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They may be small, but capers pack a punch—and Tuscanini capers do it with extra flair. Briny, salty, and just a little bit sassy, capers are the unsung heroes of the pantry, waiting to transform your everyday dishes into something unforgettable.

In this roundup, we’re celebrating the caper in all its tangy glory—tossed into classic salads, paired with smoky fish, tucked into chicken dishes, and even starring in brunch-worthy quiches and crostini. Whether you’re new to cooking with capers or a longtime fan, these recipes prove how a spoonful of the good stuff can completely elevate a meal.

From zingy gremolatas to creamy tuna salads with a kick, here are 11 ways to let capers shine—no passport to Italy required.

1. Caesar Salad with Fried Capers by Ruth Fox and Vicky Cohen

2. London Broil Carpaccio by Shushy Turin

This is such a great dish. The meat is so tender, and the flavors are delicious.

3. Spicy Eggplant Caponata Crostini by Erin Grunstein

4. Tomato-Olive Chicken by Chaya Suri Leitner

My kids love olives any way they’re served. This is one of those dishes they all like to eat. Serve it with rice, pasta, or quinoa.

5. Tuna Niçoise Salad with Caper Gremolata by Adina Schlass

6. Chicken with Spinach, Capers, and Sun-dried Tomatoes by Chayie Schlisselfeld

A few years back my husband and I went out to The Pasta Factory in Teaneck (the current location of Nobo). He ordered an interesting fish dish that included capers. It was the first time he tried them and he really enjoyed the pickle-like briny, salty taste. Here, capers also bring flavor to a chicken dish that’s surprisingly simply to prepare. Serve it with rice to complete the meal.

7. Dill Chicken with Artichokes, Olives and Capers by Erin Grunstein

I made this chicken simply because I had leftover dill, and it’s a new staple in our home.

8. Capers Tuna by Chayie Schlisselfeld

Tuna salad with kick.

9. Salmon with Tomato Caper Salsa by Elizabeth Kurtz

Sweet and briny, this topping adds amazing flavor and color to everyday fish. It’s fantastic with tuna, too. This recipe is prepared in a cast iron pan.

10. Lower East Side Brunch Tart by Dorie Greenspan

After a few weeks of binge quiche-making and a brunch at Russ & Daughters, the Lower East Side Manhattan restaurant that specializes in smoked fish and Jewish tradition, I came up with this recipe. Think bagels and lox, the Sunday-morning meal of millions of New Yorkers, Jewish or not. But to say “bagels and lox” is to shortchange the dish. What you want with your bagel and smoked salmon (lox is one kind) is “the works”: cream cheese, red onions, capers, dill and tomato. And that’s what you get in this tart. To capture the spirit and flavor of the weekend special, I did a couple of things I’d never done before for a tart: I used raw red onion, so that it would retain some of its texture (I usually cook the onion before adding it to something to be baked); I speckled the tart with small chunks of cream cheese; and I tossed in capers. As often happens, the oven’s heat was the magic ingredient, making all these firsts seem as right as the Lower East Side ritual and just as tasty. If you’d like your tart to look like the one in the photo, cut the cream cheese into chunks so they won’t melt completely, and reserve some of the capers and dill to scatter over the top with the tomatoes. Working Ahead: You can prebake the crust up to two months ahead and keep it, wrapped airtight, in the freezer.

11. Everything-But-The-Bagel Quiche by Michal Frischman

Something about the good old bagel and lox always does it for me. This quiche is a fun play on familiar flavors and is a definite change from my regular Nine Days rotation of endless broccoli and mushroom quiches. Plus, I need a use for the three bottles of Trader Joe’s Everything Spice I bought one time in a burst of enthusiasm and never end up cooking with!