What to Eat in Spain: 20 Delicious Spanish Foods You Can’t Miss

Last updated on May 7, 2026

One of the hardest parts of planning a trip as a foodie is figuring out what to eat in your limited vacation time. It’s even harder figuring out what to eat in Spain, given its amazing gastronomy and diverse dishes.

There are dozens of unique foods to try from iconic tapas like tortilla de patatas to more regional dishes like salmorejo. I still haven’t tried all of the delicious Spanish foods despite visiting eight times and even living in Spain for a short period!

Like most countries, Spanish foods are very regional. What you eat regularly in Andalucia will be different from what you eat in the Basque Country. But at the same time, there are several Spanish foods found all across the country.

Instead of writing a full-blown book on what to eat in Spain by region, I’m sharing what to eat in Spain as a new visitor. Dishes you can find in almost every city and region. These 20 Spanish foods go beyond paella and sangria and are guaranteed to leave you full and happy on your trip to Spain!

What to eat in Spain

What to eat in Spain depends on where you go. We share some regional-specific dishes later on, but this free what to eat in Spain checklist will make sure you try the best of the best when it comes to Spanish dishes.

1. Tortilla de Patatas (Tortilla Española)

Paella is considered Spain’s national dish, but tortilla de patatas is by far the most common dish in Spain. Most Spanish dishes have a local or regional connotation, meaning the food originates from a specific area of Spain. But tortilla de patatas is one of the few dishes with no known regional origins. It is equally loved and eaten across the country.

Also called Tortilla Española, this potato omelet is made by slowly cooking onions, thinly sliced potatoes, and eggs in olive oil. Slightly gooey on the inside and firm on the outside, tortilla de patatas is the perfect treat no matter the time of day. We ate tortilla de patatas more than any other Spanish dish on our two-month trip.

2. Patatas Bravas

Patas Bravas is another super popular Spanish dish you have to try when visiting Spain. Imagine perfectly fried potatoes smothered in a slightly spicy sauce, drizzled with a mayonnaise aioli. It’s perfection.

Every restaurant makes its bravas sauce a bit differently, but patatas bravas are a non-negotiable food to try in Spain.

3. Croquetas

Croquetas are one of my favorite Spanish tapas and one of the most typical tapas to eat. You’ll find them on every menu at bars and restaurants in small villages across the country.

Croquetas are made from bechamel that is breaded and then fried. Most croquetas will have chopped pieces of jamón (cured ham) inside, which are called croquetas de jamón. Although you can also find croquetas de bacalao or salted cod and vegetarian versions, too.

Looking for fun things to do on your trip to Spain? Check out some tours below!

4. Jamón

Spaniards love all meat, but pork is King in this country. It’s estimated that Spain produces 40 million hams every year. And nothing is more beloved, or famous, than jamón.

Jamón is cured ham that is air-dried for several months with salt. As you walk around the city or visit famous markets in Barcelona or Madrid, you’ll see dozens of jamón legs hanging from butcher shops.

There are two main types of jamón to try in Spain. The cheapest and most abundant isjamón serrano. This ham is made from white Spanish pigs like the Duroc, Pietrain, or Landrace varieties that are fed grains for their main feed.

The more expensive, and in my opinion, more delicious jamón is jamón ibérico. Jamón ibérico is made from the black pig, which has a black foot called the pata negra. These pigs are fed only a natural diet of acorns, which gives the pigs a much nuttier taste with more fat.

These pigs are free-roaming and cared for with the utmost attention in just four designated areas of the country. Jamón ibérico is very expensive. A leg can cost $2,500 or more, and a small plate of jamón ibérico can be 20€ to 30€ or more.

If you can try jamón ibérico next to jamón serrano, I highly recommend it. This is the best way to see the difference in the quality and tasting notes of the meat.

5. Manchego Cheese

If you’re doing a jamón taste test, or simply indulging in Spain’s most beloved meat, add some manchego cheese to your order. Manchego cheese originates in the region of La Mancha, which is southeast of Madrid, and it’s a dish you’ll find on almost every menu.

