20 Must-Try Spanish Dishes | …beyond paella

On By NoémiIn #FoodieFriday

When people think of Spanish food, the classics come to mind – … and of course, people just scream paella, usually pronounced as “pie-EL-uh” and don’t forget “cho-ri-TZo“… – honestly, my ears are bleeding, and I’m not even Spanish.
Anyway, they are delicious, yes, but Spain’s culinary landscape has so much more to offer – believe me…

Assorted Spanish tapas including croquetas, gambas al ajillo, jamón ibérico, and pintxos on a colorful table

… and consider this article as your guide to discovering the real flavors of Spain – … but the kind that locals actually rave about, not just the usual favorites, duh.

1. Jamón Ibérico

Spain’s most famous ham, cut paper-thin and served with bread or just on its own – …honestly, it’s hard to believe something so simple can taste so good.
The top-tier Pata Negra comes from very happy, free-range, acorn-fed pigs.
Might as well pair it with a glass of red wine, and you’re in heaven.

Thin slices of Jamón Ibérico with Pata Negra and Bolleta, served with bread

2. Rabo de Toro – Oxtail Stew

Slooow-cooked, melt-in-your-mouth kind of bull tail stew. Traditionally from Andalusia, it’s rich, packed with flavor, and every bite is super comforting and full of goodness.
If you like this kind of dish, also look out for carrilleras on the menus – … braised beef cheeks that are just as tender and flavorful as the tail.

Slow-cooked Andalusian oxtail stew served in a rustic bowl
Slow-braised Spanish beef cheeks (carrilleras) in rich sauce, served in a rustic dish

3. Pulpo a la Gallega – Galician Octopus

Octopus served with paprika, olive oil, and salt – … that’s it, yea, but it’s amazing.

Galician octopus served with paprika, olive oil, and coarse salt on a wooden plate

4. Fabada Asturiana

An Asturian bean stew full of chorizo, morcilla, and pork. It’s the ultimate northern Spanish comfort food – perfect with a slice of warm, crusty bread to soak up all the broth.

Hearty Asturian bean stew with chorizo, morcilla, and pork

5. Pescadito Frito – Fried Baby Fish

Tiny whole fish, lightly floured and fried crisp – … they are so small, most of the time you don’t even have to be worried about the bones, just eat them as salted nuts or something.
Ahhh, honestly, it’s Andalusian beach food at its best – you’ll find it mostly in a chiringuito.
… and speaking of chiringuitos, you might as well try sardinas straight from the fire with a squeeze of lemon.
It’s simple, local, and exactly what you dream of when you imagine eating by the sea in Spain.

Crispy fried baby fish and sardinas on a stick served at a beachside chiringuito in Andalusia
Andalusian chiringuito on the beach with sun, sand, and outdoor tables
Grilled sardines on a stick served fresh at a beachside chiringuito in Andalusia

6. Chipirones a la Plancha – Grilled Baby Squid

Tender, but charred baby squid.
Some northern regions also serve calamares a la romana – battered squid rings.

Grilled baby squid served with olive oil and lemon, typical northern Spain tapa
Crispy battered fried squid rings (Calamares a la Romana) served with lemon wedges

7. Gambas al Ajillo – Garlic Shrimp

Shrimp in sizzling garlic and chili oil. Served straight from the pan with crusty bread to dip-dip… – duh.

Sizzling garlic shrimp served in a cast-iron pan with crusty bread

8. Albóndigas – Spanish Meatballs

Meatballs simmered in a rich tomato sauce.
On the coast, some places serve albóndigas de sepia – squid meatballs for a seafood twist, and in Catalonia, there’s a sweeter version with raisins in a cinnamon-y sauce. Weirdly delicious, and a perfect example of how one dish can have so many local variations.

Spanish meatballs in rich tomato sauce, with Catalan sweet raisin version and squid option

9. Salmorejo

This chilled tomato soup from Córdoba is topped with jamón, boiled egg, or you can add peppers and tuna too.
Refreshing and perfect for a hot summer day when you want something light but flavorful – … the long lost cousin of Gazpacho.

Chilled Córdoba tomato soup topped with jamón and boiled egg

10. Migas

Fried breadcrumbs with garlic, chorizo, and sometimes egg. A rustic and traditional way to use up leftover bread. In some regions, people even serve it with grapes or mandarins for a sweet touch.

Traditional Spanish fried breadcrumbs with chorizo and egg

11. Cargols – Snails

Snails… – ha! Often grilled or cooked in a flavorful sauce. Not for everyone, but a real taste of the Catalan local tradition.

Grilled Catalan snails in a flavorful sauce, local delicacy

12. Boquerones en Vinagre

Fresh anchovies marinated in vinegar, garlic, and parsley. A tiny bite is packed with flavor, and not bad with a pan con tomate and a chilled glass of vermut.

