Tortilla Española Recipe
The Tortilla Española, or the tortilla de patatas, is a Spanish omelet made with potatoes, onions, and eggs. We like to use potato chips a la Ferran Adrià as the potatoes don’t oxidize and it eliminates one step. The true Spanish tortilla way would be to cook the onion and potatoes until soft in olive oil, add in beaten egg, let the eggs set up on the bottom, flip the omelet onto a plate, and slide it back into the pan to cook the other side. This can take some practice and skill so we’ve simplified it a bit by finishing it in the oven (please don’t tell your Spanish abuela).
The technique can still be a little difficult - how hot to get both the pan and the oil, how far to go on the stove top, and when to finish it in the oven - all without burning or under-browning the bottom. If the first one doesn’t work, don’t get discouraged! It’ll still be delicious. But that second time? I swear you’ll really nail it.
This is a great brunch, light lunch, or afternoon snack as it can be made ahead of time, reheats pretty well, and is also great cold from the fridge.
tortilla española
serves 4-8
shopping list —
1 dozen eggs
1 white onion, sliced very thin
1/2 bag (about 2+ cups) sea salt potato chips (we like to use kettle chips)
2% white shoyu or soy sauce
6% mirin — (This isn’t 100% necessarily, but the mirin helps sweeten and flavor the eggs while the shoyu adds umami and seasoning. Add salt if you choose to skip these ingredients.)
olive oil
garlic & espelette aioli, for serving
thinly sliced ham like jamon serrano, for serving
equipment —
immersion blender
rubber spatula
9” cast iron pan
kitchen scale
steps —
Thinly slice the white onion. In the cast iron pan over medium low heat, add a splash of olive oil. Add the onions, a little water, and season lightly with salt. You want to melt the onions slowly without any browning until they’re soft. Take out of the pan, drain any excess liquid, and cool.
Crack the eggs into a large bowl on a kitchen scale. Record the weight in grams. Scale out 2% white shoyu and 6% mirin. Add the mirin and shoyu to the eggs and blend using the immersion blender.
Add the melted onion and the bag of potato chips to the egg mixture. Toss to coat and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes so the potato chips soften.
Preheat the oven to 325ºF or the broil setting on low.
Over medium high heat, heat the cast iron pan until hot. Add a very good amount of olive oil to coat the bottom and then some. This will help the tortilla to come out cleanly. Allow the oil to heat for 15-20 seconds, without burning it.
Carefully add in the egg mixture. Turn the heat down to medium and gently press the potatoes and onion down into the egg mixture if they float to the top - but don’t scramble the eggs. As the edges start to cook, they’ll form a “wall” and begin to pull away from the pan. Run your spatula around the rim of the pan a few times to ensure nothing is sticking (this is where the hefty amount of olive oil helps).
Turn the heat down to medium low. Allow the eggs to keep cooking for a few more minutes.
Once the egg begins to thicken and there’s a clear “wall” of egg along the sides that is just beginning to brown, finish it by baking it in the oven, checking every 5 minutes until the eggs are set and doesn’t jiggle in the center. The outside should pull away from the pan and be golden brown.
Run your spatula along the outside of the tortilla, place a cutting board or parchment-lined sheet tray over top of the pan, and flip everything in one go. Carefully lift the cast iron pan off the cutting board. The tortilla should come out cleanly - but if not, channel your inner Julia Child and place the torn egg back where it should go (nobody is looking). Allow it to rest for 10 minutes before slicing into wedges. Serve with a heaping spoonful of garlic aioli and thinly sliced ham.