The cheese is made from sheep milk and has a lovely nutty flavor with a hint of sweetness. It’s a semi-hard cheese that isn’t too pungent, making it the perfect match for a lovely quince paste or wine pairing.

6. Salmorejo

Most people associate Gazpacho, a cold soup that originates from Andalucia, in Southern Spain, with Spanish cuisine. This dish is extremely popular in the summer months as a way of cooling down in the brutal heat (especially since most Spanish homes don’t have air conditioning).

However, a food to try in Spain that is more popular than gazpacho among Spanish locals is Salmorejo. Salmorejo is like Gazpacho’s big brother. It uses many of the same ingredients, tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and onion or pepper, but adds in bread. This gives it a hearty and creamier texture and makes it a bit more filling.

We had Salmorejo soup multiple times a week during our last trip to Spain, both in restaurants with friends and family in small villages.

7. Gambas al ajillo

If you love garlic as much as I do, a food to try in Spain is gambas al ajillo.

Translating to ‘shrimp with garlic’, gambas al ajillo is shrimp and a ton of thinly sliced garlic pieces cooked in olive oil. The dish is cooked briefly in a clay pot at high heat. The oil comes out bubbling, and the shrimp soaks up all the garlic goodness.

The shrimp isn’t necessarily the star of this traditional Spanish tapa, but the oil and garlic are. Make sure to sop up all of the sauce at the end with some pan (bread). Avoid eating this dish if you notice they aren’t cooking it in the clay dish. This really does make a difference in the quality and ensures the temperature gets right without overcooking.

8. Chorizo

Chorizo is a spiced pork sausage that can be cured and served thinly sliced like Italian salami or Spanish jamón. Or it can be cut and cooked as a picadillo (ground sausage) or in chunks, like Chorizo a la Sidra.

Chorizo is one of my favorite Spanish meats and has a perfect spice profile to it. No matter how you are enjoying it, this is a must-try dish in Spain.

Looking for fun things to do on your trip to Spain? Check out some tours below!

9. Pan con Tomate

Pan con tomate is a traditional breakfast dish in Spain. It’s also a very popular dish that is served with tapas and main meals in the Catalonia region of northeastern Spain.

This dish was created during the Spanish Civil War when food rations were in place. Bread was one of the few things they had, but they didn’t have fresh bread available daily. They made the bread last, but it would harden quickly. So, they found a way to make it tasty while bringing it back to life.

Pan con tomate is very basic. It’s just bread rubbed with fresh garlic, then topped with grated tomato, and a sprinkle of olive oil and salt. It’s super delicious and a light but tasty way to start your day.

10. Huevos Rotos

Huevos Rotos is another popular Spanish tapa to try. It translates to broken eggs and is a perfect descriptor for the meal. It’s a plate of French fries topped with a few fried eggs that, when broken, create a delicious sauce from the yolk.

You toss the potatoes in the eggs with a bit of salt and have a delicious, easy meal. If you’re wondering what to eat in Spain for dinner, this is one of the most common dishes.

11. Vermouth

Most people think of Sangria when they think of Spain. But Sangria isn’t as popular a drink as tourists think. Vermouth is Spain’s national drink, not Sangria.

Vermouth is an aromatized fortified wine. It can be served sweet or dry and has hints of botanicals, making it a perfect aperitif (before-meal drink). Most bars and tapas restaurants will have a vermouth on tap, which is usually served with a slice of orange and an olive.

If you do have a hankering for Spanish red wine, vino tinto, order it in one of two ways:

• Vino tinto (normal glass of red wine)
• Tinto de verano (translates to ‘summer wine’ and is a mixture of red wine and lemon soda or red wine with lemon juice and sparkling water). This is what the locals drink, not Sangria.

12. Morcilla

Morcilla isn’t a typical Spanish dish that most tourists try on their first time visiting. Translating to blood sausage, the idea of morcilla is a bit off-putting if you come from a culture (like the United States or Canada) that isn’t accustomed to eating all parts of an animal.

