A guide to help you organize the best Spanish themed party.
If you want to organize the perfect Spanish themed party, you need to know how to prepare the iconic dishes of this country.
This post will provide three appealing and easy-to-prepare a Spanish dinner menu options with regional starters, delicious main dishes, and unforgettable desserts.
Moreover, you will also find some suggestions about the drinks that will suit this wide variety of traditional Spanish recipes.
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Spanish Themed Party – Option No.1
Starters
1. Gambas al Pil Pil
Gambas al pil pil are also known as gambas al ajillo in Spain. This is one of the best tapas to give essence to your themed Spanish party.
To prepare them at home, you will need to purchase some fresh prawns, olive oil, and garlic. This easy tapas recipe requires you to cut the garlic into small pieces and sauté them with the fresh prawns.
If you want to give the tapa some extra flavor, you can use some paprika powder and chopped fresh parsley.
Get the recipe: Andalusian Spicy Gambas al Pil Pil
2. Fried Anchovies
The king of themed parties in Spain is definitely the pescado frito. Traditional Spanish tapas like these are typical in Andalucía.
The simplicity of this starter makes it crucial to select good fresh fish in order to get the best Spanish flavor.
To serve this tapa at your Spanish themed party, you will have to coat the anchovies with some flour and fry them in abundant and very hot extra virgin olive oil until golden and crisp.
Get the recipe: Fried Anchovies Recipe
3. Spanish Chicken Croquettes
Some Spanish dinner ideas may be a bit time-consuming but the results will make all the effort worthwhile.
Croquettes are fancy feast appetizers loved by everyone. To prepare chicken croquettes, you have to make a bechamel sauce in which you put the already fried chicken.
After this has cooled down, you need to give each croqueta its particular shape and coat them with beaten egg, flour, and breadcrumbs. The last step is to fry and enjoy them.
Get the recipe: Spanish Chicken Croquettes Recipe
4. Traditional Gazpacho
If you are looking for some fancy feast appetizers, you should definitely include a traditional gazpacho at your Spanish themed party.
To prepare it at home, you need to blend some fresh or canned tomatoes with some green pepper, onion, cucumber, and garlic clove.
Do not forget about refrigerating the mixture for at least half an hour to get the most out of its flavor.
Get the recipe: Trditional Gazpacho Recipe
Main Dish
5. Paella with Seafood
When looking for some ideas for Spanish themed dinner parties on the Internet, paella is going to be one of the most repeated suggestions.
This is one of the most world-wide known dishes of Spanish cuisine. The key to a successful paella is a great sofrito and fresh seafood.
After frying some mashed tomatoes, chopped onions, garlic, and red peppers, you need to cook the already-washed seafood in some fish broth.
The last step is to add the rice and let it boil until it is cooked. A tip to make the perfect Spanish paella is to use the double volume of broth than rice.
Get the recipe: Paella with Seafood Recipe
6. Spanish Oxtail Stew
Original Spanish menu ideas include uncommon stews like the Spanish oxtail stew.
To make the most of this delicious stew you need to cut some oxtail into medium-sized dice and sauté them with some chopped onions, carrots, leeks, tomatoes, and red bell peppers for 10 minutes.
Then, you should add half a liter of red wine and let all the ingredients boil together for approximately 3 hours.
Get the recipe: Spanish Oxtail Stew Recipe
Dessert
7. Spanish Olive Oil Lemon Cake
A delicious Spanish sponge cake is the olive oil lemon cake. The first step to get your lemon cake is to beat 3 eggs, sugar, and olive oil.
After that, you need to add some flour, baking powder, and salt to the mixture.
Some vanilla extract and lemon zest will give the sponge cake the critic notes that characterize this dessert.
Then, it is time to pour the dough into a baking tray and place it in the preheated oven at 180ºC.
Get the recipe: Spanish Olive Oil Lemon Cake
8. Delightful Crema Catalana Recipe
The Spanish crema catalana is a delicious and easy-to-prepare dessert that you need to try at least once in a lifetime.
To prepare the perfect homemade crema catalana, you have to boil some milk, a cinnamon stick, and lemon peel.
When the liquid is cold, you need to slowly pour some beat egg yolks, cornstarch, and sugar in it while constantly stirring.
When all these ingredients are boiling again, you can stop the stove and pour the cream into ceramic bowls.
Place them inside the fridge and wait for two hours to make sure they are as cold as they should be.
Get the recipe: Crema Catalana Recipe
Spanish Themed Party – Option No.2
Starters
9. Albondigas
Meatballs are one of the most popular Spanish appetizers all around the country. This is a very versatile tapa because it can be made with different kinds of meats and sauces.
Nevertheless, the traditional recipe uses seasoned pork meat and tomato sauce. To prepare them you need to create small balls of pork meat, garlic, fresh parsley, and breadcrumb.
Once you have finished with this, you just need to fry them and serve them with tomato sauce.
Get the recipe: Spanish Meatballs Albondigas Recipe
10. Spanish Mushroom Croquettas
A typical Spanish dinner will include croquettes. To prepare them, you just need to follow the same procedure as the chicken croquettes but change the chicken to potatoes and mushrooms.
