My Favorite Recipes in Spanish

Enjoy Great Food!

Recipes in Spanish - what better way to learn some key vocabulary and useful phrases than through the enjoyment of food!

Scroll down to explore some of my favorite traditional recipes in Spanish, alongside an English translation.

Spanish cuisine is as varied as the vast regions that make up the stunning country of Spain. The many empires that left their mark on Spain over the centuries also influenced Spanish food. 

Regional differences can, for the most part, be attributed to historical occupations, climate and terrain.

Many of the best Spanish recipes use only a handful of ingredients. Carefully chosen flavors complement each other perfectly. Fresh fruit and vegetables feature heavily in Mediterranean cooking.

Recipes in Spanish

Below are a handful of the tasty Spanish recipes that were a staple of my Mediterranean upbringing.

I'm not a chef, simply someone who appreciates good food and enjoys bringing the traditional Spanish dishes that I grew up with to life for others.

Here I get the chance to bring my love of good food together with my other passion - language-learning - by presenting these recipes in Spanish so that others can benefit on both counts as well :D.

Breakfast Recipes in Spanish

Pan con Tomate		Bread with Tomato
Imagen: Pan con tomate (cortesía de Alex Castella via Flickr)		Image: Bread with tomato (courtesy of Alex Castella via Flickr)
Ingredientes: 1 tomate ½ diente de ajo 50ml aceite de oliva extra virgen sal y pimienta barra de pan fresco		Ingredients: 1 tomato ½ clove of garlic 50ml extra virgin olive oil salt and pepper fresh Spanish bread
Esta receta es típica de Cataluña, la Comunidad Valenciana e Islas Baleares.		This recipe is typical of Catalonia, the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands.
A la hora de eligir tomates para esta receta, recuerda que cuanto más dulces mejor.		When it comes to choosing tomatoes for this recipe, remember the sweeter the better.
Ralla el tomate. ¡Cuidado con los dedos! Cuando queda demasiado poco para rallar, corta lo que resta con un cuchillo.		Grate the tomato. Watch your fingers! When there is too little left to grate, cut what is left with a knife.
Machaca el ajo con un mortero o pásalo por un machacador de ajo. Añádelo al tomate rallado.		Crush the garlic with a pestle and mortar or with a garlic crusher. Add it to the grated tomato.
Añade el aceite de oliva extra virgen a la mezcla de tomate y ajo y mézclalo bien.		Add the extra virgin olive oil to the tomato and garlic mix and mix well.
Salpimienta al gusto.		Season to taste.
Sírvelo con pan fresco.		Serve with fresh bread.

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Chocolate Caliente con Churros		Hot Chocolate with Fritters
Imagen: Chocolate caliente con churros (cortesía de tirnanogSF via Flickr)		Image: Hot chocolate with churros (courtesy of tirnanogSF via Flickr)
Ingredientes (4-6 raciones): para los churros aceite para freir 250ml agua 75ml aceite ½ cucharadita de sal 200g harina canela para espolvorear azúcar para espolvorear para el chocolate caliente 80-200g chocolate oscuro 800ml agua o leche fría 6 cucharaditas de maizena canela azúcar		Ingredients (4-6 servings): for the fritters oil for frying 250ml water 75ml oil ½ tsp salt 200g flour cinnamon for dusting sugar for dusting for the hot chocolate 80-200g dark chocolate 800ml cold water or milk 6 tsp cornstarch [US]/cornflour [UK] cinnamon sugar
Para hacer los churros: Calienta abundante aceite para freir en un sartén alto.		To make the fritters: Heat plenty of frying oil in a deep pan.
Mientras se calienta el aceite, pon el agua en un cazo con 75ml de aceite y la sal. Caliéntala hasta casi hervir y luego quítala del fuego.		While the oil is heating up, put the water in a pan with 75ml of oil and the salt. Heat until almost boiling and then remove from the heat.
Añade toda la harina y bátela hasta formar una masa firme y homogénea.		Add all the flour and beat it until it forms a stiff and smooth dough.
Pon la masa en una manga pastelera con boquilla rizada mediana y haz tiras de masa o roscas, dejándolas caer directamente en el aceite caliente.		Put the dough in a pastry bag with a medium-sized closed star tip and make long strips or rings, allowing them to fall directly into the hot oil.
Fríe los churros hasta que queden dorados. Sácalos con unas pinzas y déjalos reposar sobre papel de cocina.		Fry the fritters until they are golden. Take them out with a pair of tongs and let them rest on some paper towel.
Espolvoréalos con azúcar y canela.		Dust with sugar and cinnamon.
Para hacer el chocolate caliente: Mezcla la maizena con 6 cucharaditas de agua fría hasta formar una pasta homogénea. Disuelve la pasta en el agua o la leche.		To make the hot chocolate: Mix the cornstarch with 6 teaspoons of cold water to make a smooth paste. Dissolve the paste in the water or milk.
Corta el chocolate en trocitos pequeños y ponlo en un cazo con la mezcla de agua/leche y maizena.		Cut the chocolate into small pieces and put it in a pan with the water/milk and cornstarch mix.
Caliéntala sin hervir, batiéndola constantemente hasta derretir todo el chocolate.		Heat the mix without allowing it to boil, whisking it constantly until all the chocolate has melted.
Sigue calentando y batiendo la mezcla de chocolate, quitándola del fuego en el instante que empieza a hervir.		Keep heating and whisking the chocolate mix, removing it from the heat the instant it begins to boil.
Sigue batiéndola unos minutos más, mientras que se va enfriando, para conseguir una mezcla homogénea.		Continue to whisk the mixture for a few more minutes while it cools, in order to achieve a smooth texture.
Añade azúcar al gusto y más agua si la mezcla te parece demasiado espesa.		Add sugar to taste and more water if the mix is too thick for your liking.
Espolvorea el chocolate caliente con canela y disfruta con los churros recién hechos.		Dust the hot chocolate with cinnamon and enjoy with freshly made 'churros'.

