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Appetizers & Tapas

72 recipes in this category

When you drop by a café in Spain before dinner, you find yourself in the midst of garrulous Spaniards relishing tapas -- a variety of small savory treats, served hot or cold. Tapas are the perfect introduction to the joy of Spanish cuisine. Buen Provecho!

Get new recipes each week!

1. Artichoke and asparagus in a green garlic sauce
Pistachios, lemon and spices season the sauce for artichoke hearts and asparagus.

2. Artichoke Flower Stuffed with Ibérico Ham in Clam Sauce
Whole artichokes are cooked so they open, then stuffed with the ham, clams, and sauce.

3. Artichokes with clams
Clams, white wine, and garlic combine with artichoke hearts in this tapa you can make in your cazuela or frying pan.

4. Asparagus with orange and lemon sauce
Citrus flavors give sparkle and fruitiness to white or green aspargus spears.

5. Asparagus Wrapped in Jamón Serrano
An elegant appetizer or party dish.

6. Avocado and Prawn Cocktail
Spiced prawns and avocado puree formed the alternate layers of this chilled appetizer or tapa.

7. Avocados with Carpaccio of Cecina
Avocado shells are stuffed with cecina (or jamon serrano) and the avocado fruit.

8. Baked Leeks with Ibérico Ham Wafers
Baked leeks in a seasoned bechamel sauce, topped with shaved wafers of Iberico or serrano ham.

9. Basque Crab Casserole
A delicious crab dish, baked in the shell, traditionally made with spider crab in the Basque region.

10. Bread with Mushrooms and Alioli
Mushrooms cooked in a bit of sherry, and lightly broiled on aioli topped bread.

11. Broad bean omelette
An omelette fortified and flavored with broad beans, onions and spice.

12. Broad beans Catalan-style
Fresh broad beans are cooked with pork and butifarra sausage, vegtables and herbs in this appetizer (or tapa) from Catalan.

13. Broccoli, Cauliflower and Romanesco Cauliflower with Warm Ham Vinaigrette
Three tasty members of the broccoli family are dressed in vinagraitte and diced serrano ham for this appetizer or tapa.

14. Canapés of Quesuco Cheese with Caramelized Onion
Toast wedges are topped with cheese and caramelized onions, then browned, for this tasty tapa or appetizer.

15. Cardoons in white almond sauce
Cardoons (a stalky vegetable with a flavor between artichoke and celery) are paired with almonds in this traditional Christmas tapa.

16. Carpaccio of Sirloin with Olive Oil, Olives and Flakes of Manchego Cheese
Ultrathin slices of beef are dressed with oil, Manchego cheese, and olives in this simple, elegant tapa.

17. Cauliflower al Ajoarriero
A vegetable dish prepared in the distinctive Ajoarriero manner, great with a full red wine.

18. Char-grilled Artichokes
Grilled, marinated seasoned fresh artichokes as an appetizer or tapa.

19. Char-grilled Calçots
Spring onion grilled over hot coals and served with a local romesco sauce called salbitxada.

20. Cheese-filled Loaf
A simple appetizer with three ingredients -- bread, cheese and nuts.

21. Cherry Tomatoes in Torta del Casar Cheese Sauce
Cherry tomatoes are topped with an herbed cheese sauce based on Torta del Casar or Serena cheese.

22. Chickpea flour fritter of Guadalquivir shrimp and onion
Seasoned shrimp and onion flavor these chickpea fritters for a flavorful appetizer or tapa.

23. Chickpeas and fresh greens
An appetizer made from fresh spinach, garlic, spices, and chickpeas.

24. Clams, Fishermen's Style
A seafood tapa that can be made with clams or mussels, sauteed in wine, with a bit of spice.

25. Couscous with Caramelized Quesuco Cheese
Individual couscous molds of are topped with caramelized cheese and served with a warm vinaigrette.

26. Cream of Avocado with Shavings of Foie Gras
A seasoned avocado cream sprinkled with sweet sherry and flakes of foie gras.

27. Cream of Chickpeas with an Egg Parcel and Tears of Picual Olive Oil
A coddled egg is dressed with fine olive oil and served on a smooth chickpea cream.

28. Croquetas de Jamón Serrano
Often served as tapas, croquetas are a favorite throughout Spain.

29. Duck's Liver Paté with Pedro Ximénez Sauce
A duck liver pate flavored with a Pedro Ximénez reduction and served over toast.

30. El Bierzo Empanada
An empanada filled with botillo sausage, egg, potatoes, and vegetables.

31. Fresh snails, served with a spicy, piquant sauce
Vegtables, garlic, pimenton, and white wine are some of the ingredients of the sauce for these snails.

