Recipes Appetizers Tapas Our 21 Best Tapas Recipes By Food & Wine Editors Updated on January 11, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: © Tina Rupp Popular throughout Spain, tapas are festive and delicious appetizers and snacks. Traditional tapas include mixed olives, fried baby squid, meatballs, and chorizo. Whether you're craving briny seafood or crispy potatoes, these are our best tapas recipes. 01 of 21 Stuffed Fried Sardines © Marcus Nilsson The traditional Galician preparation is to simply grill the freshly caught sardines over hot coals. Instead, cookbook author 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. Get the Recipe 02 of 21 Garlicky Shrimp with Olive Oil © Quentin Bacon 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. Get the Recipe 03 of 21 Open-Faced Crab Empanadas © Akiko Ida & Pierre Javelle Chef 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). "Part of my efforts to build a bridge between America and Spain," he explains. Get the Recipe 04 of 21 Chicken Croquettes © William Meppem Although crisp and creamy croquettes are made throughout much of Spain, cooks in Rioja's wine country are unique in using boiled or Serrano ham mixed with leftovers like roasted chicken, as in this recipe. Get the Recipe 05 of 21 Chorizo-Filled Dates Wrapped in Bacon © Tina Rupp This timeless tapa from Spanish cookbook author Penelope Casas has everything going for it — it's sweet, smoky, and savory, all in one bite. Get the Recipe 06 of 21 Cauliflower Fritters © Akiko Ida & Pierre Javelle To create these wonderful tapas, José Andrés makes a batter with crunchy nubs of chopped cauliflower florets, fries spoonfuls in a skillet, and then tops the fritters with yogurt sauce and a dollop of caviar. Get the Recipe 07 of 21 Lamb Meatballs with Mint © Quentin Bacon The bar at Seville's Enrique Becerra restaurant serves a standout tapa, Albóndigas de Cordero a la Hierbabuena, meatballs made with the classic combination of lamb and mint. Get the Recipe 08 of 21 Chorizo Poached in Red Wine © Cedric Angeles Restaurateurs Jim German and his wife, Claire Johnston, make wonderfully simple snacks to accompany his cocktails. A favorite at their now-shuttered Jimgermanbar was this smoky Spanish sausage with garlic, cooked gently in red wine until plump and juicy. Get the Recipe 09 of 21 Pincho Ribs with Sherry Glaze © Paul Costello These ribs are named after Spanish snacks known as pinchos. Chef Jason McCullar rubs them with a smoked-paprika spice blend, then lacquers them with a sherry-spiked glaze. For an ideal cocktail snack, look for riblets, a half portion of baby back ribs; they're especially meaty. Or ask your butcher to split your rib racks crosswise. Get the Recipe 10 of 21 Shrimp and Chorizo Flatbreads © Tina Rupp Chef Jose Garces prepares fresh coca dough, a Spanish dough similar to pizza dough, for the flatbreads. He also cooks dried garbanzos for the bean puree that's spread on top. In this simplified version, store-bought pitas take the place of coca dough, topped with good-quality prepared hummus, fresh shrimp, and spicy slices of chorizo. Get the Recipe 11 of 21 Olives Stuffed with Almonds, Anchovies, and Peppers © Akiko Ida & Pierre Javelle "For me there is no better tapa than a really good stuffed olive," José Andrés says. "If you love almonds, use good marcona almonds. If you love anchovy, use good Spanish anchovies. If you love peppers, use peppers; I like the wood-roasted piquillo peppers from Navarra. Or if you are like me, you use all three." Get the Recipe 12 of 21 Tomatillo Toasts with Prosciutto and Manchego Christopher Testani Inspired by classic pan con tomate, a Spanish dish of bread rubbed with fresh tomato, F&W culinary director at large Justin Chapple tops crunchy toasted bread with tangy grated tomatillos. To round the toast out, he also adds thin slices of prosciutto and shaved Manchego cheese. If you'd like to keep more in line with the traditional dish, you can use Spanish jamón instead. Get the Recipe 13 of 21 Empanadillas Gallegas Whitney Anderson Cúrate chef Katie Button's handheld versions of empanada Gallega, the large savory pie from Galicia, Spain, are stuffed with tuna, hard-boiled eggs, and chopped olives. The filling is held together with jammy sofrito, an aromatic vegetable base of long-cooked tomatoes, onions, and garlic. Get the Recipe 14 of 21 Vegetable Tortilla Christopher Testani The key to this delicious Spanish vegetable tortilla, which is packed with spinach, zucchini, bell pepper, and potato, is cooking it on the stovetop the entire time, which creates a lovely custard-like texture. To serve as tapas, cut into bite-size squares and skewer onto toothpicks. Get the Recipe 15 of 21 Fingerling Papas Bravas with Smoky Aïoli © Fredrika Stjärne This twist on classic Spanish fried potatoes is paired with lemony aïoli, which gets its deep flavor from smoked paprika. Get the Recipe 16 of 21 Extra-Crunchy Calamares Fritos Greg Dupree We often think of calamari as an Italian appetizer, but fried squid is eaten widely throughout Spain as well, where it's called calamares fritos. Skip the marinara and serve with lemon wedges or aïoli instead. Get the Recipe 17 of 21 Berenjenas con Miel (Fried Eggplant with Honey) Abby Hocking / Food & Wine Fried eggplant and honey is a classic combination served across Andalusia, especially in Córdoba. Get the Recipe 18 of 21 Warm Olives with Rosemary, Garlic, and Lemon © Quentin Bacon Chef Marc Murphy serves these olives warm to accentuate the marinade's lemony flavor. They're ready in just 25 minutes. Get the Recipe 19 of 21 Steamed Mejillones (Mussels) with Aïoli "This is a dish I have eaten all over coastal Chile and in Galicia in Spain — it’s simple but inspired and it will impress your guests." says celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern. Get the Recipe 20 of 21 Pork Belly, Shrimp, and Pickled Tomato Pintxos Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Pintxos are the Basque region's answer to tapas. These simple, one-bite snacks are quick to assemble and grill just as your guests arrive. Sticky-sweet pork belly; tender, meaty shrimp; and bright, quick-pickled tomato variations offer something for everyone. Get the Recipe 21 of 21 Salt Cod Croquettes © Stephanie Foley These croquettes are chef Daniel Boulud's take on a classic Brazilian bar food, though a variety of croquetas are enjoyed throughout Spain as well — including cod. They're crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, with plump chunks of salted fish. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit