Easy Spanish Omelette | Breakfast And Snack Recipe | Tortilla De Patatas

Spanish omelette—also called tortilla espanola, tortilla de patata, tortilla papas, or Spanish tortilla—is a classic Spanish dish, rustic and hearty, filling and satisfying, packed with the goodness of eggs, potatoes, and onions. 

In most Spanish homes, tortilla de patata, as the name indicates, is always made with only potato, egg, and perhaps onion. The addition of onion to a Spanish tortilla recipe is a matter of some controversy. Some people find the pungency of the onion too overpowering for such a delicately flavoured dish, but for others it is an essential ingredient. Onions are not used in some regions of Spain like Salamanca (near Madrid).
 

A good Spanish omelette recipe depends on the quality of the potatoes, so make sure to cook them on low heat, slowly and gently and with much patience, in lots of olive oil, and season them well. Traditional Spanish omelette recipes call for waxy varieties of potatoes, not floury ones. You can scrape the skin or leave the peel on if you prefer.

While tomatoes and green onions (scallions) lend more flavour and colour, only rarely is a Spanish omelette preparation garnished with these vegetables, although in restaurants the dish includes vegetables and / or ham.
 

Spanish omelet is the ultimate comfort food and very versatile. It’s quick and easy to whip up. It’s also a great way of using up all kinds of ingredients on hand. While our easy Spanish omelette recipe does not use these, you can be creative, and throw in any leftover vegetables like mushroom, asparagus, red pepper, green bell pepper, chives, spinach, or parsley. You can add crumbled or grated cheese, cooked sausage, or shredded ham.

This Tortilla de Patatas (Omelette with potatoes and onion) is delicious served warm or at room temperature as a tapa, cut into wedges. In Spain, it is common to find this dish served with your drink along with other tapas like gambas (prawns in garlic and olive oil), jamon serrano (cured ham), aceitunas (olives) and others. Spanish omelette is often eaten with mayonnaise for dipping (tortilla espanola con mayonesa).
 

Because it tastes equally delicious when cold, this quick Spanish omelette makes for a yummy picnic food. One word of caution if you plan to serve it cold: wait for the tortilla to cool down completely and only then wrap it.

Our Spanish omelette recipe, while delectable on its own, can make for a delicious and hearty breakfast with some added sausage, bacon, or ham.
 

Serve easy Spanish omelette for brunch, or as a main course for lunch or dinner. It’s great with salsa on the side, a green salad, grated cheese (say cheddar) on top, and crusty bread. Spaniards eat it with bread that is very similar to the French baguette. This is the typical pincho de tortilla, found at most bars.

To slice the potatoes thinly without spending too much time, use a mandoline or food processor. Work quickly because you don’t want the slices to brown. Pat dry the slices with a clean tea towel.
 

When cooking the potatoes and onions, try not to stir the potatoes too much or they will break up. But stir often enough to prevent the potatoes from getting browned. They should be very soft and tender, not crispy.

The traditional way is to mix the beaten eggs (which are also well salted), cooked onions, and cooked potatoes in a bowl together, and let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes before cooking the Spanish omelette. This allows the heat of the cooked potatoes and onions to thicken the egg mixture slightly.
 

Use a spatula to shape the omelette into a cushion and keep pressing the edges to maintain the cushion shape, because this frittata-style dish is supposed to look more or less like a pie.

Cook the Spanish omelette until it is springy to the touch. Be careful not to overcook it; it should still be moist in the middle.
 

If you are afraid of flipping the omelet and breaking it, you can finish it off under a broiler or hot grill for a couple of minutes in an oven-proof pan.
 

Learn how to make this quick and easy Spanish Omelette recipe with all ingredients and cooking method with our step by step video and recipe.

Or see all our Egg Recipes right here!