Best Spanish Omelette Recipe (Just 5 Ingredients)

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Spanish omelette – known in Spain as tortilla de patatas – is a Spanish classic for good reason. Made lovingly with just 4 main ingredients (plus salt and pepper), it makes a perfect brunch, tapas or light dinner for guests, snack or party or picnic food. There’s an art to making it – but it’s easy to master if you follow my tips to success!

A Spanish omelette on a wooden board with a slice cut out of it

Why you’ll love it

Along with this simple Spanish bruschetta (pan con tomate), this Spanish omelette or Spanish tortilla (or Spanish frittata, tortilla Espanola or tortilla de patatas!) is one of my favourite Mediterranean classics.

At its simplest level, it’s just a humble potato omelette! It’s a classic recipe – one of Spain’s national dishes, in fact – but it’s so easy, impressive and versatile.

Here’s why it’s so great.

  • It’s REALLY EASY TO MAKE (when you know how) with only four basic pantry main ingredients. Its beauty is in its simplicity!
  • It’s a LOT more delicious and impressive than the sum of its parts. So much so that I’ve made it for guests many times. It can be both simple comfort food and a meal fit for a king!
  • It’s both light and healthy – perfect with nothing more than a salad or vegetables on the side and a couple of pieces of fresh bread.
  • It’s perfect if you’re trying the Mediterranean diet. Use really good quality extra virgin olive oil. Why not combine with more Spanish tapas style dishes for a delicious Mediterranean feast?

Spanish omelette ingredients

Spanish omelette ingredients

Prepare to be amazed. This Spanish tortilla is incredibly delicious, but this is all you need.

  • Around 4 small to medium POTATOES, peeled and sliced very thinly (about 2mm thick). Firm ‘waxy’ potatoes such as new potatoes are best. To be honest though I usually use whatever I happen to have.
  • 1 medium ONION, also sliced thinly. For some Spaniards, the onions are a controversial ingredient (to include or not to include?). To me, they add so much flavor that I definitely wouldn’t want to miss them out!
  • Loads of good quality OLIVE OIL (this is key to a REALLY GOOD omelette).
  • 4 EGGS (of course!)
  • SALT AND PEPPER for careful seasoning

I don’t know about you, but I nearly always have these ingredients at home.

What are the secrets to the best tortilla de patatas?

It doesn’t surprise me at all that there are lots of different opinions on how to make it. This often happens with traditional foods. But that’s usually a good thing. It means it’s a dish worth mastering.

Some suggest cooking the onions and potatoes in a huge amount of olive oil (2/3 of a cup!), for instance. Others suggest only 2 tablespoons. Potato amounts also vary from about 200 to 600 grams.

So… how much oil, onion, potato and eggs DO I use?

  • The onions are easy. I go with one medium to large onion.
  • I also use roughly 1 small to medium potato (that’s around 100 grams) per egg. I use 4 eggs so of course that’s 4 small to medium potatoes.

Pro tip: Use the best quality extra virgin olive oil you can find for this recipe. Think of it as using a fine wine instead of a cheap one. You can even get all fancy and try the recipe with different olive oils. Let me know if you can taste the difference!

Preparing the ingredients (hint: it’s easy)

OIL: Pour into your medium frying pan and heat. When it’s quite hot, add the onions and potato slices. Pop a lid on the pan and let them cook slowly to caramelised deliciousness!

ONION: Take off the skin, then cut in half. With each half cut side down, slice your onion into half moon shapes! But it really doesn’t matter if you cut it another way. You can even slice your onion thinly in a food processor if you prefer.

POTATOES: Slice them into THIN (around 2mm) slices. I usually use my food processor. It takes a couple of seconds that way, and you also get slices of even thickness. I’ve sliced my potatoes by hand many times though, so don’t worry if you don’t have a food processor.

EGGS: Just whisk in a bowl or jug, add plenty of salt and pepper, and set aside until needed!

What size pan to use

Bear with me here. You’re going to need TWO PANS to make your omelette. Don’t panic, it’s still a really easy recipe, but this is really important.

  1. Use a medium frying pan (affiliate link) or skillet to pre-cook/caramelise your onions and potatoes.
  2. Use a small omelette pan (affiliate link) or small cast iron frying pan for the part where you add the eggs and cook your finished omelette. This way you’ll end up with a lovely thick omelette.

Cook it slowly

You should cook your beautiful Spanish tortilla slowly and with care.

You’ll find that it will cook from the outside in, so the middle of the omelette will cook last.

