisa!5 stars

  2. I made them immediately, using what I had: Edamcheese, no artichokes – they were delicious and a hit with everyone.5 stars

  3. I LOVE your cookbook and recipes. They are just about the only recipes I use. I Pin all of my favorites so they are all together and easy to access. Recently, I don’t see a way to pin them anymore. Am I missing something? I see where I can Save them, but I don’t know where they go, and it won’t be convenient since they won’t be with all of my other Downshiftology recipes.

    Thanks for any help you can provide.

    1. Hi Judy – There is now a “share” button which will allow you to save/share to other social platforms. Hope that helps!

  4. Delicious! Easy prep. We made these for our Fourth of July cousIns’ reunion. All the Sicilian cousins loved them, and we received many compliments.5 stars

  5. FABULOUS RECIPE – GREAT FOR ADULT GET TOGETHERS – OR PICNICS, BBQS, POTLUCKS – ENDLESS –5 stars

  6. love this recipe! was perfect for my housewarming party and easy to prep the night before!5 stars

    1. Thrilled to hear these antipasto skewers were the perfect small bite for your housewarming party, Sabrina!