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Tapas Recipes in Spanish

Tortilla Española		Spanish Omelet [US]/Omelette [UK]
Imagen: Tortilla española		Image: Spanish omelet [US]/omelette [UK]
Esta es una receta para tortilla española que utiliza menos aceite que las recetas traditionales. Es la tortilla que hace mi madre.		This is a recipe for Spanish omelet/omelette that uses less oil than traditional recipes. It's the 'tortilla' my mother makes.
En vez de freir las patatas, se hierven, antes de añadir los huevos.		Instead of frying the potatoes, they are boiled, before adding the eggs.
Ingredientes: 1kg patatas 1 cebolla picada 2 cucharadas soperas de aceite de oliva 6-7 huevos sal y pimienta		Ingredients: 1kg potatoes 1 onion, finely chopped 2 tbsp olive oil 6-7 eggs salt and pepper
Pela las patatas y córtalas en cubitos o en trozitos finos.		Peel the potatoes and cut them into dice-sized cubes or small, thin slices.
Pon abundante agua a hervir en un cazo, con sal al gusto. Cuando el agua rompa el hervor, añade las patatas y déjalas cocer durante 10 minutos o hasta que estén tiernos.		Boil plenty of water in a pan, with salt to taste. When the water begins to boil, add the potatoes and leave them cook for 10 minutes or until tender.
Cola las patatas y déjalas enfriar en el cazo.		Drain the potatoes and let them cool in the pan.
En un sartén grande, calienta una cucharada sopera de aceite de oliva antes de añadir la cebolla picada. Sofríe la cebolla picada hasta que quede dorada.		In a large frying pan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil before adding the chopped onion. Lightly fry the chopped onion until it turns golden.
Bate bien los huevos en un bol y salpimienta bien.		Beat the eggs in a bowl and season well.
Añade las patatas y la cebolla a los huevos y mézclalos bien pero con cuidado, para no aplastar las patatas cocidas.		Add the potatoes and the onion to the eggs and mix well but carefully, so as not to squash the cooked potato.
Calienta otra cucharada sopera de aceite de oliva en el sartén y, cuando ya esté caliente, añade toda la mezcla de tortilla.		Heat another tablespoon of olive oil in the frying pan and, once it is hot, add the omelet mix.
Coce la tortilla a fuego lento durante 5 a 8 minutos (dependiendo del tamaño del sartén y el espesor de la tortilla). Agita la tortilla de vez en cuando para que no se pegue al sartén.		Cook the omelet on low heat for 5 to 8 minutes (depending on the size of the frying pan and the thickness of the omelet). Give the frying pan a shake every now and again to stop the omelet from sticking.
Pon un plato (por lo menos igual de grande que el sartén) encima de la tortilla y dale la vuelta al sartén para que la tortilla quede en el plato.		Place a plate (at least as big as the frying pan) on top of the omelet and turn the frying pan over so that the omelet turns out onto the plate.
Añade un poco más de aceite al sartén, si es necesario, y desliza la tortilla del plato al sartén para cocerse el otro lado durante otros 3 a 5 minutos.		Add a little more olive oil to the frying pan, if required, and slide the omelet from the plate to the frying pan in order to cook the other side for another 3 to 5 minutes.
Corta la tortilla en trozos del tamaño de un bocado y sírvela con palillos.		Cut the 'tortilla' into bite-sized pieces and serve with toothpicks.

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Gambas al Ajillo		Garlic Shrimp [US]/Prawns [UK]
Imagen: Gambas al ajillo (cortesía de jlastras via Flickr)		Image: Garlic shrimp [US]/prawns [UK] (courtesy of jlastras via Flickr)
Ingredientes: 12 gambas crudas (peladas, con o sin colas, dependiendo del gusto) 3 cucharadas soperas de aceite 1 diente de ajo una pizca de pimienta de cayena una pizca de pimentón dulce perejil fresco (picado) barra de pan fresco		Ingredients: 12 raw shrimp [US]/prawns [UK] (shells off, tails on or off, according to taste) 3 tbsp oil 1 clove of garlic a pinch of cayenne pepper a pinch of paprika fresh parsley (chopped) fresh Spanish bread
Mientras se calienta el aceite en un sartén, machaca el ajo con un mortero o pásalo por un machacador de ajo. Añádelo al aceite caliente con una pizca de pimienta de cayena y una pizca de pimentón dulce.		While the oil is heating in a frying pan, crush the garlic with a pestle and mortar or with a garlic crusher. Add it to the hot oil with a pinch of cayenne pepper and a pinch of paprika.
Añade las gambas casi de inmediato y sofríelas durante unos 2 or 3 minutos (sólo hasta que cambien de color). Quítalas del fuego y espolvorea con perejil picado.		Add the shrimp almost immediately and sauté them for 2 or 3 minutes (only until they turn pink). Remove them from the heat and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Sírvelas de inmediato con barra fresca para mojar en el aceite.		Serve immediately with fresh Spanish bread to dunk in the oil.

Like these recipes in Spanish? Leave a comment at the bottom of the page.

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Like these recipes in Spanish? Leave a comment at the bottom of the page.