There are four types of blood sausage in Spain. The most popular is Morcilla de Burgos, which adds blood to rice with spices in a casing (pictured above).

There is also morcilla de cebolla, which adds onion, spices, and sausage into a casing. Morcilla de cebolla has a much creamier texture than the first and is almost like a paté. Both are absolutely delicious and, in my opinion, one of the most authentic things to eat in Spain. If you’re wondering, ‘What do people eat in Spain?’ Morcilla is it.

13. Ensalada Rusa

Ensalada Rusa is Spain’s take on a Russian Potato salad. The ingredients change for this Spanish dish depending on who is making it. However, the main ingredients are potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, tuna or another type of canned fish, onion, olives, and mayonnaise.

It’s creamy and decadent and is easy to make in the evenings as a tapa or quick dinner dish. This is a very traditional Spanish food to find in locals’ homes.

14. Bocadillo

Bocadillo is the Spanish word for sandwich (at least in Spain). Bocadillos are normally made for quick and easy meals when you’re on the go. For example, taking a train ride, having a quick dinner, or heading to a partido de fútbol (soccer match).

You can add anything you want to a bocadillo, but some of the most common fillings are:

• tortilla de patatas
• calamares (fried squid sandwich, a speciality in Madrid)
• jamón
• lomo (pork loin)

15. Pimientos de Padrón

One of the last top tapas to try on your trip to Spain is Pimientos de Padrón. These small green peppers come from the town of Padrón in Galicia, a Spanish region near Portugal on the northwestern coast. The peppers are seared in a super-hot pan with olive oil and a splash of salt and are super tasty.

They have a saying in Spanish about Pimientos de Padrón, “unos pican, y otros no,” because roughly one in every 100 padrón peppers is spicy.

Regional Spanish dishes

The traditional Spanish dishes described above can be found in almost every area of the country. The Spanish foods to try below can be commonly found throughout Spain, too. However, they are more regional and best enjoyed when visiting the area the dish originates from.

1. Paella

Paella is Spain’s national dish and is by far the most popular dish to try in the country. Unfortunately, most tourists who order Paella are not getting an authentic experience. Paella originates from Valencia, a province on the southeastern coast of Spain.

Valencia is extremely proud of Paella and has very strict standards as to what can be called Paella. Traditional Paella is short-grain rice cooked with chicken, rabbit, green beans, and tomatoes, along with a few other seasonings. If it’s not cooked traditionally, it is called “rice with things”.

If you are not eating traditional paella made the Valencian way, don’t post about it on social media unless you are ready for a slew of scathing comments. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Paella is a lunchtime dish. It is not usually served for dinner. If you see a restaurant boasting this on its dinner menu, enter cautiously. This is likely a tourist trap and not fresh, authentic, or even good paella. If you really want to try paella, there are a few places outside of Valencia to try it, but Valencia is where you will have the best paella experience.

2. Fabada

Fabada is an Asturian dish, a region in the north of Spain. Asturias is home to dozens of famous Spanish dishes, and a very popular cuisine to enjoy throughout the country.

This stew is a mix of beans, chorizo, blood sausage, and bacon, slowly cooked in water. The pork fat melds perfectly with the beans, creating a hearty, warming soup perfect for lunch or dinner on a cold evening. Spaniards love Fabada so much that it’s in cans at the grocery store. Think of it as an elevated beanie-weenies.

3. Cocido

Cocido is a pork-based stew that originates from Madrid. This dish is eaten in most homes across the country on Sundays during the colder months of the year. It is made by slowly cooking different parts of pork and chicken in a pot with carrots, potatoes, and garbanzo beans. The result is a fatty, rich pork broth served with small fideuà noodles as the first course.

The second course is a massive plate of meat, garbanzos, and juicy, tender vegetables. This meal is a belly buster and will send you to a siesta without question. I highly encourage you to seek this out in Madrid if you are visiting. But you can find this in most other parts of the country, too.

