Jamon Recipes

Jamon or Spanish ham with melon at breakfast or as an evening snack

Whilst Jamon recipes are popular the traditional and most common method of eating Spanish ham is direct from the plate!

More often than not the unlucky person slicing the Jamon finds the plate half empty before he´s even finished cutting!

The following ideas are by no means exhaustive and please feel free to send us your Jamon recipes! We are always more than happy to include them here as well as answering any questions you may have!

Jamon serving suggestions:

Our favourite Jamon dishes are:

  • Pan Tumaca
  • Surtido de Ibericos
  • Roscon de Jamon

Each is simple to prepare and provides a tasty Spanish appetizer!

Pan Tumaca:

Typical Spanish Breakfast or Lunchtime starter and one of easiest Jamon recipes to start with!

Requires: Jamon, Fresh Tomatoes, Olive Oil and a baguette or crusty roll

Preparation: Open the Baguette or roll with a horizontal cut, if using a baguette cut each half into 6 inch pieces. Place the pieces into a toaster / oven / grill and lightly toast. Take the fresh tomatoes and grate them in a bowl.

Remove the bread from the oven, spread a layer of tomatoe (you can add a little salt if you wish), pour a thin layer of olive oil, Place fresh cut Spanish ham on Top and you are ready to go!

Variations: Depending on the size of your Jamon slices you can make smaller versions to serve as Canapes.

Surtido de Ibericos:

Typical Spanish Lunch starter or evening meal

Requires: Jamon and any / all of the following: Spanish hard cheese, Chorizo, Salchichon or Lomo

Preparation: Slice each of the traditional Spanish foods into thin slices and place on seperate plates. For the cheese you can add a trickle of olive oil to add a complimentary flavour.

Give each person an individual plate and allow them to pick and choose between the different products. Maintaining the Spanish theme it is possible to add extra plates incluiding thin cut bread, sliced tomatoes (with salt and a trickle of olive oil), olives and even grilled asparagus if you wish to have a warm plate.

Roscon de Jamon:

Lunchtime or evening meal

Requires: Jamon, Cheese, Tomatoe (optional) and a "Rosca" (bread)

Preparation: A "Rosca" is a large cirular hollow bread similar to an enlarged bagel but being about a foot accross and two inches high. A similar bread without the hollow center is called a "Hornazo Extrameño" after the Extremadura region of Spain.

Slicing in two horizontally the partially cooked or pre cooked bread, layer the bottom half of the bread with slices of Jamon and cheese adding the top once the layering is approximately an eigth of an inch high. Put the whole bread and filling combination in the warm oven and bake until the cheese melts.

Serve immediately!

If you wish to add another flavour tomatoe can also be added. Use as a filling starter or as a main meal in itself.

NOTE: Be careful not to confuse the Rosca with the "Roscon de Reyes" which is a sweet cake of the same size filled with cream and consumed on the 6th Jan each year.

For Spanish recipes direct from a Chef enjoying living and experiencing Spanish food in retirement and explaining it for all to enjoy, Try Bill and Sheilas cookbook a FREE online cookbook of authentic Spanish dishes!


Discover the origin of the principal ingredient of these Jamon recipes...

Unique Spain > Spanish Ham