18 Terrific Tapas Recipes will make the perfect night with friends (2024)

Just a few short weeks ago we hosted a Tapas night. Each couple, we invited two couples besides ourselves, made 5 dishes plus a magnificent sangria! That was a total of 15 dishes, sounds like a lot but we managed to get through them without an issue. Some were small pintxos (just a bite), while others a bit larger! They did have one thing in common though, all were delicious. That is why I wanted to bring you this collection of 18 Terrific Tapas Recipes.

I can’t share with you all that we made as some were from cookbooks but this collection I put together for you has many wonderful options for your next tapas night.

Maybe some of you aren’t familiar with tapas. Basically it is Spanish appetizers that are usually served at a bar in Spain. One after another is served and this comprises your meal. I hope you enjoy our collection of Spanish Tapas Recipes!! I wish for you to “comer bien” or eat well!

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Table of Contents

Spanish Tapas Recipes

Spanish Tapas are canapes, snacks or tiny plates of a variety of different dishes that originated in Spain. In fact, Spanish tapas come in many different varieties and forms and can vary depending on where in Spain you are visiting.

How to Make Tapas

There are several different ways to make Tapas. Considering the variety of ingredients that can be used to create delicious small plates, there is a Tapas recipes for everyone.

From Patatas Bravas, Catalan-Style Spinach, Baked Feta Cheese with Olives and Lemon to Marinated Roasted Red Peppers and Shrimp in Romesco Sauce. The list continues with Queso Fresco Cheese and Apples, Chorizo Stuffed Mushrooms and Mascarpone Stuffed Dates with Pomegranate and Honey.

The possibilities are just as endless as the tapas will seem.

Easy Tapas Recipes

From potatoes to other veggies, to cheese or seafood and more, Spanish cuisine is one that is full of flavor! Every bite will pack a punch of delicious tastes to share with family or friends!

Tapas dishes can be served hot or cold and some can be servedeither way or at room temperature. Eating tapas evokes conversation and friendship. There will always be something wonderful to talk about as dish after dish comes out to tempt all your senses.

Olives and Spanish olive oil are very essential in tapas and almost always some dishes will include those ingredients at some point in the meal. You can start off with simple marinated oliveswith lots of crusty bread to dunk. I made something very similar to this recipe and we all adored it.

Tapas can be very easy to serve too, don’t get intimidated with the number of dishes. Some like our marinated peppers take only a few minutes to pull together and can be made ahead of time. Serving an excellent inexpensive wine with your meal will add a lot of enjoyment to the dining. We sure have loved the newLiberado with our tapas meals.

Tapas

Tapas recipes are a fantastic addition to your cooking repertoire. They make for such a fun night of noshing and are perfect for get togethers and parties. Rather than serving a big meal to your guests you can opt to serve delicious Spanish tapas. There are such a wide variety of tapas recipes from vegetarian tapas to beef, chicken, chorizo or pork tapas, there is something for everyone.

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Patatas Bravas by Noshing With The Nolands

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Spanish Omelette (Tortilla de Patatas) by Scrummy Lane

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Catalan-Style Spinach by Foolproof Living

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Marinated Roasted Red Peppers by Noshing With The Nolands

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Mascarpone Stuffed Dates with Pomegranate and Honey by Foolproof Living

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Baked Feta Cheese with Olives and Lemon by The View From Great Island

Common Questions About Tapas

What are Tapas?

Tapas are essentially tiny plates of food originating from Spanish cuisine. Basically, like bar snacks served alongside beverages.

Tapas are great as a snack or even as a meal when you make a range of different kinds. These small dishes are a great way to try a large variety of different food without overfilling you belly and emptying your wallet.

Serving these recipes are fantastic for entertaining because most are easy to make and with such a large range of recipes they are sure to suit the different tastes if your guests.

What are Three Popular Tapas?

There are cold tapas, like cheeses and mixed olives or warm tapas like chopitos. Chopitos are fried and battered baby squid.

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Shrimp in Romesco Sauce by The View From Great Island

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Spanish Garlic Shrimp by Life Tastes Good

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Patatas Aioli by Manu’s Menu

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Mushrooms in Escabeche by Manu’s Menu

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Sous Vide Octopus Spanish Tapas Recipe by Jeanette’s Healthy Living

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Chorizo Sweet Potato Spanish Tortilla Bites by Cupcakes and Kale Chips

Where Does the Word Tapas Come From?

There are many debates about the origin of tapas. Depending on which part of Spain you are from, you may have differing opinions.