4. Cachopo

Cachopo is another Asturian dish made from (you guessed it, pork). First, they take thinly pounded veal and stuff it with cheese and jamón. After, they bread it and fry it to perfection. We had cochopo several times on our most recent trip, and I loved it every time. This is a dish best ordered at lunch thanks to its generous portion size.

5. Cochanillo

Cochanillo is a slowly roasted suckling pig. This dish originates from Segovia a province about an hour outside of Madrid. These suckling pigs are cooked in a clay oven and are absolutely delicious. They are so tender you can cut the pork with a plate, yet the skin remains crispy and crunchy.

6. Fideuà

The last regional Spanish dish to try when visiting Spain is fideuá. Most commonly found along the eastern coast of Spain (think Barcelona south to Valencia), fideuá is a short-grain noodle that is cooked similarly to paella.

The ingredients don’t follow the same strict rules as paella, and it is often served with a garlic aioli and seafood on top. Well-cooked fideuá should have a nice crispness to the bottom of the pan from caramelizing.

Things to know about Spanish cuisine

Here are a few helpful and important things to know about Spanish cuisine.

Spanish meal times

Spaniards eat meals more frequently and at somewhat unusual times compared to other countries. If you’re not accustomed to the meal times in Spain, it can be a weird schedule to get used to.

Understanding meal times in Spain will help you avoid eating at tourist trap restaurants that are open during non-Spanish dining hours. This is such an important topic that I wrote an entire post explaining when to eat in Spain and what to eat during each meal.

Cost of Spanish food

Spanish food is considered affordable for most visitors. You can go out for an evening of tapas for around 20€ per person (including drinks). A sit-down meal at a mid-scale restaurant should cost 20€ to 40€ per person with drinks in big cities like Madrid or Barcelona.

Venture to a smaller village, and prices for tapas and restaurants will be even more affordable. Most menus in Spain will indicate ración, a full meal-sized portion, or media ración, a smaller portion next to the item. Some dishes are only sold as racións, while others can be ordered in a smaller quantity.

An example of what you should expect to pay when ordering some of the most iconic dishes to try in Spain:

• Paella: €29 – €35 / $34 – $41 (often feeds a minimum of two people)
• Pincho (piece) of Tortilla de Patatas: €3 – €5 / $3.50 – $5.90
• Pan con tomate: €7 – €11 / $8 – $13 (often feeds a minimum of two people)
• Croquetas: €7.50 – €9 / $8.75 – $10.50 (usually four to six pieces per order)
• Padron Peppers: €10 – €13 / $11.75 – $15

Tipping in Spain

Tipping is not customary in Spain and is not expected when you dine out. So, you can rest easy if you’re trying to check off our what to eat in Spain checklist, knowing you don’t have to budget for tipping.

This Spanish food guide is just the beginning of all of the amazing Spanish food there is to try in this wonderful country. Hopefully, it helps you understand what to eat in Spain on your upcoming trip and know what dishes you cannot miss.

If you like this post, please let me know in the comments below, and check out our other Spain travel guides below.

Check out our other Spain blog posts

• Where to Eat in Madrid (16 Best Restaurants + Hidden Gems) – This Madrid food guide shares the best places to eat in Madrid today. From tapas spots to high-end dining experiences, these 15 Madrid restaurants are worth visiting (with a map)!
• 15 Best Places to Eat in Barcelona (Right Now) – This Barcelona food guide shares the top 15 restaurants to visit. From casual tapas spots to coffee and fine dining, this post (with a map) has got you covered!
• 3 Days in Barcelona, Spain: The Best First-Time Itinerary – Your go-to guide for your first trip to Barcelona.
• The Perfect 3 Days in Madrid Spain (Itinerary with Map) – Your go-to guide for your first visit to Madrid.
• Best Wineries in Ribera del Duero (10 You Can’t Miss) – A guide to wine tasting in one of Spain’s best wine regions, Ribera del Duero.