Food Recipes Appetizers Tapas 21 Spanish Small Plates, From Pintxos to Tapas Celebrate Spanish specialties spanning Gambas al Ajillo, calamares fritos, and albóndigas. By Food & Wine Editors Food & Wine Editors This is collaborative content from Food & Wine's team of experts, including staff, recipe developers, chefs, and contributors. Many of our galleries curate recipes or guides from a variety of sources which we credit throughout the content and at each link. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on April 15, 2024 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Popular throughout Spain, tapas are festive and delicious appetizers and snacks from bite-size pintxos to shared small plates that make up a meal. Traditional tapas include mixed olives, garlicky shrimp, fried baby squid, meatballs, and chorizo. Whether you're craving briny seafood or crispy potatoes, these are our best tapas recipes. 01 of 21 Gambas al Ajillo (Shrimp in Garlic Sauce) Diana Chistruga One of Spain’s most castizo (rootsy) tapas, Gambas al Ajillo is made to order at countless rustic taverns throughout the country, particulary in Madrid and the south. The F&W Test Kitchen version is ready in 20 minutes. Get the Recipe 02 of 21 Pintxos Matrimonio Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle Frozen puff pastry and tinned anchovies mean you can make these popular Spanish tapas in a flash. Get the Recipe 03 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 04 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 05 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 06 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 07 of 21 Albóndigas with Mushrooms Christopher Testani Devoured at tapas bars, passed around at cocktail parties, enjoyed for Sunday supper, albóndigas are the embodiment of Spain’s carnivorous vigor — especially as served at bullfighting taverns. The classic pan-Spanish recipe is usually served with salsa española: a sauce of pan drippings, carrots, flour, a bit of tomato and a splash of white wine. Get the Recipe 08 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 09 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 10 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 11 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 12 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 13 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 14 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 15 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 16 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 17 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 18 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 19 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 20 of 21 Pan-Fried Tuna Croquettes © Amy Neunsinger Julian Serrano pairs his make ahead croquettes with Manzanilla Sherry. Get the Recipe 21 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 Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit