Top 10 tapas recipes, from patatas bravas to padron peppers

What is tapas?

Tapas are popular bar snacks and appetisers served with drinks in bars and restaurants across Spain. An individual dish is called a tapa. Traditional tapas can range from simple cold dishes like olives and cured meats to filling hot dishes like spinach with chickpeas, albondigas (Spanish meatballs) and sizzling prawns with garlic and chilli.

What are the three types of tapas?

Tapas can be divided into three main types. The first is those simple cold nibbles, sometimes known as cosas de picar (which translates, pleasingly, as ‘snacky things’). They’re easy to throw together and enjoy as pre-dinner nibbles with drinks.

The second is the hot dishes, which range from simple and traditional stews, potato and seasonal vegetable dishes to cheffy concoctions served in modern tapas bars in cities like Seville and Madrid.

Thirdly, pintxos are the Basque region’s take on tapas. These substantial snacks are a mainstay in Bilbao and San Sebastian. They are often served on slices of baguette and held together with a toothpick. Bar staff can easily calculate your bill going on the number of empty sticks on your table (pintxo means ‘spike’ in the Basque language).

How do you plan a tapas menu?

Plan your tapas menu around 2-3 main meat and seafood dishes, then bulk it up with smaller cold plates and nibbles. Think proteins first: filling albóndigas (meatballs), seafood pintxos and prawns pil pil are all tapas favourites. Next, the carbs. Dish up a tortilla or patatas bravas, plus sliced crusty bread. Throw in a couple of vegetable dishes that scale up easily (we love padron peppers and velvety spinach with chickpeas). Round out the menu with Spanish charcuterie, olives and cheese for a feast.

10 top tapas recipes to try

Patatas bravas
It wouldn’t be tapas night without patatas bravas. Top crispy potato cubes with a rich ‘brava’ tomato sauce laced with spicy pimentón (smoked paprika). The finishing touch is a generous dollop of garlicky aioli. You need waxy potatoes for this dish, as they hold their shape better than floury ones. We like charlotte potatoes.

Padron peppers
These green peppers are a tapas staple. Padron peppers hail from northern Spain and are harvested unripe, while they are still green. Making the dish is a matter of minutes. Simply heat some Spanish olive oil in a frying pan.  Once the oil starts to shimmer, add the peppers and fry for a few minutes until they start to wrinkle and char. We like ours with a squeeze of lemon as well as a sprinkle of sea salt.

Croquetas
Make sure you have plenty of these moreish croquetas on hand, as they’ll disappear faster than you can say ‘another glass of sangria?’. Croquetas have a crispy exterior and a creamy filling. Ham and cheese is a much-loved flavour combo but we also urge you to try these vegetarian croquetas from José Pizarro. A rich manchego, spinach and blue cheese interior is encased in a dark-gold shell, with walnuts for extra crunch. José’s step-by-step recipe guides you through the process.

Albóndigas
Spanish meatballs aka albóndigas are another tapas classic. Often served in traditional terracotta dishes, albóndigas are usually made from a mixture of beef and pork mince. There’s a couple of tricks to keeping the meatballs’ texture light and tender. First, grate the onion instead of chopping it. Second, instead of dried breadcrumbs, use milk-soaked bread to bind the albóndigas together. Braise in a rich tomatoey sauce scented with smoked paprika.

Prawns pil pil
A dish of sizzling, garlicky prawns always goes down a storm. Gambas ‘pil pil’ gets its moniker from the Basque name for the sauce: a simple but flavour-packed combination of garlic, chilli and olive oil. In spring, we love this dish with fragrant wild garlic but it works equally well with the regular bulbs. Use large raw prawns and leave the heads on for extra impact, if you like.

Gildas
Gildas are a triple hit of bold flavours: green olives, anchovies and a pickled guindilla chilli. This iconic pintxo couldn’t be easier to make: simply lace the ingredients onto a cocktail stick or small skewer. Enjoy with a glass of dry cava, a cold beer or vermouth. Gildas are believed to be the first ever pintxo and got their name from the 1946 film of the same name, starring Rita Hayworth (which headlined the San Sebastian film festival).

Calamari
Sun setting over the Med, outdoor table at a seafront tapas bar, cold glass of rose and a basket of golden calamari… It’s the recipe for Spanish holiday perfection. For those times when you can’t hop on a plane, learn how to make perfect calamari at home with our tried and tested recipe. Toss squid rings in flour and then fry in a deep pan of oil until crisp. Serve with the homemade romesco sauce or a generous swirl of aioli.

Tortilla
A traditional Spanish omelette is the ideal, budget-friendly dish to include in your tapas menu if you’re feeding a large group. Once cooked, you can cut the warm tortilla into wedges or cubes and spear them with cocktail sticks for easy nibbles. We asked acclaimed Spanish chef Nieves Barragán Mohacho for the secrets to an authentic tortilla. Her step-by-step recipe guides you through the process of making a classic egg, potato and onion tortilla. The recipe also includes some optional additions to take your omelette to the next level if you like, with skate wing, homemade ancho chilli oil and confit garlic. Delicious…

Pintxos de txaka
Seafood pintxos are a must-try on a Basque break, but they’re also possible to recreate at home thanks to our recipe. Pintxos de txaka are a popular combo of seafood sticks, mayo and grated egg, piled on top of a sliced baguette. Hold these teetering snacks together with a cocktail stick. They’re substantial enough to serve serve as a starter with drinks or as part of a bigger buffet.

Other easy tapas ideas to try

Round out your tapas spread with these simple dishes…

• Spanish olives (try Gordal and Manzanilla)
• Cubed manchego cheese
• Cured Spanish meats, such as ibérico ham, chorizo, serrano ham, lomo (cured pork loin) and salchichón (cured sausage)
• Chorizo in cider
• Crusty bread
• Pan con tomate
• Spinach with chickpeas (espinacas con garbanzos)

Easy Spanish cocktails

• Tinto de verano (Spanish red wine cocktail)
• Rebujito (Spanish sherry cocktail)
• Pomada (Spanish gin cocktail)
• Sangria

For even more ideas and inspiration, check out our complete tapas and Spanish recipe collections.