These croquetas are ideal to give a sophisticated touch to your Spanish themed party.
Get the recipe: Spanish Mushroom Croquettas Recipe
11. Spanish Chorizo in Cider
Spanish recipes like chorizo a la sidra are very common in most bars in Spain. Although it is not a common Spanish food for dinner, you can prepare small servings of it to have as a starter.
This chorizo recipe consists of cooking some minced garlic, bay leaves, and chorizo chunks in a clay pot with some apple cider for 30 minutes.
As you may notice, this is one of the easiest Spanish dinner ideas for your themed party.
Get the recipe: Spanish Chorizo in Cider Recipe
12. Spanish Caldo Gallego
Any truly Spanish menu should include the caldo gallego, which is a popular and very nutritious winter soup.
In a large deep pot, you need to boil beans with bacon, pork shoulder meat, a ham bone, two sliced chorizos, and potatoes for two hours.
Then, the caldo gallego is ready.
Get the recipe: Spanish Caldo Gallego Soup Recipe
Main Dish
13. Tender Braised Pork Cheeks from Spain
Dinner in Spain can be unforgettable if you taste delicious and typical recipes like braised pork cheeks.
A positive aspect of this dish is that it is quickly prepared and another one is that the ingredients you need are very easy to find in the supermarket.
To start, you should slice the pork cheeks and season them with some salt, pepper, and flour.
After that, fry each side of the meat in a saucepan and reserve them. Then, it is time to sauté peppers, onions, carrots, and minced garlic until they get a golden color.
Now, you should put the pork cheeks into the saucepan again and you can use some red wine or beef broth to improve the tenderness of the meat.
You can blend the cooked vegetables to have a creamy sauce to pour on the pork cheeks or you can side them as they are.
Get the recipe: Tender Braised Pork Cheeks from Spain
14. Spanish Chicken Stew
Your Spanish party should definitely include healthy and tasty dishes like the Spanish chicken stew.
The first thing you need to do is to prepare a sofrito. The great quality of its ingredients will determine the flavor of the whole dish, so choose the best ones you can.
The sofrito consists of fried tomatoes, chopped onion, bell pepper, and garlic. When it is ready, you just need to add some chicken broth and meat. – Get the recipe for the Spanish sofrito here.
When it boils, it’s the moment to add some peeled and cut potatoes and when these are cooked, your stew is ready.
Get the recipe: Spanish Chicken Stew Recipe
Desserts
15. Spanish Sugar Cookies (Pastissets)
Each region of Spain has different kinds of Spanish breakfast sweets but everywhere you go you will find delicious sugar cookies filled with some jam.
Pastissets’s dough is made with some sugar, sunflower oil, dry anise, and flour.
You will have to use the roller to get thin and round-shaped cookies that will be filled with your favorite jam and closed like a pizza calzone.
Then, you should place them on a baking tray and bake them for 15 minutes inside the oven at 160ºC.
Get the recipe: Spanish Sugar Cookies Recipe
16. Spanish Cheesecake Recipe
There are lots of different ways to prepare a cheesecake and a wide variety of cream cheese to give it a unique flavor.
If you are looking for some easy Spanish cheesecake recipes, you should try the basque one.
To get this delicious recipe ready, you need to preheat the oven to 230ºC. Then, you just have to mix some cream cheese with sugar, cream, and eggs.
Pour it into a mold covered with some aluminum foil, and let it bake for 40 minutes.
Once it is ready, refrigerate it for an hour, and that’s it. Ready to be enjoyed!
Get the recipe: Spanish Cheesecake Recipe
Spanish Themed Party – Option No.3
Starters
17. Tortilla de Patatas
One of the most popular and traditional Spanish food is the tortilla de patatas.
It is served all around the country and it will be an ideal starter to your Spanish themed party because it can be served hot or cold.
It doesn’t matter how, it is delicious anyway. To prepare it, you need to peel and cut potatoes into small slices.
You can also chop some onions if you want to add them. Then, you have to fry these ingredients and beat the eggs while the potatoes are getting cooked.
The last thing to do is to remove the oil from the frying pan, pour the fried potatoes into the beaten eggs and cook the mixture in the frying pan.
Get the recipe: Tortilla de Patatas Recipe
18. Berenjenas Fritas con miel
Some of the best Spanish starters of Málaga are the berenjenas fritas con miel. The only difficulty you may face when preparing this tapa is finding the honey you need.
It is a unique kind of honey that you should definitely purchase if you visit this southern region of Spain.
If you get it, you just need to slice some aubergines and bread them with some flour.
After that, it is time to fry the slices and drizzle some honey on them.
Get the recipe: Berenjenas Fritas con miel recipe
19. Spanish Ham Croquettes
When thinking about tapas, Spanish food like ham croquettes is loved by everyone.
To have the best croquetas de jamón you just need to follow the chicken croquettes recipe but add ham instead of chicken.
As mentioned above, the next step is to coat them with beaten eggs, flour, and breadcrumbs in order to fry them.
To prevent a mess when frying the dough, you can refrigerate them for half an hour before frying them in hot olive oil.
