Today I share with you an easy and quick marmitako recipe. This Basque tuna stew is bursting with flavor and is ready in less than an hour!
Pair your stew with a delicious Basque dessert like easy Basque cake or the famous burnt Basque cheesecake.
Ingredients
Wondering what ingredients you need to make this Basque tuna stew? Grab these key ingredients, and you'll be ready to start cooking!
- Tuna: I like to start with a raw tuna steak and cut it into cubes. Fresh tuna has such a wonderful flavor, and this stew is the perfect way to enjoy it!
- Potatoes: Use a waxy variety, such as red potatoes, in this recipe, as they won't fall apart when the stew cooks.
- Tomatoes: I use cherry tomatoes instead of diced roma or plum tomatoes to save prep time.
- Red Pepper Paste: Here in Spain, I use a red pepper paste called ñora, but you can also use a regular roasted red pepper or a dried sweet red pepper.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Marmitako
If you’d like to see the full ingredients and instructions, scroll to the bottom of the post for the printable recipe card.
- Sauté the onion and pepper in olive oil until softened and translucent, but not browned. (image 1)
- Add the garlic and sauté for another minute, then add the red pepper paste (or dried pepper) and stir well. (image 2)
- Add the tomatoes and cook for a minute, then pour in the white wine and cook for a minute or so. (image 3)
- Add the potatoes, fish broth, and a cup of water to create the broth. (image 4)
- Simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes, then season with salt, pepper, and cayenne and add more liquid if desired. Mash a few cubes of potato to thicken the stew. (image 5)
- Add the cubed tuna and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove it from the heat, cover, and let it stand for 5 minutes. Taste to make sure the tuna is fully cooked. (image 6)
- Serve immediately with a garnish of chopped parsley or cilantro. (image 7)
- Enjoy the marmitako as is, with a slice of hearty bread, or spooned over basmati rice (not traditional, but delicious!). (image 8)
Recipe FAQs
This Basque tuna stew is bursting with the flavor of fresh vegetables, smokey paprika, and fresh tuna. It's a dish that everyone loves -- even friends who "don't like fish" are swayed by good marmitako.
There are countless recipes on the internet and in the Spanish cookbooks I own. Each one is slightly different, but all have peppers, onions, paprika, and tuna. Some have tomatoes, carrots, and wine. My marmitako recipe does have a dry white wine (Basque txakoli would be perfect if you can get it!) and uses cherry tomatoes for a rustic (and easy-- no dicing!) adaptation.
Marmitako was first created by Spanish fishermen who cooked the stew on their boats as they worked. It's enjoyed all year long in the Basque country, and is very popular! It contains key ingredients such as potatoes, tomatoes, and red pepper (such as the popular Basque choricero pepper).
Serve
This hearty Basque tuna stew can be enjoyed on its own, but I think it would be especially nice when served over basmati rice (it's not traditional, but it's tasty!) or with a slice of crusty bread!
If you want to try some other popular Basque recipes, don't miss these great recipes for chicken chilindrón, salt cod croquettes, and talos con chistorra (corn tortillas with sausage).
Expert Tips
- Use spicy smoked paprika for a little bit of heat.
- Mash a few of the potato cubes in the stew to break down the starch and thicken the stew even more.
- Adjust the seasonings to taste for the right balance of salt and pepper.
Marmitako (Basque Tuna Stew)
Ingredients
- 1 pound raw tuna cubed
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- 2 medium onions chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- red pepper paste (ñora) or a dried sweet red pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked Spanish sweet paprika
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes or two diced medium tomatoes
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 4-5 medium potatoes peeled and diced
- 2 cups fish stock
- fresh parsley or cilantro chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Coat the bottom of a heavy pot with olive oil and place over medium heat. Add the bell pepper and onion, then sauté until soft and translucent but not browned, about 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute, then add the red pepper paste or dried pepper and paprika and stir well.
- Add the tomatoes and cook for 1 minute, then pour in the dry white wine and cook for another minute.
- Add the potatoes, along with 2 cups of fish broth and 1 cup water. Bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender (about 15 minutes). Add a bit more broth or water if necessary to keep the potatoes covered.
- Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne (optional), then use the back of a spoon to mash a few of the potatoes to release their starch and thicken the stew.
- Add the cubes of tuna and let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, and let it stand for 5-10 minutes. Taste a piece of tuna to make sure it's fully cooked.
- Serve immediately and enjoy! Although it's not traditional, I sometimes serve this over basmati rice, which makes it last even longer.
Notes
- Use spicy smoked paprika for a little bit of heat.
- Mash a few of the potato cubes in the stew to break down the starch and thicken the stew even more.
- Adjust the seasonings to taste for the right balance of salt and pepper.
Nutrition
Photography by Giulia Verdinelli
Nick Lyne
Here's a tip to release more starch and make the stew a little thicker: instead of dicing the potato, "chascar" it, which you do by holding the potato in one hand, and with the knife, sice about half an inch in, and then break off a chunk about half an inch by half an inch.
Judy
Thanks for tasty recipe!
Cathy Davies
How much red pepper paste do you put in?
Cathy Davies
This is super tasty and easy recipe. It would be helpful to know the quantity of pepper paste to use.
Dani
when do you add the tomatoes???
Lauren Aloise
Thank you for catching that! Right before the white wine. I've updated it.
Dave
That looks great - and it's almadraba time in Barbate so fresh tuna in the markets. We'll definitely give it a try.