Throwing a party and don’t want to spend the entire night in the kitchen? When planning your menu, turn to Spain’s fashionable tapas: small plates of food shared among party guests. To get you started, we’ve got the dish on easy tapas recipes, ranging from effortless to intense. And don’t forget; shareables are even better when paired with a pitcher of sangria.

1. Slow-Cooker Stuffed Mushrooms: Two hours in a Crock-Pot, and this stuffed mushroom recipe, which tastes like your fave spinach-artichoke dip, can be yours. (via Brit + Co)

how to host an easy tapas party

2. Patatas Bravas With Cheat Garlic Aioli: Fingerling potatoes are highly dippable finger food, especially when fried in olive oil and seasoned with paprika. (via Parsnips and Pastries)

3. Mushroom Croquettes: Croquetas de jamón, logs of ham coated in breadcrumbs and fried until golden, are easy to find at most bars in Spain. These are filled with mushrooms and made with non-dairy milk, so even your vegan friends can enjoy them. (via Cilantro and Citronella)

4. Chorizo, Manchego, and Olive Skewers: These honey-drizzled skewers are a taste of Spain and a fireworks show in your mouth. (via My Modern Cookery)

5. Garlic Shrimp With Lemon and Parsley: This simple lemon-garlic shrimp will satisfy with either toothpicks for spearing or crusty baguette slices for dipping. (via Spain on a Fork)

6. Baked Churro Chips: Steer away from tradition by making churros into chips. They’re easy to make in big batches, and they’re even easier to dip into mocha-fudge sauce, caramel sauce, and whipped cream. (via Brit + Co)

7. Spanish Cheese Board: Cover all of your flavor bases on a single board instead of making multiple plates. This tapas assortment has Spanish cheeses and meats, grapes, olives, and flavorful spreads. (via My Kitchen Love)

Hand holding a pita chip with Spanish White Bean Dip in a cast iron skillet

8. Spanish-Style Tomato and Butter Bean Dip: This addictive dip is so simple, you can even make it on a camping trip. (via Fresh Off the Grid)

9. Chicken Empanadas: Because no one ever complained about chicken, cheese, and carbs. (via Food With Feeling)

10. Bacon-Wrapped Dates With Goat Cheese and Pecans: These four-ingredient bites are both crispy, chewy, and creamy all at once. (via The Cookie Rookie)
pouring olive oil on the Pan Con tomate.

11. Pan Con Tomate: Sometimes, the simplest dishes — in this case, crusty bread with tomatoes and olive oil — can satisfy the most. (via A Communal Table)

Crab Cakes with Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce - Crab cakes take on Spanish flavors with these paprika spiced cakes which are served alongside a tangy roasted red pepper and cream sauce. | justalittlebitofbacon.com

12. Spanish Crab Cakes With Roasted Red Pepper Sauce: You’ve been warned; it will be difficult to resist eating this creamy, paprika-laced sauce with a spoon. (via Just a Little Bit of Bacon)
Blistered Padrón Peppers from www.whatsgabycooking.com (@whatsgabycookin)

13. Blistered Padrón Peppers: Olive oil, salt, lemon juice, and heat transform these Spanish peppers into a party-worthy treat. (via What’s Gaby Cooking?)

14. Flank Steak With Goat Cheese on Toast: Grilled flank steak and roasted red pepper sit atop creamy goat cheese and crusty bread, but the real kicker is a roasted fig and onion jam that adds a touch of sweetness. (via Steamy Kitchen)
A bowl of Spanish-style Meatballs as an appetizer

15. Spanish-Style Meatballs: Meatballs are a welcome guest at any party. These bites are made with spicy chorizo, a Spanish staple. (via Grab a Plate)

16. Zanahorias Saliñadas: These vibrant pickled carrot slices, served in olive oil and parsley, make a refreshing accompaniment to heavier, meatier tapas. (via Tara’s Multicultural Table)

17. Two-Minute Olive Tapenade: Black olives, capers, and olive oil make a salty spread that you’ll hungrily smear on endless baguette slices. (via Mommy Musings)

Tortilla Espanola

18. Tortilla Española: You can’t have tapas without this traditional dish. All you need are potatoes, eggs, good olive oil, and a trusty skillet. (via Savvy Eats)

19. Fried Calamari With Cilantro Aioli: Looking for a dish with a little wow factor? Behold this simpler-than-you-think squid appetizer. (Baker by Nature)

Pan Fried Spanish Cauliflower Tapas - These breaded fried cauliflower bites are a simple and tasty tapas dish you should make at your next get-together! Just a quick dunking in egg and breadcrumbs and a minute in a skillet and you are all done. Can be made ahead and reheated! | justalittlebitofbacon.com

20. Pan-Fried Cauliflower: Quick-fried cauliflower is a healthier alternative to fried cheese or meat, but it still tastes indulgent. (via Just a Little Bit of Bacon)

Tapas are all about sharing. If you have a must-try tapas recipe, share it with us on Instagram.

(Additional reporting by Yasmein James and Michelle Swift)

Sara Cagle
Sara is a food and lifestyle freelance writer in Los Angeles. She writes a weekly events column for the Los Angeles Times and loves writing food content for Brit + Co. After all, the English language's most fun adjectives are best applied to delicious foods. In her free time, she's a hip hop dancer, avid moviegoer, and thorough face-mask user.