A Spanish tortilla is a fusion of an omelet and a frittata. It is made of layers and layers of crispy potatoes and onions held together with eggs and cooked with tons of olive oil. It is so easy to make and is so yummy.
The Spanish Tortilla is a recipe that I learned to make from my "Spanish sister." (Our exchange student from Spain more than 10 years ago, who is now a huge part of our family.) The first time she cooked a tortilla for us, we were just expecting it to taste like a frittata - it is such a different taste and is so much better.
🥘 Ingredients
- sliced potatoes
- olive oil
- eggs
- diced onion
- kosher salt
- ground black pepper
🥄 Equipment Needed
- a cast-iron or oven-safe pan, around 12 inches
- a mandoline slicer or really sharp knife
- a rubber spatula
- a large, flat plate
- a large bowl
- a strainer or colander
- a fish flipper, slotted spatula, or slotted spoon
- a sharp vegetable peeler
👩🍳 How to Make It
A Spanish tortilla is really easy to make:
STEP 1: Prepare your vegetables.
First, dice up your onions and thinly slice your potatoes. (Peeling the potatoes is optional, but recommended.) I like to do this with a mandolin (don't cut your fingers off!) but you can also slice the potatoes by hand. You want them to be about an eighth to a quarter of an inch thick. (Pictures 1 - 5)
STEP 2: Start heating your oil.
Next, heat up your oil over medium heat and preheat your oven to 350°F. I know it seems like a LOT of oil, but you are going to be shallow frying a LOT of potatoes. (Picture 6)
STEP 3: Fry your potatoes and onions.
Once the oil is hot, begin frying your potatoes and onions. (To test if your oil is hot enough, either wet your fingers and flick it into the oil - if hot enough it will bubble up a little and spit back at you - or drop in a potato slice. If it starts bubbling, the oil is hot enough.) This will most likely have to be done in a few batches. (Picture 7 - 8)
While the potatoes are frying, season each batch with a pinch of salt and pepper.
When you begin frying your last batch - prepare your eggs. Whisk them together in a bowl with what is left of your salt and pepper. (Picture 9)
After frying each batch, drain the potatoes in a colander or strainer over a bowl. This way, you can collect the oil that drains off and reuse it for frying the rest of the potatoes. (Picture 10)
STEP 4: Drain your pan.
After you have fried all of your potatoes and onions, drain out the rest of your oil (the easiest way that I have found to do this is to just pour it out with the last batch of potatoes and give the colander a good shake so that all of the oil drains into the bowl.) Then, return the pan to the heat.
STEP 5: Heat your pan back up and start cooking the tortilla.
Scoop up a tablespoon or so of the leftover frying oil from your potatoes and add it back to the warm pan. Swirl it around and make sure the whole pan gets coated with oil.
Now, add the cooked potatoes back to the hot pan and try to spread them out so that they are lying flat. (Picture 11)
Pour your egg mixture over the top of the potatoes and let it cook for a few minutes - you want the edges to start cooking. (Picture 12 - 13) Slide a rubber spatula, around the edges to make sure that the tortilla is not sticking. Then, turn the heat down and cook the tortilla over low or medium/low heat for 5 - 7 minutes. The time will vary based on how hot your pan is. (Picture 14)
STEP 6: Flip the tortilla!
Now comes the fun part - the flip and slide! Place a large, flat plate on top of your tortilla. (Picture 15) (The top is not going to be cooked all the way - that is okay.)
Flip the pan and plate over and the tortilla should drop out onto the plate. (I like to do this over a sink in case any oil drips.)
STEP 7: Finish the tortilla.
Slide the tortilla back into the pan so that the other side can cook. Cook on this side for 2 - 3 minutes, then pop the whole thing - pan and all - into the oven for 5 minutes to be sure the middle cooks all the way.
Finally, slide the tortilla out of the pan and let it cool a bit before serving.
If your tortilla is cooked properly, it will have lots of layers of potatoes and onions - delicious layers.
🍽 Serving Suggestions/Uses
Cut your tortilla into slices and serve for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner. A Spanish tortilla is traditionally served as tapas, but we like to eat it as a main course with some roasted broccoli, asparagus, or steamed vegetables on the side.
🥣 Serving Size
We like to slice the tortilla into 8 slices like a pizza, then eat it by the slice with some flaked sea salt on top.
🥫Storage/Shelf Life/Reheating
- In Spain, tortilla is usually stored on the counter at room temperature. Because eggs in the United States are not as fresh, it is recommended that you store this in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
- You can also make a tortilla and freeze some of it.
- To reheat from the refrigerator, I like to put it in the air fryer or toaster oven for about 5 minutes at 300 - 350°F. To reheat from frozen, let the tortilla thaw - then heat it up. It will keep for about a week in the refrigerator and up to 6 months in the freezer.
📝 Tips
- Before you start cooking the tortilla, make sure that you turn on the vent above your oven and open windows if you can. This process will make everything smell like fried things. I like to hang a sheet in the doorway of the kitchen to trap the smell inside.
