Five EASY Spanish Tapas recipes!! All your favourites from the tapas bar – garlic mushrooms, marinated olives, Chorizo, Spanish Garlic Prawns/Shrimp, Spanish Marinated Olives and the famous Spanish Omelette (Tortilla).
This is the first of a 3 part Spanish Feast Special series that I’m sharing this week – complete with Spanish Wine pairings!
Hola! Who loves Spanish Food?? Me, me, me!!
Spanish food is made for gatherings. Tables laden with rustic food for sharing – no fussy giant white plates with a tiny portion of fancy food with names I can’t pronounce, garnished with tiny herbs and assembled using tweezers.
Spanish food is the polar opposite. Flamboyant, colourful, celebratory, generous, loud – and absolutely lip-smackingly delicious. Totally my kind of food.
And in the spirit of Spanish extravagance, this week I’m sharing something a bit special – a three part SPANISH FEAST MENU!!! 5 EASY Spanish Tapas recipes to start, a Chicken & Seafood Paella for the main and Churros for dessert. Woah! What a spread!
But wait….there’s MORE! What Spanish Fiesta would be complete without WINE??? So for each course, I have a wine pairing suggestion. 🙂 And to start? I’m grabbing this one for tapas – a Spanish Tempranillo from Rioja, Spain’s most famous wine region. 🙂
I love the name of this wine – La Mesa Y Los Amigos which means “The table and the friends”. Perfect for tapas, no? 😉
Besides the name being perfect, it’s a really great pairing with tapas! I wanted something pretty neutral – medium bodied and smooth so it didn’t overpower the kaleidoscope of flavours in my Easy Tapas menu. This Tempranillo is a dry red with a subtle warmth of spices and it is exceptional drinking for the price which I never would have guessed as being only $12 a bottle at Dan Murphy’s (I kid you not, I was shocked). I love finding gems like this – and I love sharing these finds with you!!
A note for wine nerds: Tempranillo is a Spanish black grape variety that is native to Spain, used to make medium to full bodied wines. It’s grown fairly widely around the world now, including in Australia and the States.
EASY SPANISH TAPAS RECIPES
I think that tapas, paella and churros are probably the most well known Spanish dishes in the world and I’m pretty darn excited to be sharing those with you this week! To kick things off, five easy Spanish Tapas recipes. I’ve added notes in the recipe for how to prepare these ahead so you don’t have to be scurrying around in the kitchen when your friends arrive. 🙂
Here’s a little run down of each of the recipes in this Tapas spread.
Garlic Prawns/Shrimp and Chorizo – The two dishes that I always order at tapas bars!
Garlic Mushrooms and Spanish Marinated Olives – Possibly my favourite way with mushrooms! The olives are just plain store bought olives that are dressed with herbs and citrus. Yum!
Spanish Omelette (Tortilla) – Arguably one of the most delicious omelettes in the world and commonly served as tapas in Spain! Because this requires a few more steps than the other recipes in my Easy Tapas recipes spread, I’ve included it as a separate recipe – get it here.
Jamon, Spanish Manchego Cheese and White Anchovies – Jamon is the Spanish version of prosciutto and it’s now widely available in Australia, even in supermarkets! Manchego is a Spanish cheese that is made with sheep milk that is beautifully buttery with a mild tang – one of my personal favorites (and you know how much I love cheese!!). White anchovies are completely different to the black anchovies that come in a jar (used in things like Caesar Salad dressings) – they are way less salty and marinated in vinegar, not oil. Perfect for antipasto!
Tiempo a la fiesta!! (It’s time to feast!)
– Nagi xx
PS Don’t forget Paella and Churro to complete your feast!!
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5 Easy Tapas Recipes
Ingredients
Garlic Prawns / Shrimp
- 1/4 cup / 65 ml olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves – 3 smashed , 1 minced
- 250 g / 8 oz raw prawns , peeled
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- Finely chopped parsley
- Optional: lemon
Garlic mushrooms
- 1/4 cup olive oil (65 ml)
- 4 garlic cloves – 3 smashed , 1 minced
- 300 g / 10 oz Swiss brown or other small mushrooms
- Finely chopped parsley
Chorizo
- 2 (~250g / 8oz) chorizos , sliced (Note 3)
- 1/2 tsp olive oil
Marinated Olives (Note 4)
- 250 g / 8 oz plump black and green olives
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp Lemon or orange zest
- 1/3 cup olive oil (85 ml)
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary leaves (or 1/2 tsp dried oregano or 1 tsp fresh thyme)
Spanish Antipasto
- Jamon cured ham
- Manchego Spanish Cheese
- White Anchovies
Spanish Omelette
- Spanish Omelette recipe here
To Serve
- Bread , Olive oil, Lemon wedges
- La Mesa Y Los Amigos Tempranillo Spanish Wine (great with tapas!)
