Asian-Inspired Starters and Sides to Liven Up Any Dinner Party

Save yourself the trouble of plates with these adorable, light, and easy-to-eat Vietnamese and Thai-inspired lettuce wraps sides. They're light and refreshing with fresh raw veggies like carrots, red radish, and of course, lettuce. And since you'll have carbs to spare, serving fragrant jasmine rice as lettuce wrap sides can help ground the dish.

You'll find egg rolls in Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai cuisines, making them an ultimate and versatile Asian side dish. Once you master the technique, you can fill your rolls with what you like, including the Chinese combo of shrimp and cabbage. Rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic add a bite that balances beautifully with sweet chili, plum, or duck sauce.

A little bit of matcha infuses Asian flair into a traditional European appetizer. Cream cheese and goat cheese get a dose of this grassy green tea, while Lemon zest and cucumber make it even brighter. Honey contributes a hint of sunshine to this garden party on toast.

Take the traditional Vietnamese side dish and give it a contemporary pan-Asian twist. This recipe includes tropical elements like sliced mango and coconut, adds a hearty shredded broccoli slaw, and tofu for protein. Tossed in a creative ginger, wasabi, and lime dressing, it's a fun and different take.

This is one of those Chinese appetizers everyone gets excited about. Being able to present or pass around directly from the bamboo steamers is a bonus, lending more Asian style to your gathering while reducing your cleanup. Lemongrass and Ginger Pork or Cilantro-Lime Chicken fillings provide a dose of the unexpected, channeling Vietnamese and Thai influence.

Indian flavors bring warmth to your gathering, and this Asian vegetable side dish (or appetizer, you choose!) contributes comfort, too. This recipe for deconstructed samosas transforms cauliflower, potatoes, mango chutney, cilantro, and flaky pie crust into filling-heavy scoops.

Add some Indian to your side dish spread with a hint of curry, melted butter, and smoked almonds accented with dried currants to sweeten the bread and grace it with a pop of color. The spice level is mild and can be made even more so with the right spread, like a sweet chutney.

In an East-meets-West fusion, the addition of garam masala, turmeric, pepper, and garlic invigorates a classic comfort food. Serve this as a side dish, which is made rich and creamy with sharp cheddar and Asiago cheeses as well as milk and butter. Green peas provide a nice pop of refreshment.

Crostini, bruschetta, topped toasts—the combination of a crispy baked bread base and flavor-dense topping is universal and timeless. Tender dark meat chicken is primed to absorb the ginger, Greek yogurt, coriander, cumin, and cinnamon marinade, enhanced by herbaceous cilantro sauce.

If you thought marinated mushrooms were just for Italians, try cooking them in hoisin sauce with garlic and red pepper. This flavorful Asian twist is sweet, savory, spicy, and astoundingly easy to put together, making it an easy go-to for your Asian appetizer spread.

Asian-inspired appetizers tend to have vegetarians covered, and this recipe is a perfect example of that. Spicy tofu triangles make for a great Asian vegetable side dish, with earthy shiitake mushrooms and refreshing water chestnuts. Sauces like hoisin and chili sauce make these healthy baked pockets infinitely poppable.

These Chinese dim sum-inspired buns are almost too cute to eat, with their sprinkle of sesame seeds and lovely golden tops. You'll want to make a big batch—the combination of soy- and sesame-flavored meat, mushrooms, and sweet cabbage with warm, milk-infused dough makes it even more irresistible.

A dressing made of rice vinegar, mirin, sugar, and ginger sparks easy pizzazz to an Asian vegetable side dish salad that would be as at home at an outdoor barbecue as an indoor dinner party. And if you're wondering what to serve with lettuce wraps, this could also double as a filling.

The key to fantastic Vietnamese side dishes and Vietnamese appetizers with grilled meats is a flavorful marinade. These lettuce wraps offer a recipe that includes lime juice, fish sauce, lemongrass, sugar, and garlic for a combination that results in a fantastic char. Top them with traditional lettuce wrap sides like carrots, fresh mint or cilantro, peanuts … or all of the above.