- When slicing your potatoes with a mandolin, please, please, please, use the guard that comes with it. A mandolin is sharp and can filet your fingers so easily.
- Before frying your potatoes, be sure to test that your oil is hot enough. To do this, either wet your fingers and flick it into the oil - if hot enough it will bubble up a little and spit back at you - or drop in a potato slice. If it starts bubbling, the oil is hot enough.
- When flipping your tortilla, try to do it over a sink - sometimes oil drips and it can make a mess.
- When reheating a tortilla, reheat it in the toaster oven, air fryer, or oven so that the eggs don't get gummy/tough in the microwave.
🔖 Recipe
Authentic Spanish Tortilla
Equipment
- a large, flat plate
- a large bowl
- a strainer or colander
Ingredients
- 3 - 4 medium sized potatoes you should use Yukon Gold or Russet Potatoes
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- First, dice up your onions and thinly slice your potatoes. (Peeling the potatoes is optional, but recommended.) I like to do this with a mandolin but you can also slice the potatoes by hand. You want them to be about an eighth to a quarter of an inch thick.
- Next, heat up your oil over medium heat and preheat your oven to 350°F. I know it seems like a LOT of oil, but you are going to be shallow frying a LOT of potatoes.
- Once the oil is hot, begin frying your potatoes and onions. (To test if your oil is hot enough, either wet your fingers and flick it into the oil - if hot enough it will bubble up a little and spit back at you - or drop in a potato slice. If it starts bubbling, the oil is hot enough.) This will most likely have to be done in a few batches.
- While the potatoes are frying, season each batch with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- After frying each batch, drain the potatoes in a colander or strainer over a bowl. This way, you can collect the oil that drains off and reuse it for frying the rest of the potatoes.
- When you begin frying your last batch - prepare your eggs. Whisk them together in a bowl with what is left of your salt and pepper.
- After you have fried all of your potatoes and onions, drain out the rest of your oil (the easiest way that I have found to do this is to just pour it out with the last batch of potatoes and give the colander a good shake so that all of the oil drains into the bowl.) Then, return the pan to the heat.
- Scoop up a tablespoon or so of the leftover frying oil from your potatoes and add it back to the warm pan. Swirl it around and make sure the whole pan gets coated with oil.
- Now, add the cooked potatoes back to the hot pan and try to spread them out so that they are lying flat.
- Pour your egg mixture over the top of the potatoes and let it cook for a few minutes - you want the edges to start cooking. Slide a rubber spatula, around the edges to make sure that the tortilla is not sticking. Then, turn the heat down and cook the tortilla over low or medium/low heat for 5 - 7 minutes. The time will vary based on how hot your pan is.
- Now comes the fun part - the flip and slide! Place a large, flat plate on top of your tortilla. (The top is not going to be cooked all the way - that is okay.)
- Flip the pan and plate over and the tortilla should drop out onto the plate. (I like to do this over a sink in case any oil drips.)
- Then slide the tortilla back into the pan so that the other side can cook. Cook on this side for 2 - 3 minutes, then pop the whole thing - pan and all - into the oven for 5 minutes to be sure the middle cooks all the way.
- Finally, slide the tortilla out of the pan and let it cool a bit before serving.
Notes
- Cut your tortilla into slices and serve for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner. A Spanish tortilla is traditionally served as tapas, but we like to eat it as a main course with some roasted broccoli, asparagus, or steamed vegetables on the side.
- We like to slice the tortilla into 8 slices like a pizza, then eat it by the slice with some flaked sea salt on top.
- Before you start cooking the tortilla, make sure that you turn on the vent above your oven and open windows if you can. This process will make everything smell like fried things. I like to hang a sheet in the doorway of the kitchen to trap the smell inside.
- When slicing your potatoes with a mandolin, please, please, please, use the guard that comes with it. A mandolin is sharp and can filet your fingers so easily.
- Before frying your potatoes, be sure to test that your oil is hot enough. To do this, either wet your fingers and flick it into the oil - if hot enough it will bubble up a little and spit back at you - or drop in a potato slice. If it starts bubbling, the oil is hot enough.
- When flipping your tortilla, try to do it over a sink - sometimes oil drips and it can make a mess.
- When reheating a tortilla, reheat it in the toaster oven, air fryer, or oven so that the eggs don't get gummy/tough in the microwave.
- In Spain, tortilla is usually stored on the counter at room temperature. Because eggs in the United States are not as fresh, it is recommended that you store this in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
- You can also make a tortilla and freeze some of it.
- To reheat from the refrigerator, I like to put it in the air fryer or toaster oven for about 5 minutes at 300 - 350°F. To reheat from frozen, let the tortilla thaw - then heat it up. It will keep for about a week in the refrigerator and up to 6 months in the freezer.
Looks so yummy. Love the plating and arranging!!