How To Host A Tapas Party

If you’ve ever been to a tapas restaurant, you’ll know exactly how amazing this Spanish style appetizer-esque dining experience is. But you’ve also probably realized just how much work goes into making an entire tapas spread! So if you’ve ever wanted to host a tapas party at home but don’t know how to, we’ve got a few tips & tricks to help you create the tapas night of your dreams.

When you’re basically eating appetizers for dinner, it’s important that there are lots of options – and a lot of variety. You’ll also want to serve restaurant quality dishes, since tapas are often elegant and complex in flavor, yet simple in their preparation. While there are a lot of decisions that go into successfully planning and hosting a tapas party, all you really need are the right recipes and some time management skills.

Tapas Party Ideas

Wondering what to serve at a tapas party? The number of delicious and unique recipes are almost endless when it comes to hosting a tapas night. From traditional recipes like queso de cabra con tomate to more modern takes such as our open faced brie sandwiches, there is something for everyone to enjoy! 

Below are some of our favorite tapas recipes:

Cold tapas recipes

• Tomato bruschetta & crostini
• Burrata Toast Appetizer
• Ensaladilla Rusa by The Bossy Kitchen
• Spanish cheese and meats such as manchego, cabrales, jamón, and chorizo

Modern tapas recipes

• Open faced brie sandwiches
• Chorizo potato skewers
• Open-faced crab empanadas from Food & Wine

Make ahead tapas recipes

• Red wine sangria from Delish
• Spanish Meatballs from Where is my spoon
• Tortilla Española by Little Spain

Vegetarian tapas recipes

• Pan con tomate
• Queso de cabra con tomate (Spanish baked goat cheese in tomato sauce)
• Patatas Bravas from Tiffany at Parsnips and Pastries
• Padrón Peppers by Spanish Sabores

As you can see, there is no shortage of Spanish tapas party ideas. To help you decide what to make, here is our go-to tapas dinner party menu for two:

1. Pan con tomate
2. Queso de cabra con tomate
3. Chorizo potato skewers
4. Patatas Bravas
5. Red wine sangria

How To Host & Serve A Tapas Party

Hosting, cooking, and serving tapas for a group can be a very daunting task, but following these tips for how to best serve tapas will ensure both you and your guests have the best time:

1. Tapas are inherently supposed to be appetizers, snacks, or small dishes. Knowing how many tapas dishes to make can be hard! Generally, 2 to 3 dishes per person makes sure that there is enough food for everyone to go around.
2. Tapas should include a variety of tastes, textures, and ingredients. For example, crispy and starchy patatas bravas dipped in a thick, creamy garlic aioli creates just the perfect combination. Likewise, a slightly sweet goat cheese dipped with savory tomato sauce packs a flavor punch that’s hard to resist. Interesting combinations keep you on your toes, which means guests will want to graze and sample all of your options instead of gravitating towards just one dish.
3. To cook your tapas efficiently, you might want to have some make ahead tapas recipes included in your menu. Many tapas are best served fresh – however, any recipes that can be made ahead of time and served cold will make prep much easier and allow for you to enjoy the party instead of spending the whole time cooking. 
4. It’s good to have a mix of lighter, more traditional appetizers (like pan con tomate) and heavier, more filling options that feature meat or fish. A good example is our chorizo potato skewers – it’s a meat-forward dish, but still has that appetizer feel to it. Just because a dish features meat doesn’t mean it has to be a main course.
5. Every good tapas night has sangria, wine, or cocktails! It’s all part of the fun of gathering around a table and sharing delicious food with your friends and family.