Top 30 Seafood Tapas Recipes
Discover our top 30 Seafood Tapas Recipes with this conclusive list!
What was supposed to start as a top 10 list quickly grew to this collection of the top 30 seafood tapas recipes. Seafood is paramount to Spanish tapas, whether you’re on the coast or inland here (Fun fact: Madrid has the second largest seafood market in the world, behind Tokyo). It’s fair to say, Spain knows how to seafood, and the variety of dishes is impressive.
There’s something for every seafood lover on this page, from delicious garlic infused shrimp to Crab stick pintxos that are a winning recipe every time! Browse familiar recipes and explore the many seafood delicacies that Spain has to offer. For a quick reference guide, scan the list below and jump to any of the recipes in one click. Enjoy!
Jump To Recipe List:
1. Gambas al Pil Pil
Shrimp dominate much of the seafood tapas scene, and gambas al pil pil (garlic prawns with chili) is one of the most famous. Ready in 13 minutes, this dish gives you succulent shrimp in a rich flavorful oil that is best mopped up with some fresh bread.
2. Tuna Tartare
If you haven’t been to Spain, it may surprise you how popular tuna tartare is as a tapa or racione (larger portion). This dish takes 45 minutes to make and you’ll get delicate flavors of marinated raw tuna with a zingy avocado base that looks and tastes restaurant ready.
3. Gambas al Ajillo
You’ll find the delicious aroma of gambas al ajillo (garlic shrimp) wafting from kitchens all over Spain. With a little bit of sherry wine and lemon zest, this 10-minute prawn tapas is ridiculously tasty and absolutely iconic.
4. Spanish Clams
This recipe is for clams in tomato and wine, taken from the amazing book “1000 Spanish Recipes” by Penelope Casas. Clams are another super common seafood tapas, with variations found in any decent seafood restaurant or tapas bar. At 2 hours and 20 minutes, this does take longer than many dishes, but is worth the wait.
5. Pan Fried Squid
This 15-minute pan-fried squid with garlic and parsley sauce is super easy and fresh. You’ll find this delicious green sauce served with many seafood tapas dishes. Add a generous squeeze of lemon just before serving your squid, and your tastebuds will be whisked away to the Med on your first bite.
6. Spanish Mussels in a Sofrito Sauce
Mussels are everywhere in Spain, and found in tapas restaurants and as part of many set menus. This recipe cooks the mussels in a beautiful homemade tomato sofrito sauce with some white wine. They can be ready in 23 minutes if the mussels come cleaned and debearded.
7. Boquerones (Anchovies in Vinegar)
A quintessential seafood tapas that’s found in bars, restaurants, and ready-made in supermarkets across Spain. You can also make boquerones at home, leaving at least 2 days for marinating time. Serve them on fresh white bread alone or with other toppings.
8. Ensalada Rusa
Ensalada Rusa is a creamy potato salad mixed with tuna and veg. There are hundreds of variations of this recipe, but we love this version with pickles, olives, roasted pepper, boiled eggs, and more surprises…that all come together in 35 minutes.
9. Anchovy Spread
This anchovy and red pepper spread is so easy to prepare and requires no cooking. It’s a punchy little number, despite only having 6 ingredients. Perfect for serving at parties or for large groups because you can make it ahead and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to slather it over some bread or crackers.
10. Gildas
This classic gilda pintxo comes from the Basque Country in the north of Spain, where so many great recipes come from. One of the quickest tapas to prepare ever, it consists of mild pickled peppers, anchovy fillets, and green olives held together on a skewer.
11. Baked Empanadas with Fish and Romesco
These mini baked empanadas with fish and romesco are ludicrously tasty. The fact is, romesco sauce makes everything better, and is healthy as a bonus. Using store-bought empanada pastry disks, these are ready in an hour.
12. Shrimp Avocado Salad
This 15-minute shrimp and avocado salad with a zingy grapefruit and lime dressing is fresh, delicious, and perfect for sharing with your favorite mates. The sweet and sour combo of ingredients is to die for, and once you’ve tried it, you’ll realize this is no everyday salad.
13. Tomato with Manchego and Anchovies
With three of Spain’s most prized ingredients piled together, you can’t go wrong. Sweet tomato slices, tangy manchego cheese, and salty anchovies work together effortlessly to give you an easy showstopper.
14. Spanish Cod Fritters
These Spanish cod fritters in a light beer batter are from the sun-kissed region of Andalusia. These fritters turn out slightly moist and never dry, so you can serve them alone or with aioli or your favorite dipping sauce.