Get the recipe: Spanish Ham Croquettes Recipe
20. Spanish Pumpkin Soup
This Spanish dinner recipe is ideal if you are willing to offer a light and healthy dish at your Spanish themed party.
Some pumpkin, onion, and garlic need to be boiled in vegetable broth until the ingredients are tender.
Once it happens, you need to add some heavy cream and heat all the ingredients together.
The last thing to do is to pour them inside a blender and process everything to get a smooth texture.
Get the recipe: Spanish pumpkin soup recipe
Main Dish
21. Spanish Grilled Chicken
Most Spanish dinner foods are healthy and tasty. This is precisely what happens with grilled chicken, an easy Spanish recipe that everybody loves.
To make this recipe you need to make sure the chicken gets abundantly seasoned so its flavor will make everyone fall in love.
After preheating the oven, season the chicken, some onion, and potatoes using lemon juice, olive oil, fresh parsley, and minced garlic.
Place all the ingredients in a baking tray and put it in the oven. When it gets golden, check that it is properly cooked on the inside (cooking time depends on the size of the chicken but 40 minutes should be enough for 1kg of chicken).
If it is ready, you just need to plate the meat and some vegetables on the side.
Get the recipe: Spanish Grilled Chicken Recipe
22. Spanish Pork Stew
Pork stew is one of the Spanish dinner recipes that locals especially enjoy when the weather is cold.
If your Spanish themed party is going to be celebrated in Winter, this may be the main dish you are looking for.
To prepare this nutritious stew you need to fry the meat using just a little bit of olive oil.
After that, you will have to prepare a sofrito by frying some tomatoes dices, onion, bell pepper, and garlic.
The next step is to sauté some cut green beans, pumpkin, and carrots.
Then it’s time to cover all the ingredients with water or vegetable broth and let all the ingredients boil together for 45 minutes.
Do not forget to season it with the amount of salt and ground black pepper you like.
Get the recipe: Spanish Pork Stew Recipe
Dessert
23. Churros con Chocolate
One of the most traditional winter drink recipes in Spain is hot chocolate with churros. These are especially eaten on Christmas, as breakfast, dessert, or afternoon snack.
To make churros at home you have to boil some water, milk, and vanilla extract in a saucepan.
After that, you should add some flour to it until you get a consistent dough.
Using a pastry bag you will pour the dough into a frying pan with quite a lot of oil. When they are golden, your pastries are ready.
Now, you just need to prepare a thick hot chocolate by melting some dark chocolate in boiling milk.
Get the recipe: Authentic Churros Recipe
24. Turron
Turrón is the most popular Christmas dessert in all Spanish homes. There are lots of different kinds of turrón.
However, the easiest to prepare is the almond crunchy one. What you need to do is to toast some almonds and put them aside.
The next step is heating some sugar and honey in a saucepan, when it starts to bubble you need to incorporate the whipped egg white and stir until it gets a caramel texture.
Then, it is the moment to add the toasted almonds and pour the mix into a rectangular tray protected with parchment paper to cool.
Get the recipe: Crunchy turron and soft turron recipes
25. Leche Frita
Easter is the Spanish feast when locals eat leche frita. Nevertheless, if you know how to make this delicious dessert, you can enjoy it throughout the year.
If you want to give your Spanish themed party a unique character, you should definitely offer this to your guests.
To prepare it you need to boil milk with some cinnamon and lemon peel. Once it is warm, it’s time to add some beat eggs, sugar, cornmeal, and vanilla essence.
Refrigerate the mix for two hours, cut it into pieces, coat them with some flour and fry them for 45 seconds on each side.
Then, it is time to just enjoy them.
Get the recipe: Leche Frita Recipe
The Perfect Drink for a Spanish Themed Party
A great Spanish themed party should also include typical Spanish drinks If you want to include some wine, you should definitely purchase a red Rioja or a white Albariño.
If you want a fresher version of a drink made with red wine, you can offer sangría or tinto de verano.
Once the meal has been eaten, you can offer some gin tonics to your guests. Gin Xoriguer is a Spanish brand, elaborated in Menorca, whose great quality will surprise you.
If there are children at the party, you can prepare some leche merengada or horchata, they are definitely going to love it.
Spanish Cocktails and Drink Recipes:
- Spanish Gin and Tonic Recipe
- Best Coquito Recipe for the Holidays
- Easy Tinto De Verano Recipe
- Best Refreshing Spanish Sangria Recipe
Short FAQ about the Spanish Themed Party
What is a typical Spanish dinner?
Some typical Spanish recipes for dinner are delicious tapas like croquettes and tortilla de patatas.
Nevertheless, stews are also very popular among locals.
Some of the best Spanish dinner recipes to include on your menu are braised pork cheeks and albóndigas.
If you need some dessert ideas, do not forget the basque cheesecake.
Some easy Spanish dishes that can be served as tapas are chorizos a la sidra and gazpacho.
Other honorable mentions are Spanish Deviled Eggs and Spanish Stuffed Peppers which you must try as well.
Hola, I’m Paulina! Together with my team, we are passionate about Southern Spain. Here we share all you need to know for great times in Southern Spain with the best places to visit, stay and, of course, the best food to eat.
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