Tortilla de patatas (Spanish omelette)
Ingredients
Method
- Peel, rinse and dry the potatoes, then cut them into thin, irregular 3 mm slices. Finely slice the onion. Season everything with salt.
- Heat the olive oil in a 24 cm frying pan over medium heat. Add the potatoes and onion and let them poach for 20 to 25 minutes over low to medium heat, stirring now and then, without browning: they should crush under the spatula.
- Drain them in a colander set over a bowl to save the oil. Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt, add the still-hot potatoes, mix and leave to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Return 1 tablespoon of oil to the hot pan. Pour in the mixture, stir for 30 seconds, then cook for 3 to 4 minutes over medium heat, loosening the edges with the spatula.
- Cover the pan with a flat plate larger than the pan, flip it in one confident move, then slide the tortilla back into the pan with a drizzle of oil. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes for a runny center, 3 to 4 minutes for a fully set tortilla.
- Slide it onto a plate and leave to rest for 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, in wedges or in small squares on cocktail sticks.
Notes
A thick omelette, golden outside and meltingly soft inside, potatoes poached in olive oil that melt in the mouth: tortilla de patatas is the most popular dish in Spain, served in every bar at any time of day. Here is our step-by-step Spanish omelette recipe, with the secret to a runny center and the move to flip it without breaking it.
Tortilla de patatas, a Spanish culinary specialty
It is also called tortilla española or Spanish potato omelette. It has nothing to do with the Mexican tortilla, a corn or wheat flatbread: in Spain, tortilla means omelette. Its first known written mention dates from 1817 in Navarre, and a persistent legend credits it to the Carlist general Zumalacárregui, who supposedly invented it to feed his troops during the siege of Bilbao. What is certain is that with a few eggs and plenty of potatoes, it fed a whole family cheaply.
Today it is the Spanish culinary specialty par excellence, alongside paella and cured ham. It is eaten for breakfast as a pincho with coffee, as an appetizer, as a main course with salad, in a sandwich (bocadillo) or cold at a picnic.
Spanish tortilla with or without onion?
It is the great national debate, and it even divides families. The basic recipe has only four ingredients: eggs, potatoes, olive oil and salt. The “sincebollistas” defend this pure version, where the potato reigns alone. The “concebollistas” add an onion poached with the potatoes, which brings sweetness and softness. Our recipe makes the onion optional: make your Spanish tortilla with onion or without, depending on your camp. Either way, there is no garlic, milk or cream.
Which potatoes for a Spanish tortilla?
You need a variety that softens without completely falling apart. In Spain, people often use Monalisa, Kennebec or Agria. Elsewhere, Yukon Gold, Agria or Maris Piper work very well. Cut them into thin, irregular slices, or break them into small chunks by levering with the knife, as Spanish grandmothers do: the rough edges release starch and bind the tortilla better.
Olive oil for tortilla de patatas
Olive oil is essential: the potatoes are not fried but gently poached in a bath of oil that must never smoke. A mild extra virgin olive oil, such as arbequina, gives the best flavor. Much of the oil is recovered after cooking: strained, it keeps for the next tortilla.
The secret of a runny Spanish tortilla
A runny Spanish tortilla, which Spaniards call jugosa, has a center that is still creamy, almost flowing. The secret comes down to two things. First, let the hot potatoes rest in the beaten eggs for 10 to 15 minutes: they soak up the egg and the tortilla becomes smooth and even. Second, the cooking must be short and lively. The runniest version is the one from Betanzos, in Galicia, almost liquid in the middle. If you prefer a fully set tortilla, simply cook the second side longer.
Spanish tortilla cooking time
The cooking time breaks down like this: 20 to 25 minutes to poach the potatoes, then 3 to 4 minutes for the first side and 1 to 2 minutes for the second if you want it runny, 3 to 4 minutes if you want it firm. In a 24 cm pan, that gives the right thickness, about 4 cm.
How to flip a Spanish omelette
Here is how to flip a Spanish omelette without drama. Loosen the edges well and shake the pan: the tortilla should slide. Place a flat plate, wider than the pan, on top. Hold the pan by the handle, press your other hand flat on the plate and flip in one confident, quick move, over the sink if you are a beginner. Add a drizzle of oil to the pan and slide the tortilla back in, cooked side up. Tuck the edges in with the spatula to give it a nice rounded shape. Double frying pans designed for this also exist.
Spices for tortilla de patatas
Let’s be clear: the traditional tortilla contains no spices, just salt. Our optional Curcuma.top touch is a pinch of pimentón de la Vera, the smoked paprika from Extremadura, sprinkled on when serving, and a grind of black pepper. Espelette pepper works too: it is the spice in our Basque piperade, a cousin from the other side of the Pyrenees. Discover all our spices in our spice guide.
Tortilla with chorizo and other variations
Tortilla with chorizo exists, but it is controversial in Spain: many consider it heresy, just like paella with chorizo. If you want to try it, fry 80 g of diced chorizo and add it to the eggs. More classic are tortillas with green peppers, zucchini or spinach. And the tortilla paisana combines potatoes, peas, peppers and ham.
A Spanish tapas recipe: tortilla as pintxos
It is the most popular tapas recipe of all. Cut the tortilla into 4 cm squares and spear them with a cocktail stick, perhaps on a slice of bread with a roasted pepper: that is the pintxo de tortilla of the Basque Country. As tapas, a 6-egg tortilla makes 8 portions. Serve it with olives, ham, tomato bread and, for a tapas table, other potato dishes such as German Kartoffelsalat. In summer, start with an ice-cold Andalusian gazpacho. Cut into cubes, it also makes a perfect tapa next to crispy patatas bravas. Another Iberian egg and potato dish: Portuguese bacalhau à Brás, made with shredded salt cod.
Tortilla de patatas in a Thermomix
A food processor with a cooking function can handle the first step: the potatoes and onion can steam or simmer with a little oil, reverse rotation and slow speed, for 20 minutes at 100 °C. But poaching in oil and cooking in the frying pan remain essential for the golden crust and the runny center.
Storing and serving tortilla
Tortilla keeps for 2 days in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap. Take it out 30 minutes before serving, as it is much better warm or at room temperature than straight from the fridge. Spaniards rarely eat it piping hot anyway. It does not freeze well: the potatoes turn spongy.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my tortilla stick to the pan?
The pan was not hot enough or lacked oil. Use a good non-stick pan, very hot, with a spoonful of oil before pouring in the eggs.
Can you make a tortilla without flipping it?
Yes, by finishing it in the oven at 180 °C for 8 to 10 minutes, in an ovenproof pan. The result is good, but less golden and less rounded.