Instructions
Garlic Prawns (Note 1)
- Place the smashed garlic in a skillet with the oil over medium heat. Sauté for 10 minutes, squishing the garlic down to squeeze juice out as it cooks, until garlic is golden brown. Then remove and discard garlic.
- Sprinkle prawns with salt and pepper. Turn stove up to high. When oil is hot, add prawns and cook for 2 minutes (for medium prawns) or until charred and just cooked. Just before the end, add the minced garlic and quickly saute, then transfer prawns into serving bowl.
- Sprinkle with parsley and red pepper flakes if using.
Garlic Mushrooms (Note 1)
- Halve or quarter the mushrooms, depending on size.
- Follow Garlic Prawn steps, except cook mushrooms instead of prawns. Cook the mushrooms until they are golden.
Chorizo
- Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Cook Chorizo until golden on both sides, then transfer to serving bowl, scraping in oil in the skillet.
Marinated Olives (Note 4)
- Combine ingredients in an airtight jar. Refrigerate for 24 hours – no longer than 48 hours. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Spanish Antipasto
- Bring cheese to room temperature. Place on platter with ham and anchovies.
To Serve
- Place serving bowls / platters on table with plenty of bread to dunk into the leftover olive oil. Serve with your favourite Spanish wine!
Recipe Notes:
Giveaway CLOSED! Winners announced shortly.
ANNOUNCING: Spanish Fiesta Giveaway WINNERS!
The winners of the Spanish Fiesta Giveaway are:
Australia: Ian from the Hunter Valley, Belinda from NSW/Vic and Brittany!
Rest of world: Caitlin from Canada, Louellen from Sunny California, Sandra in the US
CONGRATULATIONS!! Each winner will receive a Spanish Fiesta prize pack of Spanish Wine, Paella Pan and Paella rice. I will email you shortly to arrange delivery!
4 x AUSTRALIAN PRIZES (Total Value A$600): 4 x Spanish Fiesta Gift Packs, each comprised of 6 x Spanish red wines (, 1 x 32 cm Miguel Maestre paella pan + 3 x paella rice. Delivered right to your door!
2 x WORLDWIDE PRIZES (Total Value US$300): Gift from me! 2 x Spanish Fiesta Gift Packs, each comprised of 6 x Spanish wines, 1 x 12″ paella pan + 1 x paella rice! If delivery is unavailable by Amazon or delivery cost is unreasonable due to winner location, the winner will receive an Amazon or Paypal gift voucher to the value of the prize.
Open To: Everyone, everywhere in this big wide world!!
To Enter: Just leave a comment below, telling me which country you live in and what your favourite tapas dish is! (PS Don’t worry if you can’t see your comment straight away, some need to be approved before they are displayed 🙂 )
Open Until: Monday 5 September 2016, AEST
Giveaway Terms and Conditions – You must be over 18 to enter in Australia, or over 21 in the rest of the world. Six winners will be randomly selected by a representative of Pinnacle Drinks. The winners will be notified by email and on www.recipetineats.com. If the winner does not respond within 7 days, another winner will be selected. For winners located outside of Australia, if the prizes cannot be delivered by Amazon.com or due to winner location, delivery cost is excessive, then the winner will receive an Amazon or Paypal gift voucher to the value of the prize.
Disclosure – This post and the Australia giveaway wine prizes are sponsored by Pinnacle Drinks, the geniuses who discovered and are spreading the love of Spanish wines throughout Australia! Wine and Spanish food lovers of the world such as myself thank you. <3
The paella pan and Paella rice included in the Australian prizes are donated by Maestre Family Food.
The Worldwide Prizes are being provided by me, Nagi Maehashi of RecipeTin Eats.
.Life of Dozer
This is the day I bought Dozer. I took my sister with me under strict instructions to ensure that I did not buy a puppy, that I was just window shopping. We had 3 puppy viewings lined up for that day.
Suffice to say, I never made the other two puppy visits.
Hi Nagi,
I live in Perth. I love most tapas but my favourite is Patatas Bravas. Thank you so much for all of your great recipes. Have checked out your mum’s too, so glad she is sharing her recipes too, looking forward to trying the teriyaki chicken tonight!!
Oooh! I hope you do try her Teriyaki Chicken recipe, it is SO GOOD!!!
Hi Nagi
I’m from Melbourne (Australia). Firstly I would like to say that discovering your recipes has been great for me as it has inspired me to try different things and encouraged me to make the effort – with no complaints from my husband and kids. Haven’t had a chance to make the tapas yet but I would have to say I pretty much can’t choose a favourite tapas as a lot of them rate as ‘yum’ to me except of course for anchovies (or sardines)
Now that you’ve posted the churro recipe I’m hanging out to make them when I get the chance (drooling just at the thought)
Hi Grace, thanks for reading! I’m so glad you are enjoying my recipes. 🙂 I really hope you try the Churro, it is honestly insanely good. So SO good!
I live in the southern U.S. and my favorite tapas, hands down, is tortilla. It’s such a perfect combo of flavors and textures, and yours looks delicious!
