Looking for traditional Croatian food ideas for your dinner? Look no further!
Croatian cuisine is influenced by neighbouring countries like Italy, Turkey, and Hungary, resulting in a diverse range of dishes. If you're interested in learning how to cook authentic Croatian food, we've got you covered with our collection of Croatian recipes.
Some must-try traditional dishes while visiting Croatia include Mljet lobster, Ston oysters, Kvarner scampi, Istrian truffles, Slavonia veal and pork, Zagorje and Istria turkey and Paški and Škripavac cheese. Don't forget to include some delicious local wines.
Croatian food can be divided into two main categories: coastal and continental cuisine. If you're staying on the coast, you'll be able to indulge in fresh seafood dishes. If you're heading inland, you'll find hearty continental dishes. Check out our list of traditional Croatian food from both regions to plan your culinary adventure!
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Hake Soup
Ready in: 30 min, Serves: 4, Complexity: very easy, Origin: Dalmatia
This nice, clear soup is an excellent starter for seafood meals. It requires minimum effort and invigorates.
Ingredients:
- 800 g cleaned hake
- 50 ml olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves
- 100 g tomatoes
- 1 lemon
- 100 g rice
- bay leaf
- parsley
- salt and pepper
Directions
Add the hake, garlic cloves, tomatoes cut in half, 1 bay leaf, parsley, salt and pepper and squeezed lemon juice into 2 L cold water and cook for 20 minutes .Do not stir. Gently take out the fish so it doesn't fall to pieces. Serve it aside.
Add the rice to the soup and continue cooking until the rice is soft.
Decorate with chopped parsley.
Variation: You can also a sliced potatoes instead of the rice.
Suitable Drinks
White wine, Red wine
Black risotto
Ready in: 1.5 h, Serves: 4, Complexity: medium, Origin: Istria and Kvarner, Dalmatia
Black cuttlefish risotto is a dish which you will see on all menus along the coastline from Istria to Dubrovnik. It is a dish with a special flavor which will captivate your taste buds.
Ingredients:
- 750g cuttlefish
- 300g risotto rice (ex. Arborio)
- 3dcl fish broth
- 1dcl olive oil
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 30g butter
- 0,5dcl wine vinegar
- salt and pepper
- optional: squid ink if your cuttlefish is not fresh/already cleaned
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Sauté the finely chopped onion and garlic. Slice the cuttlefish (without the tentacles!!) into small bits and add into the pan. Cook on medium heat until lightly golden and add the rice. When the rice is clear,start drizzling it with the broth and cook until you get a sticky mixture.
Aside, mix the ink with the vinegar and butter and add into the pan. Season with salt and pepper according to your taste.
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a separate pan and add the tentacles. Cook for a minute or two and serve with the risotto. You can also add a bit of chopped parsley or Parmesan.
Suitable Drinks
White wine
Granatir or Grenadier march
Ready in: 30 min, Serves: 4, Complexity: very easy, Origin: Slavonia
"Granatir" or "Grenadier March" is a very simple dish originating from Slavonia. Its name suggests that it was made as a meal for soldiers (grenadiers) before long marches.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 kg potatoes
- 1/2 kg pasta (any kind)
- 2 onions
- 1 teaspoon of powdered paprika
- salt
- bacon
- oil
Directions
"Granatir" is a poor man's dish, high in energy and can keep you working hard for the whole day. No one can tell for sure when was this dish made for the first time, but everyone will confirm you that it has been made since they can remember. It remained one of the favourite dishes on the table.
It is a typical winter dish and you can add some sour cabbage if you want. Don't wait for winter to prepare it, it works just fine in the summer with a lot of fresh green salad and tomatoes.
- Cut the potatoes into small cubes and cook them in salted water until they are done.
- While the potatoes are cooking, cook the pasta in salted water until done.
- Fine chop the onions and stew them until they become transparent, then add a teaspoon of powdered paprika.
- Strain the pasta and potatoes and mix them into the onions and fry it for a minute or two (if you like it crusty, add some more oil and fry longer).
- Cut bacon into cubes and fry them separately. When done, mix it all together.
Suitable Drinks
Beer
Buzara Style Shrimps
Ready in: 40 min, Serves: 4, Complexity: easy, Origin: Dalmatia
This is a very simple and delicious recipe loved among locals in Dalmatia. It is also the most popular way to prepare fresh shrimps.
Ingredients:
- 1,5 kg shrimps
- 150 ml olive oil
- 2 tomatoes
- 2-4 garlic cloves (depends on your taste)
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs
- 200 ml white wine
- salt and pepper
Directions
Firstly pepare the tomatoes: take a knife and make a cross on top and imerse them into hot water for approx. 30 seconds. Take them out and peel the skin. Chop the tomatoes into cubes and garlic cloves into tiny bits.
Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the shrimps. Sauté the shrimps for 2 minutes and add as following: tomatoes, garlic, half the spoon of parsley, salt and pepper and the breadcrumbs. Stir and let the flavours come together on medium heat.
Add the white wine, lower the heat, cover the pan and let it cook for 10-15 minutes.