15. Spanish Tuna Tomato Salad
This Spanish tuna and tomato salad goes with so many other tapas recipes, making it great for a spread. Ready in 3 minutes, it’s jazzed up with some raw onion, olives, extra virgin olive oil, and vinegar, making it as healthy as it is delicious.
16. Mushroom and Shrimp Tapas
The most famous tapas dish in Logroño (found in La Rioja, also renowned for Spanish wine), one tapas restaurant has been serving this mushroom and shrimp tapas, and this only, for 40 years! A simple little bite of deliciousness that’s ready in 20 minutes.
17. Pan-Fried Spicy Shrimp with Romesco
Another recipe with the gorgeous romesco sauce and shrimp. Fry juicy large shrimp with some crushed ñora peppers (or cayenne pepper if you want it spicy), top with the romesco and some fresh parsley, then serve with bread and enjoy. Ready in 20 minutes.
18. Tuna and Piquillo Pepper Tapas
These tuna and piquillo pepper tapas come together in 10 minutes. Sweet roasted peppers are stuffed with a creamy tuna filling that is oh-so-delicious, combining sweet mayonnaise with salty capers, minced shallot, and more.
19. Salted Cod Salad
Visually appealing, mouthwateringly delicious, and surprisingly light on ingredients, it’s not as difficult as it looks. This salted cod salad can be ready in 15 minutes if you buy rehydrated cod… then impress your friends and family with one of Catalonia’s tastiest specialties.
20. Txaka Pintxos
The impressive looking txaka pintxos from the Basque Country is really budget friendly and easy to make. Always a crowd pleaser, it’s a creamy crab stick tapas made with surimi, egg, mayonnaise, capers, and shallots. Ready in 20 minutes, dress it up as much as you like with your favorite toppings.
21. Bacalao Ceviche
This cod ceviche with pickled cucumber and grapefruit is perfect to make in summer when cucumbers and grapefruit are at their peak. Fresh, vibrant, and bursting with flavor, this is a special dish that’s best when shared with your loved ones.
22. Shrimp in a Cava Bath
Shrimp in sparkling wine (cava in Spain) is a tapa that feels and tastes indulgent, and only takes 40 minutes (most of that is marinating time). The cava makes the shrimp even juicier and sweeter, and a little dash of paprika makes it all the more special.
23. Tuna Empanada
Tuna empanada (empanada Gallega) has been made in Galicia since the 7th century. Filled with tuna, eggs, onions, tomatoes, red peppers, and paprika, it’s a scrumptious, satisfying tapa that always goes down well.
24. Spicy Shrimp & Peach Salad
This spicy shrimp and peach salad is a more modern twist on Spanish tapas, but has all the old faithfuls like dried Ñora peppers, cayenne pepper, and smoked paprika. Throw in some fennel seeds and fresh basil or cilantro, plus a honey-sweetened yogurt dressing, and you have an irresistible tapa that even salad-dodgers will wolf down. Ready in 20 minutes.
25. Shrimp Cocktail Spanish-Style
This is an adaptation of another recipe by Penelope Casas where we’ve included sweet sherry, capers, and some paprika. If you love shrimp cocktails, then this is 100% for you. It’s sweet, salty, mildly spicy… and so delicious. Ready in 15 minutes.
26. Garlic Shrimp with Manchego
This garlic shrimp with manchego oozes flavor from the sweet shrimp, fresh garlic, and delicious paprika, rosemary, and garlic-infused oil. Ready in 15 minutes, you can’t go past this if you’re a seafood lover.
27. Seafood Pipirrana Salad
A colorful addition to any tapas spread, the cumin salad dressing takes a regular bag of mixed seafood to the next level. It’s also really healthy, and has plenty of fresh veg in it, making seafood pipirrana salad a nice light option to balance out heavier dishes.
28. Cocas
Spanish cocas are flatbreads from the Valencia and Catalonia regions. The dough recipe is simple and works every time, and one of the most famous coca toppings includes anchovies, piquillo peppers, artichoke hearts, and olives. Filling, delicious, and good warm or cold.
29. Andalusian Orange Salt Cod Salad
Andalusian orange and salt cod salad is bursting with color and flavor. With delicious ingredients like pine nuts, capers, and olives added to the orange slices and cod, this is no ordinary salad at all.
30. Andaluz Garlic Prawns with Brandy
Andaluz garlic prawns with brandy adds a delicious southern Spanish twist on the classic gambas al ajillo. The brandy helps create an even richer sauce that deserves lots of bread to mop it up so you can enjoy every last drop.