Tapas and Small Plates | Tapas Recipes and Small Plate Ideas

Green ChefDiet PlansTapas And Small Plates

Tapas, one of Spain’s most popular culinary exports, are delicious small plates encompassing an assortment of ingredients, flavours and textures. Cooking tapas recipes at home is a great way to explore different dishes in one sitting as well as enjoying a shared culinary experience with friends and family. Read on to find out more about cooking Spanish tapas recipes at home, as well as other delicious sharing style dishes from cuisines around the globe.

Tapas Recipes and Small Plates

Small plate recipes, including tapas recipes and mezze are typically shared, making them ideal for date nights or for dinner party spread. From classic tapas recipes like patatas bravas originating from Madrid or classic Middle Eastern mezze like koftas and whipped feta, there’s an array of small plate recipes to suit every preference and taste.

What is Tapas?

Tapas is a Spanish culinary tradition that has captivated palates worldwide. The word “tapas” derives from the Spanish “tapar” (“to cover”). This is because tapas recipes were originally small plates or slices of bread used to protect glasses from flies. Over time, the concept has evolved to incorporate a variety of delicious, bite sized small plates enjoyed as part of social gatherings.

Spanish tapas recipes showcase the regional diversity of the country, and have even transcended borders. These small plates offer an opportunity to enjoy a variety of dishes in one sitting, encouraging a shared dining experience.

You can find traditional tapas style dishes with a twist on our small plates menu.

Glazed THIS™ Isn't Pork Sausages with Saffron Aioli Patatas Bravas & Lemon Veg

A perfect mix of classic and modern tapas recipes. A trio of sweet and sticky fig jam glazed THIS™ Isn't Sausages, lemon and garlic tenderstem broccoli topped with toasted flaked almonds and smoky patatas bravas. Served with a saffron aioli dipping sauce, this is an absolute winner for vegans and meat eaters alike!

See the full recipe.

Albondigas Style Meat-Free Balls in Tomato Sauce

Albigondas are a tradition type of Spanish tapas, literally translating as "meatballs" and typically served in a rich tomato sauce. We've given them a plant based twist, using award winning Unconventional Burgers to make succulent meatball served in a classic fresh tomato sauce and topped with Italian style cheese. Served with spicy, honey roasted potatoes and a crispy baby leaf salad.

Find the full recipe.

Small Plates Inspired by Global Cuisines

Spain isn’t the only country with a tradition of small plates and sharing dishes as a staple of their menus, India, the Middle East, Mexico, Italy, Thailand all have a rich history of communal cuisines featuring small plates. That’s why we’ve created our new “Small Plates” menu, meals made up of three to four smaller dishes inspired by global cuisines. If you’re looking for small plate ideas, check out some of our recipes below.

Mexican Inspired Small Plates

Chipotle Chicken Lettuce Tacos and Chorizo Queso Fundido with Avocado Salad

We’ve taken some of our favourites Mexican sharing dishes and made them keto friendly. We’ve used succulent chipotle chicken to create tacos, swapping the tortilla for crisp lettuce leaves. Paired with a rich chorizo queso fundido and a creamy avocado salad, this trio of dishes is perfect if you’re looking to cut down on carbs but maximise flavour. Get the recipe.

Italian Inspired Small Plates

Chicken Parmigiana and Garlic Bread with Cacio e Pepe Inspired Cannelini Beans

Sharing dishes are deeply ingrained in Italy's culinary culture; meals are enjoyed communally and seen as a chance to catch up with friends and family. For our Italian Small Plates meal we’ve given some classics a little twist, including mouthwatering chicken parmigiana and crisp garlic bread paired with creamy with cacio e pepe inspired cannelini beans. See the full recipe.

Indian Inspired Small Plates

Chicken Tikka Thali with Chilli Broccoli Salad, Roasted Spiced Butternut and a Lime & Mint Raita

Coming from the Hindi word for plate, an Indian Thali is a meal consisting of different dishes including curries, sauces and vegetables. Our Indian Thali inspired meal includes a classic chicken tikka masala paired with a spicy broccoli salad to balance out the rich creamy sauce. Served alongside roasted and spiced butternut squash and a lime & mint raita. See the full recipe.

Types of Tapas and Small Plates

What are the most popular Spanish tapas recipes?

Spanish tapas differs from region to region, and combine lots of strong flavours. Spanish tapas dishes tend to be salty and aromatic, heavily featuring potatoes, meats and cheeses. Classic spanish tapas dishes include:

Gambas al Ailijio (Prawns in garlic oil)
Croquettes (deep fried ham and cheese)
Albóndigas (meatballs)
Calamares (deep fried squid)
Boquerones en Vinagre (anchovies in vinegar)

Vegetarian tapas recipe and small plates ideas

Spanish tapas tends to feature meat heavily, however if you follow a vegetarian diet there are still some classic Spanish vegetarian tapas recipes including:

Castilla cured cheese
Manchego
Spanish omelette or tortilla española
Stuffed peppers

Are there any vegan tapas recipes?

Similar to vegetarian tapas, there’s lots of traditional Spanish tapas which is naturally vegan, below we’ve curated these plus some plant based twists on classics.

Padron peppers
Plant based albondigas style meatballs
Patatas bravas
Stuffed peppers

What are some keto tapas recipes?

If you’re looking for keto friendly tapas and small plates, then focusing on the wide variety of meats and cheese in traditional Spanish tapas is a good place to start. Take a look at some of our keto friendly taps ideas below:

Jambon iberco
Cured cheeses like manchego
Chorizo stuffed bell peppers
Thyme roasted tomatoes on a bed of greek yoghurt

Low calorie tapas recipes

If you're looking for low calorie tapas ideas, we’d recommend opting for some of the delicious fish and vegetable dishes on the menu including:

Padron peppers
Mussels
Octopus
Prawns