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    Hungry Healthy Happy » Recipes » Mediterranean

    Easy Tapas Platter

    Published: Jun 9, 2021 · Modified: Jun 23, 2022 by Dannii · This post may contain affiliate links · 20 Comments

    98 shares
    • 52
    Jump to Recipe

    A Spanish Tapas Platter is packed full of meat, cheese, bread and vegetables and is the perfect throw together meal for entertaining guests this summer. Easy to adapt with your favourite ingredients and tapas recipes, we have lots of suggestions on how to build the perfect tapas platter and some of our favourite tapas dishes.

    A large rectangular serving board covered in tapas items.

    If you want to serve up something to your guests that is seriously impressive, but with minimal effort, then a Tapas Platter is the perfect solution. It's the only tapas recipe you need! Just take a wooden board, place a dip or sauce in the middle and then arrange all the other tapas dishes round it.

    Serve it with a nice bottle of red wine and let everyone help themselves. It's the best food for entertaining and hardly any washing up too! We have lots of tapas ideas for you.

    If you are looking for some other Spanish recipes to try, then why not try our Spanish Bean Stew, Spanish Meatballs (Albondigas) or Canarian Potatoes.

    Jump to:
    • Why you will love it
    • What goes on a Tapas Platter?
    • What is tapas?
    • Extra tips
    • More Spanish recipes
    • Recipe
    • Feedback

    Why you will love it

    • A delicious way to try Spanish cuisine - If you have never tried Spanish food before, then this tapas recipe is a great place to start.
    • Easy to adapt - We have given you lots of different ways to adapt it with different meat, cheese and dips.
    • Perfect for entertaining - Picky food is the best for entertaining. It can be enjoyed over the evening, with everyone picking at the platter as and when they feel hungry.
    • Minimal effort - This looks far more impressive than it actually is. Just throw everything on the board and it looks amazing.

    What goes on a Tapas Platter?

    The great thing about a tapas platter is that it's so easy to adapt. Your favourite meats, cheeses and vegetables all work with some dips and breads - we have lots of tapas ideas to get you started. We have included the recipe for how we have made ours in the picture and in the recipe card below. But here are some extra options if you feel like adapting it.

    • Bread - We used a crusty loaf and then some crisp breads which are great for dipping. Bread products are great for filling out the platter amongst the more expensive items. You could also add a few different flavoured crackers and breadsticks too.
    • Dip - We have added an incredible tomato marmalade, which goes so well with the meat and cheese. We sometimes swap that for a fig jam or an onion chutney. However, you could add an aoli if you wanted something a bit more indulgent or a garlic and red pepper sauce.
    • Olives - It's not a sharing platter without olives in our opinion. The great thing about olives is that there are so many options. Green, black, garlic and herb olives, stuffed olives (chilli or garlic are our favourites).
    • Meat - This is a big part of the tapas platter. To keep it traditionally Spanish, we went with chorizo and Serrano ham, however any of your favourite slices of meat will work well.
    • Roasted/grilled vegetables - The meat can be quite heavy and salty, so we like to balance it out by adding as many vegetables as we can to add nutrients and colour. We like roasted red peppers, tomatoes, courgette and asparagus. Sun-dried tomatoes and artichokes are good addition too.
    • Cheese - Another big part of the platter is cheese. Keeping with the Spanish theme we used Iberico and a Spanish goats cheese.
    • Potatoes - Keeping with the Spanish theme, we serve our Canarian Potatoes with this, which helps to bulk it out a little.
    • Nuts - These add some lovely crunch and texture to the platter. The saltiness goes well with the cheese as well. We used almonds, however any nuts will work.
    • Fruit -  Grapes and cheese are the perfect match and they help to add a pop of colour to the platter too.
    • Tortilla - A nice way to give the platter a bit of a protein boost is some slices of Spanish Tortilla which is an egg and potato dish. It's nice and filling, so it helps to bulk it out a little.
    A hand using small tongs to pick up a slice of cheese.

    What is tapas?

    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.

    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 recipes include chicken skewers, meatballs, cod croquettes, garlic prawns and crispy smokey potatoes, along with breads, meat and cheese.

    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. Instead of serving it all on different plates, we have served it up on a big platter, making it perfect for sharing.

    A board of tapas on a table with a bottle of red wine.
    heart icon

    Extra tips

    • To make your tapas platter look as appealing as possible, try to use different shape and sized bowls. Things like ramekins and little jars work well.
    • Have little spoons, forks, toothpicks and tongs in different parts of the platter to make it easier to pick everything up.
    • Although big wedges of cheese or a log of meat look great on a platter, they aren't the most convenient for everyone to help themselves. Slice everything up and it makes it easier for guests to take off a little at a time.

    More Spanish recipes

    • A plate of albondigas with chopped herbs sprinkled on top
      Albondigas (Spanish Meatballs)
    • Spanish Bean Stew in a bowl next to a spoon, glass of water and slices of bread
      Spanish Beans
    • Slow Cooker Spanish Chicken on a blue plate with a knife and fork.
      Slow Cooker Spanish Chicken
    • A plate of Chorizo in Red Wine next to some slices of bread
      Chorizo in Red Wine

    If you’ve tried this, or any other recipe on the blog, then let us know how you got on in the comments below, we love hearing from you!
    Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - we love sharing photos when people make our recipes. You can use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.

    Recipe

    A tapas platter containing meats, nuts, cheese and jams.

