Tortilla Espanola Recipe (Spanish Tortilla/ Spanish Omelette)
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More than satisfy plenty of hungry souls with our delightful tortilla española recipe, and see for yourself why this simple and humble dish has been at the heart of Spanish cuisine for generations.
Tortilla Espanola Recipe
Great food doesn’t need to be complicated, and a Spanish omelette made with love is proof of this. Each mouthful is hearty, comforting, and just the perfect balance between soft and crispy.
Whether you’re planning a tapas night for the whole family, or just looking for a quick, filling lunch or dinner, this Spanish favorite can quickly become a beloved go-to in your culinary bag of tricks.
What is Traditional Tortilla Española?
A national dish that remains as popular as ever to this day, traditional Spanish omelette/Spanish tortilla is a wonderfully simple dish of sliced potato and optionally onion, fried in either vegetable oil or, traditionally, olive oil, then mixed with egg.
The mixture is then returned to the pan and cooked on both sides, where it becomes a hearty and earthy omelette that the whole family can dig into. The dish is widely known as a tapa.
Variations
Onion: While traditionally, a Spanish omelette consisted of potato, egg, and oil (in addition to salt for seasoning), the use of onion is accepted, and very common in different tortilla española recipes.
Tortilla Paisana: If you want to add additional vegetables and meats to your omelette, you will be making a tortilla paisana instead of a tortilla española. In addition to potato, egg, oil, and (optionally) onion, common ingredients include vegetables like peas and peppers, and meats like ham.
However, there is no one correct recipe for tortilla paisana, as the dish traditionally was made with whatever you had left over in the pantry.
Tortilla de Jueves Lardero: If you add chorizo to your Spanish omelette, you get a variation that is synonymous with the Cathletic tradition Jueves Lardero, or “Fat Thursday,” which marks the last Thursday before Lent. It is especially popular in the region of Castile and León.
Ingredients
To make our Spanish omelette recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Onions – 2 medium (5.7oz or 160 grams)
- Potatoes – 4 medium (1.5 lb or 680 grams)
- Olive Oil – 4 tbsp (1/4 cup)
- Eggs – 6 eggs
- Salt – 1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
- Pepper – 1/2 tsp black pepper, or to taste
- Fresh Parsley (optional), for garnishing
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1 – In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk or a fork and add 1/2 tsp salt. Set the bowl aside for now.
Step 2 – Peel and slice the onions.
Step 3 – Peel and cut the potatoes. We used a food processor to slice them, but you can do it by hand with a knife if you don’t have a food processor, or you can use the slicing part of the box grater.
As you can see, the slicing disc on our our food processor gave us thin potato slices in no time at all.
Step 4 – In a pan, over medium-high heat, add 4 tbsp (1/4 cup) of olive oil. When the oil is shimmering, turn the heat down to medium, add the sliced onions and potatoes, and cover the pan with the lid.
Traditionally, you would submerge the potatoes and onions in olive oil. But that means you’d need 2-4 cups of oil. In Spain, people reuse this oil for 5-6 other fryings or uses.
We’ll try to make them without the use of so much oil.
Step 5 – Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring every 60 seconds and making sure the onions and potatoes don’t burn. We like a bit of color/caramelization but you can decide how much color/caramelization you like on them.
Step 6 – Add 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp ground black pepper and turn the heat to medium-low. Keep cooking for another 10 minutes until the potatoes and onions are fully cooked. Stir every minute or two to make sure the potatoes and onions don’t burn.
Step 7 – Take a bit of the potatoes and onions and add them to the egg mixture, stirring. Repeat a bit at a time.
Step 8 – Let the egg-potato-onion mixture rest for 2-3 minutes and then add it back to the pan over low heat and put a lid on.
Step 9 – Cook the bottom for about 5-6 minutes. Losen up the sides, pulling so the egg goes on the bottom and cooks better.
Step 10 – Put a large plate on the pan and flip the omelette onto the plate.
Step 11 – Slide the omelette back into the pan and cook on medium heat for about 2 minutes until the bottom is cooked.
From there, you can plate it up and serve it cut it into slices, tapas style!
Serving Suggestions
The possibilities are endless when it comes to pairings for Spanish omelette. Naturally, if you want to keep things simple, you can serve it on its own.
Parsley – If you want to get creative, try it with some chopped parsley, as we did.
If you’re looking for some pairings and sides, consider the following:
Tapas – Tortilla espanola is a classic tapa, so get inspired for a Spanish-themed tapas night, and serve it with some other classic tapa dishes, such as Padron peppers.
Salad – Spanish omelette makes for a great hearty pairing for plenty of salads, including bean, chickpea, and tomato-based salads. For inspiration, check out our salad recipes from around the world.
In all honestly, you can let your imagination run wild here. Yes, plenty of pairings would not be considered traditional, but the beauty of Spanish omelette is that it is a true hallmark of resourceful cooking. See what’s in your pantry, get creative, and have fun with it!
Tortilla Espanola Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 2 medium brown or white onions 5.7oz or 160 grams
- 4 medium potatoes 1.5 lb or 680 grams
- 4 tbsp olive oil 1/4 cup
- 6 eggs
- 1 tsp kosher salt or to taste
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper or to taste
- fresh parsley optional, for garnishing
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk or a fork and add 1/2 tsp salt. Set it aside.
- Peel and slice the onions.
- Peel and cut the potatoes. We used a food processor to slice them but you can do it by hand with a knife if you don’t have a food processor or use the slicing part of the box grater.
- In a pan, over medium-high heat, add 4 tbsp (1/4 cup) of olive oil. When the oil is shimmering, turn the heat down to medium and add the sliced onions and potatoes and cover with the lid. Traditionally, you would submerge them in olive oil and fry them in olive oil. But that means you’d need 2-4 cups of oil. In Spain, people reuse this oil for 5-6 other fryings or uses. We’ll try to make them without the use of so much oil.
- Cook the potatoes and onions for 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring every 60 seconds and making sure the onions and potatoes don’t burn. We like a bit of color/caramelization but you can decide how much color/caramelization you like on them.
- Add 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp ground black pepper and turn the heat to medium-low and cook the mixture until the potatoes and onions are fully cooked (about 10 minutes). Stir every minute or two to make sure the potatoes and onions don't burn.
- Take a bit of the potatoes and onions and add them to the egg mixture, stirring. Repeat a bit at a time until you've added all the potatoes and onions to the eggs.
- Let the egg-potato-onion mixture rest for 2-3 minutes and then add it back to the pan over low heat and put a lid on.
- Cook the bottom for about 5-6 minutes. Losen up the sides, pulling so the egg goes on the bottom and cooks better.
- Put a large plate on the pan and flip the omelette onto the plate.
- Slide the omelet back into the pan and cook on medium heat for about 2 minutes until the bottom is cooked. Plate it up and cut it into slices, tapas-style!
You Might Also Like to Read
- Spanish Padron Peppers Recipe (Pimientos de Padron)
- Catalan and Spanish Tomato Bread Recipe (Pan Con Tomate) for a Beloved Tapas Favorite
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