Fresh anchovies marinated in vinegar, garlic, and parsley, served with pan con tomate

13. Calçots with Romesco Sauce

Charred onions dipped into a nutty romesco sauce. Usually eaten at big winter festivals, and it’s part of the local Catalan experience.

Charred Calçots served with nutty Romesco sauce at a Catalan festival

14. Cochinillo Asado – Roast Suckling Pig

Segovia’s famous for its roast suckling pig – the skin’s crazy crispy and the meat is super tender. They usually serve it whole, and cut it up with a plate, so some might say it’s disturbing, but it’s not – … it’s a local tradition.

Segovia roast suckling pig with crispy skin served whole in a traditional restaurant

15. Callos a la Madrileña – Madrid-Style Tripe Stew

A stew with tripe, chorizo, and morcilla. Not for the faint of heart, but iconic in Madrid. If you’re feeling adventurous, this one gives you a taste of Spain’s more traditional, massive flavors.

Madrid-style tripe stew with chorizo and morcilla

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…. Aaand after all the freak-show then, just in case I hereby present you some of the classic tapas, fine…

16. Croquetas

Golden on the outside, creamy inside – usually filled with jamón, cheese, or seafood, or even a freakin’ Kinder Bueno.
They’re comfort food at its finest, and no tapas crawl is complete without at least three – … or five.

Golden Spanish croquetas filled with jamón, cheese, or seafood

17. Pintxos – Basque Tapas

A bite – or two – sized piece of bread with mixed toppings, served in bars across the Basque Country – and well, all around Spain by now…

Assorted Basque pintxos on a bar counter, skewered with toothpicks

18. Huevos Rotos

Runny fried eggs over a bed of crispy potatoes, topped with jamón or chorizo. – yumm.
Super satisfying… it’s one of my favorites to be honest, so let me tell you: they are waaay better than patatas bravas – those boring fried potatoes with spicy sauce and alioli.

Fried eggs over crispy potatoes with jamón, optional patatas bravas on the side

19. Tortilla Española

The classic potato-and-onion omelette. Simple, comforting, and a staple you’ll see everywhere and any time in Spain – … it’s the kind of dish that works for breakfast, lunch, or a late-night tapa!

Classic Spanish potato and onion omelette, thick and golden

20. Padron Peppers

Tiny green peppers, charred in olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt. Most are mild, but occasionally you get a spicy one!

Blistered green Padrón peppers sprinkled with coarse sea salt

… +1: Crema Catalana

Forget churros, and try Spain’s version of crème brûlée – sweet custard with a perfectly caramelized sugar crust.
The perfect sweet finish for our Spanish food adventure…

Crema Catalana with caramelized sugar crust, Spanish custard dessert

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… And the list could go on and on, really.
I think this is the real magic in travelling – discovering local dishes. Because these are the ones that give you a real flavor of Spain – or any country you are visiting.
So please, just for once…. skip McDonald’s and Domino’s Pizza, because the best flavors are waiting for you in tiny tapas bars, family-run restaurants, and local markets.

Aaaanyways,

See you at the next one,

Noémi

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42 thoughts on “20 Must-Try Spanish Dishes | …beyond paella”

  9. Pingback: 20 Must-Try Spanish Dishes | …not paella – Site Title My food

  12. Dear Noemi
    YUMMY! Now we are really hungry and have lots of ideas, what to eat. Today we decided on sardines first and padrones after. We have eaten all these meals except crema Catalana, as we don’t like sweets.
    Happy weekend
    The Fab Four of Cley
    🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

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  13. Chiparones & pescado fritos. When our kids were little we used to visit my husband’s mum & stepdad on the Costa Blanca out of season. The boys always stunned the local restauranteurs asking for these choice morsels, the bacalao & arroz caldoso.
    I have fond memories of Canarian tripe stew too

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  14. Oh & the youngest now lives in Manchester & bought a sucking pig for his annual Xmas party. Dunno how but he managed to get one from Spain. He cooked & carved it Spanish style with a plate!

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  16. Unknown's avatar Anonymous

    Nice post! The Crema Catalana is really good. I wish there were more veg dishes in Spain though. I think their salads and sauces have great potential.

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  19. Very nice post but I think you’ll find there’s no T in chorizo (that’s Italian, I believe). So, it’s or like cho-ree-tho here in Spain and cho-ree-so in South America.
    And paella is more like pie-ey-yuh.

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  36. Migas came as a surprise to me, in a bar in Granada. I didn’t know what it was, but I had eaten a whole portion before I asked!
    How simple breadcrumbs can be so tasty is a delightful and delicious mystery.

    This is a fantastic list, thank you. Now I have more mysteries to discover.

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  37. I lived on the Island of Fuerteventura for two years and tried many dishes there. Loved the Jamon Iberico and the Christmas displays in Mercadona…..the suckling pig on the mainland was amazing. Spain has so much to offer,

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