In fact, your omelette should end up still a little moist in the middle – not uncooked, but barely set. Don’t worry, though – if you cook your omelette on a really low heat, this will be easy to achieve.

Whichever recipe you use to make a Spanish omelette, if you follow these two rules (cook it slowly, and don’t overcook!), you’ll end up with something absolutely delicious.

How to make your potato omelette step by step

If you’re the sort of person who prefers to ‘see’ how to make something, here you are:

A series of images showing how to make a Spanish omelette

Scroll down to the printable recipe for the full ingredients list and method, but here’s a quick summary:

  • Heat the oil in a medium frying pan.
  • Cook potato and onion slices slowly. Stir 2 or 3 times, but otherwise just let them cook on low for almost half an hour.
  • Carefully spoon the cooked potato and onion into the eggs. Let stand for a while to let beautifully simple flavors meld together.
  • Heat a little more oil in a smaller pan. Pour the mixture in. Turn the heat down to low. Let the tortilla cook until around two thirds cooked through.
  • Flip your omelette! Use a plate to help (see tips below and also see the video!).
  • Let cook for a little longer, then slice out onto a serving board.

How to flip a Spanish omelette

A whole Spanish omelette in an omelette pan with ingredients in the background

Don’t be intimidated by the idea of having to flip the tortilla! it doesn’t have to look perfect after you flip it and slide it back into the pan.

Simply slide the omelette onto a plate. You may need to coax it out a little with a spatula, but it should slide out pretty easily.

Immediatey turn the pan over and place it over the top of the plate. Then quickly flip the pan and the plate together.

If you’re finding it hard to imagine, watching my how-to video will help!

A whole Spanish omelette on a wooden cutting board with a pan in the background
This is how your potato omelette will look when it’s cooked. Slightly crispy and caramelised on the outside, and barely set in the centre. Yum!

The most important things to remember

Slice onions and potatoes thinly / Good quality extra virgin olive oil / Soak cooked onions and potatoes in eggs / Season really well / Cook on low heat / Small pan to cook your omelette / ‘Tease’ omelette into shape with spatula / Cook on first side until 2/3 cooked / Flip confidently / Resist overcooking

This is one of those recipes that I put off trying for ages, because I was afraid of failure. Don’t be like me! There’s nothing to be afraid of, and the results are absolutely delicious.

Watch the how-to video, then just give it a try!

A Spanish omelette on a wooden cutting board with a slice out of it and another piece in the foreground

How do you serve a Spanish omelette?

The best way to serve it is to slice it like a cake. It’s great on its own, but makes a fabulous light lunch served with fresh bread and a salad.

The best thing about this wonderful traditional Spanish recipe is that it’s so VERSATILE! You can:

  • make it for yourselves for an easy and healthy midweek lunch or dinner. Or, yes, breakfast – why not?
  • serve it hot, warm or cold straight from the fridge. Which means it’s perfect for packing up for school or work lunches, or for picnics and parties.
  • pile the leftovers into a fresh crusty baguette or roll to make a bocadillo de tortilla or omelette sandwich. Just trust me (not to mention millions of Spaniards!) on this one. It’s SO good.

Think of a Spanish omelette as suitable for breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, breakfast-for-dinner, picnics or any variation in between!

A slice of Spanish omelette on a white plate with green salad

More things to know (recipe FAQ)

Is a Spanish potato omelette just the same thing as a frittata?

This is a great question. A Spanish omelette is sometimes even called a Spanish frittata. But no they really aren’t the same thing. Sure, both contain eggs as a main ingredient. But a Spanish omelette also has to contain lots of potatoes, and usually onions, too. A frittata (Italian) can contain any kind of different vegetables, herbs or even leftover meat.

Also, it’s true that they are both cooked slowly in a pan on the stove. But while a Spanish omelette is flipped, a frittata is usually finished off either in the oven or under a broiler/grill.

How do I know when my omelette is ready?

After you’ve flipped your tortilla, it’ll need roughly 5 minutes longer (on a low heat) to cook through enough. The outside will be completely set, but the inside will still be a little moist. If you press down on the top, it might still feel slightly wobbly.

The first time, you might guess a little when it’s done. With experience, however, you’ll be able to get it ‘just right’!

Can I reheat it?

Yes, you can! Although there’s no need since a Spanish tortilla tastes good cold, too. Just microwave for a short amount of time (start with 45 seconds) on 80% power. Alternatively you can reheat it in a pan for short time on both sides until hot again. Just try not not to overheat since you don’t want the texture to become rubbery.

