10 Easy Tapas Recipes

Enjoy all the flavours of Spain with these 10 Easy Tapas Recipes, that when put together make the most delicious tapas dinner party feast. From Spanish Tortilla, to Albondigas (smoky meatballs), Patatas Bravas, garlic prawns and the EASIEST Spanish Rice, and so much more.

A table coveres in various tapas dishes.

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If you love eating out at a tapas restaurant, then why not recreate the recipes at home?

These 10 Easy Tapas Recipes are a favourite on any Spanish restaurant menu. These little dishes are packed with garlic, paprika, and herbs and are perfect for sharing.

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What is Tapas food?
10 Easy Tapas Recipes
Dannii's Top Tips
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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'.

It is said that when people drank Sherry, they often covered their wine glasses with a slice of bread or meat to keep the flies from doing a nose-dive into the wine, and that is how tapas began and where it got its name. Tapas is classic Spanish cuisine.

A tapas selection of gambas pil pil, olives, albondigas and tortilla.

Nowadays it is a popular cuisine all over the world and has moved on from a slice of ham covering a wine glass.

There are many types of Tapas Bars and recipes can vary regionally, but popular tapas choices include chicken skewers, meatballs, cod croquettes, garlic prawns and crispy smoky potatoes - many of the Spanish tapas recipes you will find in this post.

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 tapas set up with chicken skewers, chorizo, goat's cheese, bread and tomatoes.

10 Easy Tapas Recipes

Paprika Chicken Skewers

5 from 13 votes

These Paprika Chicken Skewers are smoky, a little bit spicy, and a delicious way to make a chicken dinner a little bit more exciting.

Here's the recipe for Paprika Chicken Skewers

Paprika Chicken Skewers on a plate with paprika dip.

A plate of seasoned chicken skewers with a pot of dip.

Gambas Pil Pil

5 from 6 votes

A simple prawn recipe that's a must at any tapas table. Gambas Pil Pil is a traditional Spanish dish that transports your taste buds to the Mediterranean.

Here's the recipe for Gambas Pil Pil

Gambas pil pil in a bowl with a chunk of bread.

A bowl of cooked prawns, scattered with herbs and a piece of chunky bread.

Patatas Bravas

5 from 3 votes

There is so much that you can do with potatoes as a side dish and Patatas Bravas is a traditional Spanish side dish that is perfect for tapas night.

Here's the recipe for Patatas Bravas

A bowl of patatas bravas in front of a bowl of olives

Patatas Bravas in a bowl in front of some olives and a tea towel

Chorizo in Red Wine

Chorizo in Red Wine is a real flavour packed dish that is perfect as part of any tapas spread. Simple Spanish flavours cooked together in less that 15 minutes.

Here's the recipe for Chorizo in Red Wine

A plate of Chorizo in Red Wine next to some slices of bread.

Slices of chorizo in red wine sauce topped with chopped herbs

Tortilla (Spanish Omelette)

4.95 from 19 votes

A tortilla, also known as a Spanish omelette, is made with eggs and potato and is a traditional Spanish tapas dish.

Here's the recipe for Tortilla (Spanish Omelette)

A slice of Spanish omelette on a plate with vine tomatoes and green salad leaves

A slice of tortilla on a plate next to a whole tortilla, some toast and tomatoes

Spanish Olives

5 from 8 votes

Spanish Olives are a really easy side dish that are a must at any tapas dinner party or just to keep in your fridge as a delicious Mediterranean flavoured snack.

Here's the recipe for Spanish Olives

A bowl of green Spanish olives with lemon wedges.

A bowl of green Spanish olives with lemon wedges. Bread and dip are next to it

Albondigas (Spanish Meatballs)

5 from 5 votes

Albondigas are delicious Spanish meatballs in a rich and smokey tomato sauce. A must at any tapas feast, but equally delicious served with pasta or potato.

Here's the recipe for Albondigas (Spanish Meatballs)

A plate of albondigas with chopped herbs sprinkled on top

Spanish Rice

4.63 from 8 votes

Easy Spanish Rice, also known as Mexican Rice, is a simple and delicious way to make rice more exciting and a must-have side dish at any Tapas dinner party.

Here's the recipe for Spanish Rice

Spanish Rice in a blue bowl topped with chopped parsley

Canarian Potatoes (Papas arrugadas)

5 from 4 votes

Papas arrugadas, also known as Canarian Potatoes, means 'wrinkled potatoes' and are a traditional potato dish popular across all the Canary islands.

Here's the recipe for Canarian Potatoes (Papas arrugadas)

A plate of Canarian Potatoes smothered in mojo picon sauce.

A plate of cooked new potatoes smothered in an orange coloured sauce.

Serrano Ham Salad - What is a dinner party without a salad? We kept with the Spanish vibe by making this Serrano ham and Manchego salad. We took a base of rocket lettuce (arugula) and dressed it in olive oil, salt and pepper, lemon juice and red wine vinegar and then topped it with Serrano ham (a traditional Spanish ham), shavings of Manchego cheese and some figs.

Serrano ham salad in a long serving dish.

Dannii's Top 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.
Have a selection of breads out (including crusty bread, breadsticks and slices) with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a bowl for dipping.
Put some Spanish meats, roasted red peppers and cheeses on a board as a filler if you have lots of guests. It's always better to have too much food and have leftovers than not have enough.
Try to make as much as you can earlier on in the day or the night before. The olives can be made in advance and will keep in the fridge for a few days. The chicken skewers and meatballs can be made and kept in the fridge until they are ready to cook.
Tapas makes great leftovers. Slices of tortilla make for a great snack as you are passing the fridge. The olives can be used in other meals like pastas and salads and the cooked chicken skewers are delicious in wraps.

If you've tried any of these Easy Tapas Recipes please leave a comment below, we love hearing from you!
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