Sprinkle with the remaining parsley and serve immediately.
Suitable Drinks
White wine
Zucchini and mozzarella casserole
Ready in: 45 min, Serves: 4, Complexity: medium, Origin: Dalmatia
A simple vegetable dish that highlights the summer flavours. Serve it as a meal for itself or as a side dish.
Ingredients:
- Ravioli:
- 400 g flour
- 2 eggs
- salt
- water
- Filling:
- 200 g fresh goat cheese
- 30 g hard grated goat cheese
- 2 eggs
- Sauce:
- 200 g asparagus
- olive oil
- cooking cream
- pinch of salt
Directions
Wash the zucchini and slice them by length. Salt and set for a couple of minutes.
Dip the zucchini in flour and shortly fry in hot oil. Arrange the zucchini in an oven proof dish and cover with sliced mozzarella. Repeat.
Mix the eggs, milk and sour cream and pour over the zucchini.
Bake on medium heat until gold-yellowish
Suitable Drinks
White wine, Red wine
Ravioli with Asparagus
Ready in: 1.5 h, Serves: 4, Complexity: medium, Origin: Istria and Kvarner
Although not many enjoy preparing their pasta at home, this is a simple recipe from Istria, very popular in Spring when fresh asparagus are available.
Ingredients:
- Ravioli:
- 400 g flour
- 2 eggs
- salt
- water
- Filling:
- 200 g fresh goat cheese
- 30 g hard grated goat cheese
- 2 eggs
- Sauce:
- 200 g asparagus
- olive oil
- cooking cream
- pinch of salt
Directions
Mix the flour, one egg, salt and. Slowly add water until you get a smooth dough. Roll out the dough into a thin square and coat it with the whisked remaining egg. Cut into strips.
Prepare the filling by mixing the eggs with the cheese.Fill each strip of the dough with one spoon of the cheese mixture and push the edges with a glass or special ravioli cutter to get the shape of a crescent. Shortly cook the ravioli in boiling salted water.
Boil the asparagus in a bit of salted water (just to cover them) and add the cream and olive oil. Stir and let the flavours combine.
Pour the sauce over the ravioli and serve.
Suitable Drinks
White wine, Red wine
Fried olives
Ready in: 20 min, Serves: 4, Complexity: Very easy, Origin: Dalmatia
A tasty, easy starter excellent when combined with a home-made schnapps.
Ingredients:
- 400 g pitted olives
- 2 eggs
- flour
- bread crumbs
- oil
Directions
Dry the olives and dip them one after another into the flour, eggs and then in the bread crumbs. Heat the oil and fry the battered olives until they get a gold-yellowish colour.
Suitable Drinks
White wine, Red wine
Figs and wine for your cold
Ready in: 15 min, Serves: 2, Complexity: Very easy, Origin: Dalmatia
Winter brings snow, happiness, gifts and.. colds. So here's an old Dalmatian recipe for preventing colds and sore throats.
Ingredients:
- Handful of dried figs
- Handful of carobs
- Handful of unrefined sugar
- A pinch of cinnamon
- 1,5l red wine (Dalmatian if possible)
Directions
Grind the dried figs and carobs and add the sugar and cinnamon. Add the mixture to the wine and bring it to its boiling point. Lower the heat and let it cook for a few minutes, constantly stirring.
Let it cool and that's it!
Extra tip: Dried figs will help you lower the chances of and infection to a minimum. Consuming the regularly will boost your immune system.
Suitable Drinks
White wine, Red wine
Prosciutto and melon with shrimp tails
Ready in: 30 min, Serves: 4, Complexity: easy, Origin: Dalmatia
It's not really a recipe but the cool melon and the salty prosciutto make an excellent combination and with added shrimp tails is an excellent summer appetiser.
Ingredients:
- 1 large honeydew melon
- a lemon half
- 2 tbsp brandy
- prosciutto slices
- 400 g cooked shrimp tails
Directions
Cool the melon, wash it and dry it. Slice the melon and remove its pits. Mix the juice of the lemon half with the brandy and pour over the melon slices.
Wrap a piece of prosciutto around the melon slice and add the cooked shrimp tails on top.
You can decorate the plate with fresh rucola and serve with toasted bread.
Suitable Drinks
White wine
Pumpkin Soup
Ready in: 60 min, Serves: 4, Complexity: easy, Origin: Slavonia
This is a specialty of the Slavonia region. It is a tasty thick soup for cold winter days.
Ingredients:
- 800 g pumpkin meat
- 1 onion
- 1 large carrot
- 2 potatoes
- pinch of nutmeg
- 400 ml vegetable broth
- salt and pepper
- juice from half a lemon
- sour cream for serving
Directions
On a bit of olive oil sauté the finely chopped carrot, onion, potatoes and pumpkin meat for about 25 minutes on low heat.
Add a teaspoon of nutmeg and pour in the vegetable broth. Season with salt and pepper according to your taste and squeeze out the lemon juice. Whisp/stir.
Cook until it boils, then continue to cook for another 25 minutes.
Before serving stir in some sour cream.
Suitable Drinks
White wine, Red wine