I live in Australia. My favourite tapas dish is marinated mushrooms. Superb flavour! Thanks for the recipe
I’m having a Spanish feast on Sunday thanks to you. I’ve always loved Spanish Tortilla and now I have a really wonderful recipe. So thanks.
I Live in Venezuela where there are a lot of inmigrants from Spain so I have eaten almost all of the tapas you mentioned. Totilla remains my favorite.
Oooh! I would love to hear what you do for your Spanish Feast! 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi,
I live in the USA. Great recipes. I love all your recipes that I have tried and especially appreciate your “15 min. meals. I so appreciate the how easy and quick they are to prepare …and so yummy! I am excited about your Spanish recipes. I spent time in Spain and love the food. Can’t wait to try the Paella.
I’m so glad you are enjoying my recipes Cheri, thank you for reading! Good luck in the draw, will keep my fingers crossed for you! 🙂 N x
I’m on the Central Coast of Australia and hands down my favourite has always been Garlic Prawns. My wife loves Chorizo so I will have to find the raw one and give that a crack. I also love Paella & today I am trying the Churro’s.
Nagi, This is a fabulous site, I look forward each weekday recipe before I do my shopping list just to make sure I have everything for your recipes. You really cater for the beer budgeted majority not just the high end with beautiful food & its just so nice with simple well explained steps and Notes to create such a variety of cuisines. Just Love it.
P.S “Charlie” has a shelf in my fridge now too.
Hi Brian! I’m just a stones throw from you – straight line across the water 🙂 I’m in Mona Vale! I’m so glad you are enjoying my recipes, thank you for reading! You can get Chorizo at Woolies at the deli. Just be sure to get the raw ones that look like dark red sausages, not the cured ones ready for eating like salami 🙂 The deli people should know the difference!
Hi Nagi,
I’m from the United States and I love the Mushrooms and can’t wait to try your version. I am also a fan of Manchego and appreciate a local version called Womanchego – really good. Love your blog and your approach to food. Makes me think about doing something like this myself! Hm……………
Womanchego?? I have to hunt it down, thank you for the tip! N x
Hola! from Scotland, I love Paella but my favourite tapas…..that’s hard there are so many nice dishes but my favourite has to be Chorizo frito al vino tinto, I Love chorizo and Red wine so perfect pairing! But as I’m from Scotland our love of lack pudding goes a long way…..even to spain….the spanish version is very very nice, so the Morcilla Española is my fav too…..sorry can’t decided between the two!
U.S. – Garlic shrimp. Thanks.
Hey there, love the shrimp and garlic, its going to be a regular in my weekly prep, most likely for dinner with rice!
Hi Nagi, My name is Diane and am currently living in the US in California. My daughter is dating a man from Madrid and he prepared a Spanish Tortilla for us that was fantastic. Appreciated your recipe so I could give it a whirl and repay the favor one day.
Oooh! Your lucky daughter! N x
HI, I’m in the US, New Jersey, and my favorite dish is a tie between Jamon and Manchego – my favorite cheese, and Chorizo, my favorite sausage/ Luckily here in NJ we have a large population of Spanish people and can get these tasty treats often!!!
Hi, Nagi – I’m in Chicago, IL (United States) My favorite tapas recipe is the tortilla, followed closely by the marinated olives. YuM!
Ooh! I love tapas – thank you so much for posting. Here in the Dallas area, my favorite dish to get is a Spanish Tortilla because you just can’t go wrong with that goodness. On a trip to Barcelona though, I was delighted by the pescaito frito – little fried fish. Can’t wait to try this spread!
Hi, I’m in Georgia USA. I have never had tapas but I’m planning on trying these recipes.
Hope you do John! N x
Hello Dear Nagi ,love all your recipes ,and now your Mom’s -my favorite tapas are all of them but garlic mushrooms and garlic shrimp are great , even if I don’t win I am always happy to write to you ,and Dozer sigh ,Lily Gar, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
And I love hearing from you Lily! Hope you are well! N x
Hello Nagi, Thanks for the paella recipe ! Though being a vegetarian I will have to find vegetarian proteins to add to it ! I am thinking of adding tofu and maybe red or black beans !
I am in India and my favourite tapas dish would be the garlicky mushrooms !
Hmm, choices, choices – potatoes or prawns. Patata Bravas wins, with either tomato sauce or aoli or maybe both. (Australia)
Ba ha ha!!! Two of my favourite food groups! 🙂
Thank you so much for ALL the recipes you share! When I saw the Paella recipe (my favorite Spanish food!) I was so excited, since I’m planning on making paella next weekend for a family get together. I’m in California, USA, so it amuses me when I see the dates of previous comments dated 8/26 (it’s 8/25 for me)
I know!! The dates can be so confusing 🙂 I’m currently at the end of my Monday, 7pm, and it’s probably in the middle of the night for you!