Sporked’s Guide to All the Best Game Day Snacks

It’s the Big Game! Or it’s the playoffs for the Big Game. Or it’s a Little Game. (Or it’s the International Summer Games, if you’re reading this in summer 2024 and watching in awe as Simone Biles and Suni Lee defy gravity.) As long as it’s a game, it’s time for snacks. Fried snacks, snacks for dipping, crispy snacks, salty snacks—and drinks, of course. But don’t just grab the first bag of potato chips you see—and don’t try to make wings from scratch. Here’s the Sporked guide to game day eats, whether you’re watching football, hunkering down for a five-day cricket championship, or staring in disbelief at the swimmers diving into the yellow waters of the Seine, literally going for gold. 

Ultimate Game Day Eats

best canned chili
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart / Kroger / Walmart

The Best Canned Chili for Game Day 

Yes, you could make chili for all your friends to prove you love them, OR you could buy very good canned chili and prove you love them by hanging out and watching football with them instead. Your choice! 

The Only Queso You Need for Game Day

We have a whole entire ranking of great queso (see the Dips section below), but there’s really only one that’s perfectly suited to a Game Day crowd. 

The Best Frozen Wings for a Game Day Party

Before you order wings from your favorite sports bar or pizza place, consider buying frozen Buffalo wings—these wings in particular.

Best Frozen Boneless Wings

Every game day needs chicken wings, but not every chicken wing needs bones. Here’s the best of the boneless variety.

The Best Wings from the Grocery Store Deli

If heating up frozen wings is too big an ask, don’t worry—we taste tested chicken wings from several grocery store delis and found the best.

Frozen Essentials

best frozen taquitos
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart / Target / Walmart

Best Frozen Pizza

We tasted through the best frozen pizza brands and these were the best pies, no matter your favorite style.

Best Cheap Frozen Pizza

If you’re watching the ball game on a budget, these are the best frozen pizza options for every category of pie.

Best Frozen Soft Pretzels

Soft pretzels dunked in queso (see below for recommendations on that!) are game day snack royalty. 

Best Frozen Taquitos

We tried everything from corn-wrapped chicken to flour-wrapped beef to find the best-tasting taquitos on the market. 

Best Frozen Mozzarella Sticks

Warm up some jarred marinara and throw the best frozen mozz sticks in the airfryer. You’re practically running your own gastropub. 

Best Frozen Empanadas

Empanadas are perfect in every way, especially on game day.

Best Frozen Mini Appetizers 

Sometimes, the best snacks are even better in miniature form, especially when you have more important tasks at hand (like watching the game).

Wing Accompaniments

best blue cheese dressing
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Best Buffalo Sauce

We tasted as many Buffalo sauces as we could get our hands on so all you have to decide is whether you want a drum or a flat.

Best Wing Sauce

Not a Buffalo fan? Here’s the best of every other type of wing sauce. 

Best Blue Cheese Dressing

Spicy wings need cooling blue cheese dressing, and these are the best ones out there. 

Best Ranch Dressing

We ate big spoonfuls of salad dressing to find out which ranch is the ranchiest ranch on the market. 

Dips

best store bought queso
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart / Target / Trader Joe’s / Walmart

Best Spinach Dip

Spinach dip is a top-five appetizer. Here are the best spinach dips to buy. 

Best French Onion Dip

Onion expert Jordan Myrick tried every French onion dip they could find at the grocery store to see which ones were chip worthy. 

Best Queso

Every Game Day party needs a jar of queso and a big bowl of chips.

Best Bean Dip

Don’t forget the bean dip! Whether you’re making a seven-layer dip or just filling out your spread, these bean dips are tried and verified. 

Best Guacamole

Don’t hurt yourself making guacamole. You can buy great pre-made guac at the grocery store. 

Best 7 Layer Dip 

Sure, you could have just bean dip or just guac—but why not go nuts with both (plus five other ingredients).

Best Store Bought Salsa

Whether you like it spicy or mild, we have a salsa rec for you.

Best Spicy Dip

Jordan tried a whole slew of dips to see which truly set their mouth on fire. 

Best Buffalo Chicken Dip

These are the absolute best store-bought buffalo chicken dips.

Crunchy Snacks 

best chips
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon / Aldi / Walmart

Best Tortilla Chips

Tortilla chips are the unsung heroes of the chip world—and they’re absolute staples in a Game Day spread.

Best Potato Chips

We’ve tried a lot of potato chips for a variety of rankings, and these are the best potato chips to eat by the bagful. 

Best Pretzels

If there’s beer at your party, then you also need to have pretzels. It’s the law. 

Best of the Best Popcorn

Any on-screen entertainment can be instantly elevated with amazing popcorn. Whether you want it fresh and warm or pre-popped, we’ve got you covered with the best in every category.

Dietary Options & Vegan Dupes 

Header: Vegan Buffalo Wings
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon

Best Vegan Buffalo Wings

We tried every single vegan Buffalo wing we could find, and these are the meatless Vuffalo wings you should be buying.

Best Vegan Queso

Vegans shouldn’t give up on their search for a delicious, cheesy-but-cheese-less queso. We found three we genuinely recommend.

Best Vegan Frozen Pizza

Vegan frozen pizza has come a long way. Satisfy your plant-based guests with these picks. 

​​Best Vegetarian Game Day Snacks

Crispy tater tots, artichoke and jalapeno dip, sweet chili doritos…if you think our curated list of vegetarian game day snacks is boring, think again! 

Best Gluten-Free Game Day Snacks

We will not be sidelining our gluten-free guys, gals, and pals on game day, capiche?



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