32. Fried Los Ibores Cheese with Red and Green Tomato Jams
Two tomato jams make a pleasant contrast to the cheese.

33. Fried tope shark in oregano marinade
Herb-marinated shark (or swordfish) is coated in semolina and then browned.

34. Green Leaves with Grilled Goat Cheese
A simple dish of grilled goat cheese and baby greens, dressed in a honey vinegar vinaigrette.

35. Jamon Serrano with Melon
An elegant appetizer or party dish.

36. Jan's Cheese Stuffed Caperberries
A very easy way to enjoy delicious caperberries from Spain.

37. Jumbo Shrimp with Dry Sherry
Jumbo shrimp appetizer in a sherry tomato cream sauce.

38. La Deu homestyle potatoes
Spiced minced meats are stuffed between potato slices in this Spanish farmhouse restaurant dish.

39. Lamb and Potato Confit
A traditional Tierra de Campos preparation of baby lamb to give a preserved meat that would last for more than one meal.

40. Lamb Nibbles with Cabrales Cheese
Roast lamb slices with a flavored bechamel, cloaked in browned breadcrumb jackets make a tasty appetizer (or tapa).

41. Mussels Vinaigrette
Steamed mussels are dressed with a flavorful vinaigrette in this colorful tapa.

42. Octopus and Potatoes
Tender octopus, onions and spices, with potatoes to soak up the flavors.

43. Piquillo Peppers Stuffed with White Fish
A modern recipe for this stuffed piquillo pepper tapa in which the peppers are placed in the sauce without coating or frying.

44. Potato cake
Layers of sliced potatos bound with custard form a appetizer cake.

45. Prawns in a Spicy Sauce
A simple dish that makes a good start to an informal meal.

46. Red Cabbage with Apples, Pine Nuts and Raisins
The stuffing for these red cabbage leaves balances sweet and tart flavors with garlic and pine nuts.

47. Rice with a Crust
A curious baked rice with an egg crust in a recipe that dates to the 14th century.

48. Rice-Stuffed Peppers
The rice stuffing cooks in the sweet juices of tomato and pepper.

49. Rioja Potatoes
A simple appetizer (or tapa) from Rioja, made with potatoes, chorizo, peppers, and onion.

50. Rioja Vegetable Medley
Seasonal vegetables are sauteed with a bit of serrano ham, and served with a gold sauce.

51. Roasted Vegetable Towers and Manchego Crostini with Sherry Vinaigrette
A modern layered appetizer of baked marinated vegetables, artisan cheese, and greens.

52. Ronda Cheese Ring with Eggplant and Stewed Tomato
A modern appetizer of eggplant, tomato, and cheese layers baked in a ring.

53. Salamanca-style Broad Beans
These broad beans are served with a spiced mixture of chorizo and ham.

54. Sangria
A classic refreshing recipe from Andalucia!

55. Santiago Mussels
An easy an delicious appetizer of mussels served in their shells.

56. Scallops au Gratin, Galician Style
Spicy breadcrumb topped scallops are grilled in their shells in this seafood tapa.

57. Scrambled eggs with prawns, garlic shoots, and triguero asparagus with piquillo peppers
The intense aroma and flavor of wild asparagus and piquillo peppers combine with prawns and scrambled eggs.

58. Shepherd's Potatoes
A hearty old fashioned side dish for beef or lamb.

59. Shrimp in garlic sauce
Garlic and brandy flavor the sauce that's poured over sauteed shrimp.

60. Shrimp in Trenchcoats
Jumbo shrimp in a simple batter, then fried till golden brown.

61. Shrimp with Garlic
One of the most famous Spanish tapas, to serve in individual earthenware dishes with the oil sizzling hot.

62. Sizzled Shrimp
A classic garlic shrimp tapa usually made in individual cazuelas.

63. Squid in Black Sauce
Medium squid or tiny chipirones are sauteed then baked in a wine sauce.

64. Sticks of Ham with Honey
Iberico (or serrano) ham pairs with orange blossom honey for a perfectly simple tapa.

65. Stuffed Mussels
Golden brown, breadcrumb-topped stuffed mussels in their shells.

66. Tomato Aspic with Jamón Serrano
A tomato aspic with a distinctly Spanish flavor.

67. Trichat Fritters
These earthy fritters combine cabbage and potato with the flavors of garlic and pork.

68. Trout and Rabbit Escabeche
A plate of mixed escabeches (pickled fish, poultry, game, or meat) to prepare ahead.

69. Vegetable coca
Tomatoes, greens and herbs bake on a homemade dough round, somewhat like a pizza.

70. Vegetable Truffle Purée
A cooked vegetable puree topped with truffle slices and croutons.

71. Ventresca Tuna & Jamon Serrano on Toast with Braised Onions
A modern tapa recipe combining braised onion with flavorsome ham and the strong personality of ventresca tuna.

72. White Haricot Beans with Hare and Oyster Mushrooms
A hare and bean stew from the countryside, enlivened by wild (or domesticated) mushrooms.