Easy Tapas Menu with these 5 Great Tapas Ideas
- Spanish Garlic Prawns
- Albondigas – an Easy Meatball Recipe
- Grilled Calamari
- Spanish Garlic Mushrooms
- Jamon, Olives, Crusty Bread. To complete our tapas menu, visit your local delicatessen and purchase some jamon and olives. ...
Full Answer
What are Tapas?
They tend to be simple dishes made with high-quality products, like locally grown vegetables, olive oil, seafood, and nuts. Lots of tapas are also naturally plant-based!
How to host an easy tapas party?
How to host an easy tapas party? Throw together some meats and cheeses. It’s no-cook, no-fuss, and instantly makes everyone happy! Include Spanish meats such as Jamon Iberico, chorizo, and Serrano ham. Then, add a nice variety of some different soft and hard cheeses.
What are the best tapas recipes in Spain?
Tuna Stuffed Piquillo Peppers 45. Gazpacho 46. Watermelon Mint Gazpacho 47. Green Gazpacho 48. Salmorejo 49. Beet Salmorejo 50. Ajo Blanco Here are our favorite Spanish tapas recipes, from simple snacks to more complex cooking challenges. One thing they all have in common?
What are the benefits of a tapas dinner party?
The benefit of tapas is you can enjoy 4-5 smaller plates, and even share, so you get to have a hearty meal without being stuffed and you get to try a few different things. A good selection of wine is a must at any tapas dinner party, as tapas is made to be shared and enjoyed together, just like a good bottle of wine.
Pan con Tomate with Garrotxa Cheese
Garrotxa is a semi-firm Catalan goat cheese that's delicately flavored and perfect for grating over crunchy, garlicky, tomato-rubbed toast.
Stuffed Fried Sardines
The traditional Galician preparation is to simply grill the freshly caught sardines over hot coals. Instead, Janet Mendel fills the tender fish with a sweet-salty ham-and-raisin stuffing and fries them to make a crunchy starter that loves a crisp Albariño. For a light meal, serve these sardines with a mesclun salad and fresh lemon juice.
Potato-and-Mozzarella Croquettes
These light and cheesy fried potato croquettes are breaded twice: They’re dredged in bread crumbs, dipped in beaten eggs seasoned with mustard and garlic, then dredged in bread crumbs once more. The payoff is a supercrisp, flavorful crust for the filling of soft mashed potato and melted cheese.
Garlicky Shrimp with Olive Oil
At La Casa del Abuelo, a tiny taberna in Madrid, gambas al ajillo (shrimp with garlic) are cooked in individual earthenware cazuelitas and served with plenty of bread to dip into the garlicky oil once the shrimp have been eaten. This dish can also be prepared in a skillet.
Open-Faced Crab Empanadas
José Andrés says: "I love America! Without a doubt, one of my favorite American ingredients is blue crabs, a true delicacy! And a great value, I think." This recipe is his twist on the traditional Basque txangurro (crab simmered with tomato), crossed with a Galician empanada (a savory pie).
Chicken Croquettes
These croquettes are crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, and an excellent vehicle for leftover roast chicken.
Flat Breads with Shrimp and Romesco Sauce
Chef Sergi Millet cooks homey, regional food like romesco sauce, a slightly smoky puree of roasted red peppers, garlic and almonds. The versatile sauce is often served with fish or vegetables, but here Millet spreads it on rounds of soft homemade flat bread and tops it with sautéed shrimp.
Is Ensalada Tropical a tapa?
Ensalada Tropical - Spanish Tropical Salad. Although this salad is not a tapa, with all the protein and bread, your guests are eating in the other tapas; this is a light and fresh finish to the evening.
Do you cook tapas before serving?
That way your guests will taste each tapa individually, and before they fill up on the current tapa, the next one is being served. Since many tapas are best when cooked just before serving, you can impress your guests when you finish preparations while they watch!
Top 50 Spanish Tapas Recipes
Here are our favorite Spanish tapas recipes, from simple snacks to more complex cooking challenges. One thing they all have in common? The end result is delicious, authentic, and perfect for parties—or just a nice meal at home.
Spanish Tapas Recipes with Potatoes
Patatas bravas prepared with alioli in addition to their signature bravas sauce.
Spanish Tapas Recipes with Meat
Spanish pork skewers pack plenty of spice! Photo credit: Giulia Verdinelli
Spanish Cold Soup Recipes
Refreshing gazpacho with plenty of fresh veggies. Photo credit: Giulia Verdinelli
What to Drink With Tapas
There are almost as many delicious Spanish drinks as there are tapas recipes! Depending on the dish (and your mood), you can pair Spanish tapas with pretty much any beverage.
Tips on How to Host an Easy Tapas Party
Having 3 to five options, along with a charcuterie board, will be more than enough variety and food. Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to create ten different dishes. Instead, choose around 4 and make them really well. When it comes to the small plates, mix it up. Go for at least 1-2 proteins (marinated flank steak, garlic shrimp, pork meatballs).
How to Host an Easy Tapas Party: 25 Recipes!
One recipe I always must include in my tapas party is patatas bravas. So delicious, easy, and vegetarian. Usually, patatas bravas are served with a garlic aioli. Below, I’ll show you how to make a crazy easy cheat aioli with quality store-bought mayo.
Patatas Bravas with Cheat Garlic Aioli
Patatas bravas are a classic tapas addition. Here, we cheat a little when making garlic aioli for a super easy, delicious dish!
How to Host an Easy Tapas Party Continued: 24 More Delicious Recipes
Lavender Lemon Bourbon Sour: This sweet, unique cocktail looks awfully pretty and is very easy to make. A lavender simple syrup pairs with citrus and bourbon for a bright, show-stopping libation that will pair nicely with salty and spicy flavors. via Champagne Tastes
What is Tapas food?
In Spanish, you can have one 'tapa' and two or more 'tapas'. It is basically a small plate of Spanish cuisine and translates to 'top' or 'lid'.
What wine to serve with tapas
A good selection of wine is a must at any tapas dinner party, as tapas is made to be shared and enjoyed together, just like a good bottle of wine. Tapas food can be quite rich and heavy, which is why we like to keep the booze light.
Lower calorie wine
Usually, lower calorie wines are only so because they have a lower ABV%, however the wines at Skinny Booze maintain a comparable ABV%. Full Strength, Full Flavour & Fewer Calories - just how we like it.
10 Easy Tapas Recipes
Paprika Chicken Skewers - These skewers are smokey, a little bit spicy, and a delicious way to make chicken a little bit more exciting. Served with a smokey aioli dip, they are a must at a tapas dinner party. If you don't include the marinating time, these are ready in just 10 minutes! Get the Paprika Chicken Skewers recipe here.
Extra tips
Put out a selection of wines. A red, white and rose, so that there is something for everyone to go with all the different dishes on offer.