    Easy Tapas Platter

    By: Dannii
    A Spanish Tapas Platter is packed full of meat, cheese, bread and vegetables and is the perfect throw together meal for entertaining guests this summer.
    4.87 from 22 votes
    Pin Print Save recipe Recipe saved!
    Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Tapas
    Cuisine: Spanish
    Prep: 5 minutes mins
    Total: 5 minutes mins
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 400kcal
    Allergens:
    An illustration of a carton of milk.
    Dairy
    An illustration of a cracked egg.
    Eggs
    An illustration of two ears of wheat.
    Gluten
    An illustration of a cow's head.
    Meat
    An illustration of a wine glass.
    Sulphites
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • Selection of Spanish meat
    • Selection of Spanish cheeses
    • Olives
    • Bread
    • Dips
    • Grilled/roasted vegetables
    • Nuts
    • Fruit
    • Tortilla

    Instructions

    • Add all the ingredients to a serving board or individual bowls.
    • Serve and enjoy

    Notes

    • To make your tapas platter look as appealing as possible, try to use different shape and sized bowls. Things like ramekins and little jars work well.
    • Have little spoons, forks, toothpicks and tongs in different parts of the platter to make it easier to pick everything up.
    • Although big wedges of cheese or a log of meat look great on a platter, they aren't the most convenient for everyone to help themselves. Slice everything up and it makes it easier for guests to take off a little at a time.

    Nutritional Information

    Serving: 1portion | Calories: 400kcal
    DisclaimerThe nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Beth

      June 27, 2021 at 8:46 pm

      5 stars
      This looks great and so colorful! My daughter is going to love helping me make this platter! Such a fun and creative idea!

      Reply
    2. maryanne

      June 27, 2021 at 4:28 pm

      5 stars
      This is a great idea for entertaining! I love offering variety and everything on a tapas platter sounds delicious!

      Reply
    3. Biana

      June 27, 2021 at 3:20 pm

      5 stars
      These tapas look amazing! The board looks so fun and colorful, and most importantly, delicious.

      Reply
    4. Charla

      June 27, 2021 at 11:24 am

      5 stars
      I haven't been able to visit my favourite Spanish restaurant with the current situation so this post will assist me in making my own tapas platter from scratch. Thank you!

      Reply
    5. Rosemary

      June 27, 2021 at 10:54 am

      Wow, this looks great. I love the addition of the grilled vegetables and tortilla. The best part is how simple it is to prepare. Yummyness!!

      Reply
    6. Beth

      June 17, 2021 at 8:37 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my! This looks so pretty and so fun! I can’t wait to make this for get togethers!

      Reply
    7. Anjali

      June 17, 2021 at 7:08 pm

      5 stars
      This tapas platter is perfect for feeding a crowd! We brought it to a friend's dinner party the other night and everyone loved it (it was also gone within minutes!)

      Reply
    8. Adrianne

      June 17, 2021 at 7:04 pm

      5 stars
      This looks like a great weekend share plate! I love the selection of ingredients and variety of flavours.

      Reply
    9. Claudia Lamascolo

      June 17, 2021 at 5:55 pm

      5 stars
      I love the ease of this and how fast it came together everyone loves this freshness of this platter

      Reply
    10. Alisa Infanti

      June 17, 2021 at 5:33 pm

      5 stars
      This platter is perfect! Grab a nice bottle of Malbec and dinner is served!

      Reply
    11. Claire

      June 17, 2021 at 3:59 am

      5 stars
      Woah! Will try in our family night later!

      Reply
    12. Natalie

      June 14, 2021 at 12:05 pm

      5 stars
      Oh wow, what a platter. Beautifully presented. Everything looks so tasty! Perfect for summer parties. Thanks for idea!

      Reply
    13. Danielle Wolter

      June 14, 2021 at 11:40 am

      5 stars
      What an amazing board! I just love stiff like this. The boyfriend and I made this while having a Saturday afternoon Netflix binge and it was amazing.

      Reply
    14. Keri Bevan

      June 14, 2021 at 11:06 am

      5 stars
      I love the combination of colours and textures in this tapas board. Definitely going to try. Thanks so much for the recipe!

      Reply
    15. Mahy

      June 14, 2021 at 8:49 am

      5 stars
      Wow - this platter is perfect for my weekend's party. It is the perfect size and has my favorite produce. Yum!

      Reply
    16. HeiLin

      June 10, 2021 at 8:53 pm

      5 stars
      This Spanish Tapas board looks amazing! There are so many yummy things on there that I love. Bravo!

      Reply
    17. Tara

      June 10, 2021 at 8:50 pm

      5 stars
      Such a gorgeous platter! It is packed with all my favorite things. I especially love all the tips to help make it perfect.

      Reply
    18. Liz

      June 10, 2021 at 8:12 pm

      5 stars
      Now that we can have people over agian, I've been looking for new tapas ideas! Thank you for this!

      Reply
    19. Mahy

      June 10, 2021 at 7:54 pm

      5 stars
      My favorite thing to order when I visit Spain! Love how easy it is to recreate it at home, too!

      Reply
    20. Eliza Cross

      June 10, 2021 at 7:19 pm

      5 stars
      This is the perfect summer appetizer, and your presentation is so beautiful. Great info, too.

      Reply

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    Established in 2011, Hungry Healthy Happy has become one of the UK's most popular food blogs, with two successful recipe books published.

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