A foolproof recipe showing you how to make a traditional Spanish Tortilla. Consider this dish an omelette with a twist, made with a short list of kitchen staple ingredients.
This Spanish tortilla or “Spanish Omelette” can legitimately be described as a savory cake. It’s thick, rich, and indulgent. Made with eggs, potato and onion, this “tortilla” resembles more of a potato frittata or quiche, but those dishes still don’t do it justice! Made with a short list of simple, kitchen staple ingredients, this easy recipe is a new take on the traditional omelette breakfast that we are used to! If you want to try a new style of cuisine, this basic recipe is a great place to start!
Why Make This Spanish Tortilla
- Easy To Make
- Simple Ingredients
- Delicious Breakfast/Brunch
- It’s Fun To Make And Delicious
When we hear the word “tortilla,” our minds shouldn’t automatically jump to the ever popular flatbread used for burritos and quesadillas! We are missing out on so much more! This Spanish Tortilla will become your new go-to breakfast or brunch recipe!
Ingredient Notes
- Oil – Olive oil regular – not extra virgin. We want a good oil to crisp up our tortilla. Substitute sunflower, safflower or avocado oil.
- Potatoes – I used Yukon gold potatoes, halved and sliced 1/4″ thin.
- Onion – Yellow or white, sliced.
- Eggs – The eggs are going to help bind everything together, you’ll need about 7 of them!
How To Make A Spanish Tortilla
- Cook Potatoes: Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the potatoes. Fry them until softened, but not browned. 10-12 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the oil with a slotted spoon and let them drain on a rack or a paper towel lined plate.
- Cook Onion: Add the sliced onion to the hot oil and fry for 4-6 minutes, or until softened but not browned. Transfer the onions, using a slotted spoon, to the rack or plate with the potatoes. *Discard all but 2 tbsp of the oil from your pan.
- Mix: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the salt and pepper. Add the potatoes and onion to the bowl and mix everything carefully, as to not break the potatoes.
- Cook: Heat the remaining oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Pour the egg and potato mixture into the skillet and spread everything evenly. Cook for 1 minute, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Let the tortilla cook for 8-12 minutes, or until the eggs are set around the edges with a slight jiggle in the center.
- Flip: Use a knife or spatula to loosen the tortilla in the pan if needed. Take a large dinner plate and place it, inverted, over the top of the tortilla. With one hand firmly holding the plate down and the other hand holding the skillet handle, carefully flip the tortilla out onto the plate. Then, slide the tortilla back into the skillet, with the cooked side now facing up. Cook for another 4-5 minutes or until the tortilla is completely cooked through.
- Cool & Serve: Let the tortilla cool for 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Tortilla can be enjoyed warm or cold.
Frequently Asked Questions
Like a frittata, a tortilla is dense, filling, and intended to be cut into cake-like wedges. While similar, it is a much more specific thing than a potato frittata! You can’t merely boil some potatoes, pour eggs over them, cook it, and call it a day. A tortilla is not a tortilla unless it’s made with potatoes that have been braised slowly in lots of olive oil. This is not to be confused with frying! Your goal is to cook the potatoes and onions until they’re extremely tender, not to crisp them up. This is truly a special dish and a must try!
In Mexico and most parts of Central America, the word “tortilla” typically refers to the cornmeal or wheat/flour based flatbread that we all know and love. In Spain, it more commonly refers to a frittata-like dish of eggs and potatoes; and I’m going to show you how to make it!
Typically, this classic Spanish breakfast is usually served on its own! Once it has cooled down, cut the tortilla into cake like slices and serve.
If you want to go a more “authentic” route, you can serve this tortilla cold, in more of a “tapas” style as they would in Spain. I think it is both wonderful to enjoy warm out of the pan, and equally as scrumptious cold out of the fridge – the choice is yours!
Expert Tips
- Use a skillet between 10″ and 12″ in diameter. A smaller skillet will result in a thicker tortilla and a larger skillet will give you a thinner tortilla.
- You can add your favourite condiments if you want a little extra somethin’ somethin’ – I recommend using a little bit of my homemade hot sauce to kick the heat up just a bit!
- With a dish like this, comprising mostly of eggs, it’s important to make sure it’s cooked all the way through before slicing and serving.
- Poke the omelette in the center. Once you see it spring back up, it’s ready and fully cooked. If your finger makes an indentation, give the omelette a little more time.
Leftovers
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 – 4 days.
*Make sure it has fully cooled down to room temperature before storing to avoid condensation forming inside the container.
Reheating
Reheat in the microwave or a skillet until heated through.
Freezing
Unfortunately, I would not recommend freezing this dish. Since it mostly consists of eggs, the texture will change and become liquidy once frozen and thawed.
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Spanish Tortilla
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup olive oil regular- not extra virgin
- 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes Halved and sliced 1/4" thin
- 1 large onion sliced
- 7 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper freshly cracked
Instructions
- Cook Potatoes: Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once it's hot, add the potatoes. Fry them until softened, but not browned. 10-12 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the oil with a slotted spoon and let them drain on a rack or a paper towel lined plate.
- Cook Onion: Add the sliced onion to the hot oil and fry for 4-6 minutes, or until softened but not browned. Transfer the onions, using a slotted spoon, to the rack or plate with the potatoes. *Discard all but 2 tbsp of the oil from your pan.
- Mix: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the salt and pepper. Add the potatoes and onion to the bowl and mix everything carefully, as to not break the potatoes.
- Cook: Heat the remaining oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Pour the egg and potato mixture into the skillet and spread everything evenly. Cook for 1 minute, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Let the tortilla cook for 8-12 minutes, or until the eggs are set around the edges with a slight jiggle in the center.
- Flip: Use a knife or spatula to loosen the tortilla in the pan if needed. Take a large dinner plate and place it, inverted, over the top of the tortilla. With one hand firmly holding the plate down and the other hand holding the skillet handle, carefully flip the tortilla out onto the plate. Then, slide the tortilla back into the skillet, with the cooked side now facing up. Cook for another 4-5 minutes or until the tortilla is completely cooked through.
- Cool & Serve: Let the tortilla cool for 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Tortilla can be enjoyed warm or cold.
Tips & Notes:
- Use a skillet between 10″ and 12″ in diameter. A smaller skillet will result in a thicker tortilla and a larger skillet will give you a thinner tortilla.
- You can add your favourite condiments if you want a little extra somethin’ somethin’ – I recommend using a little bit of my homemade hot sauce to kick the heat up just a bit!
- With a dish like this, comprising mostly of eggs, it’s important to make sure it’s cooked all the way through before slicing and serving.
- Poke the omelette in the center. Once you see it spring back up, it’s ready and fully cooked. If your finger makes an indentation, give the omelette a little more time.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 – 4 days. Make sure it has fully cooled down to room temperature before storing to avoid condensation forming inside the container.