It is said that the first Tapas was simply a large piece of bread that was placed over top of a drink to keep the flies out. It is said, the word “Tapas” was born from this experience.

Tapas serve as an amazing way to entertain and enjoy some delicious food. There are many recipes out there that can be used to create delicious tapas. Try your hand at this Spanish cuisine and enjoy.

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Spicy Tortilla Rollups by Vegan in the Freezer

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Queso Fresco Cheese and Apples by Noshing With The Nolands

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Chorizo Stuffed Mushrooms by Culinary Ginger

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Sauteed Mushroom and Rosemary Bruschetta by Culinary Ginger

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Queso en Aceite by Noshing With The Nolands

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Spanish Tapas Party Recipes by Flavor Mosaic

18 Terrific Tapas Recipes will make the perfect night with friends (2024)

FAQs

What does tapas mean in Spanish? ›

Tapas has two meanings in Spanish. As a verb, tapas means “to cover”, revealing its origins as a way for guests to cover their drinks with pieces of food. As a noun, it references small plates of food.

What is tapas night? ›

As Chef José Andrés has said, “Tapas are at the same time a simple way of eating and an entire way of life … they are a commitment to being together, sharing dishes, sharing an experience.” This shared experience is a great way to gather your friends and family – for dinner, for conversation, and for fun.

How many tapas per person? ›

Portion sizes will vary by restaurant, but typically, ordering 2 to 3 tapas per person gets the job done. So a party of 4 would order 8 to 12 tapas between them. Don't be afraid to ask your server if you haven't ordered enough food, and remember, your friends are there to help if you've ordered too much.

What are three typical tapas? ›

Traditional tapas include mixed olives, garlicky shrimp, fried baby squid, meatballs, and chorizo.

Are tapas just appetizers? ›

Tapas are small plates, snacks, or appetizers that are typically served with an alcoholic beverage. They originated in Spain, where they're served at bars and cafés, but now you can find tapas at restaurants around the world — including cities across the United States.

What is tapas called in English? ›

A tapa (Spanish: [ˈtapa]) is an appetiser or snack in Spanish cuisine. Tapas can be combined to make a full meal, and can be cold (such as mixed olives and cheese) or hot (such as chopitos, which are battered, fried baby squid, or patatas bravas).

Is tapas a full meal? ›

Tapas in Spain

Although traditionally tapas are enjoyed as snack food, they can sometimes be enjoyed as a full meal in the custom of bar hopping (tapear) which is my favourite.

What is tapas evening? ›

Tapas are a genius invention that allows you to taste many different dishes in one evening, which, according to the knowledge of how the brain works, brings you a lot more fun and joy than spending the whole evening with one big meal.

What is a tapas style dinner? ›

Traditionally they are small savoury dishes, snacks or appetisers of Spanish cuisine. It might be breads and meat, or a selection of dishes from ham, stuffed mussels, fried squid, to olives, sautéed mushroom and other vegetables. Essentially, Tapas is a small plate or serving, and it's a great way to try something new.

Is tapas served hot or cold? ›

The most common types of tapas include: Hot tapas—as the name implied, these tapas are meant to be served warm. Depending on your preferences, these might include sizzling shrimp, or chorizo with paprika, prepared in a white wine sauce and fava bean pesto. Cold tapas—are meant to be served chilled.

How many tapas should you order for 2 people? ›

However, you can trust us that 2 to 3 tapas per person are really enough! In case you still want to have the feeling to have your own place ... you take a bit of each tapas on your plate and put together your very own dish.

What to drink with tapas? ›

With a hot item, choose something like an amontillado. With fried tapas, for example, chipirones or croquetas, a great match is a sparkling wine from Spain. Many Spanish wines are underrated in their high quality and are very reasonable priced. Rosado is the Spanish name for rosé.

What do you order when you want a meal of tapas? ›

Rich cheeses, cured meats, roasted vegetables, fresh seafood, and deep-fried delights are all common players in the tapas game.

What to bring to a tapas party? ›

Spanish tapas menu ideas
  1. Olives.
  2. Cured ham, particularly Serrano and Iberico hams.
  3. Spanish cheeses such as Manchego.
  4. Pimientos de Padrón (small spicy green peppers from the Padrón municipality)

What is Spain's most famous dish? ›

Paella is probably Spain's most well-known food.

Which tapa is known as Spain's national dish? ›

Spanish Tapas / Tortilla Española

This simple but delicious tapa is often referred to as Spain's national dish. A traditional Spanish omelet filled with potatoes. A few ingredients come together in the dish, with crispy egg forming a flaky crust that binds a filling of potato, onion, and spices.

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