Take a virtual trip to Spain

How about serving your Spanish omelette ‘tapas style’, as part of a Spanish themed dinner?

Serve this Spanish bruschetta (pan con tomate) as an appetizer, followed by your tortilla omelette with a salad. Finish with this amazing Basque burnt cheesecake, a baked crustless cheesecake that’s so simple and impressive it will simply blow your guests’ socks off.

Got eggs in the fridge? You’ve got a meal! Try this ‘magic’ crustless quiche as well. Serve with a baked potato and salad!

More Mediterranean ‘Tapas style’ recipes

Or browse all my Mediterranean recipes here

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A close up of a Spanish tortilla or omelette with a big slice cut out of it on a cutting board with bread in the background
4.92 from 12 votes

The best Spanish omelette recipe (just 5 ingredients)

A Spanish classic made with just potatoes, onions, eggs and olive oil. Cook it slowly and lovingly and it’ll make a delicious light meal that’s hard to beat. It’s even posh enough to serve to guests!
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Servings: 4 to 5

Ingredients 
 

  • ¼ cup olive oil, plus a little extra (up to 2 tablespoons)
  • 4 small to medium potatoes, (400 grams or 14 ounces) peeled and thinly sliced (about 2mm thick)
  • 1 large onion, chopped in half and sliced thinly (so you have half-moon shapes)
  • 4 eggs
  • salt and pepper

To serve

  • salad, fresh bread, mayonnaise or chutney, (all optional)

Instructions 

  • Heat up the olive oil in a medium to large frying pan / skillet on a medium-high heat.
  • Add the potatoes and onions and season well with salt and pepper. Stir fry for a minute or two. Then turn the heat right down, cover and let cook slowly for 20 to 25 minutes. Stir 2 to 3 times during cooking.
  • Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a large jug or bowl. Grind in more salt and pepper.
  • Once the potatoes and onions are cooked, carefully lift them out of the pan with a slotted spoon (so that any excess oil gets left behind) and into the bowl/jug with the eggs. Let the mixture stand for about 10 minutes, to let the flavours meld together.
  • Pour 2 more tablespoons of olive oil into a smaller (20 cm) frying pan / skillet on a medium heat (use up any leftover oil in the larger pan first).
  • Tip the egg mixture into the pan. Let it sizzle for a minute, then turn the pan right down and let the omelette cook slowly (uncovered) for about 8 minutes or until it’s about 2/3 set. As it cooks, run a spatula around the outside of the pan to pull the omelette in towards the centre and shape it (optional but nice).
  • Slide the omelette from the pan onto a plate, then immediately turn the pan over and hold it over the top of the omelette. Flip the plate and the pan over so that the omelette lands back in the pan, cooked side up.
  • Put the pan back on the low heat, and let it cook slowly for another 5 minutes, shaping it a bit more with the spatula.
  • Finally, slide the omelette onto a wooden board or serving plate, and cut into slices like a cake. Serve with salad, crusty bread and mayonnaise, if you like.

Video

Notes

Where’s the recipe from?

Recipe adapted from many classic recipes, but using this recipe by Jane Baxter as a quantity guide.

What should the finished omelette look like?

The outside should be fully cooked. It will be golden brown with crispy bits of almost caramelised potato and onion running through it. 
The inside of the omelette should be moist and barely set – so don’t be tempted to overcook it!

How to serve your omelette

The omelette is best served warm or at room temperature, but it even tastes good cold.

How to store it

Leftovers keep really well in the fridge for a few days. Try them for breakfast or brunch the next day, or pack them for work or school lunches – by themselves or stuffed inside a baguette!
You can serve the leftovers cold or warm them through gently in the microwave, oven or air fryer. 
You’ll find that the leftovers don’t have that ‘just set’ quality in the middle any more, of course, but they’ll be just as delicious!

Nutrition

Calories: 317kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 164mg, Sodium: 85mg, Potassium: 981mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 238IU, Vitamin C: 26mg, Calcium: 95mg, Iron: 8mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

About Helen Schofield

Don't expect to find anything fussy or complicated here. Just QUICK, EASY & (mostly!) HEALTHY recipes from the Mediterranean and beyond. ENJOY!

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57 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Helen, this was fantastic! My first time, at age 74, of cooking this recipe. Covid lockdowns have encouraged me to explore and experiment a little with the world of cooking. I used 40ml of extra virgin oil instead of 50ml to cook the potato and onion and added a strained 400ml tin of chopped tomatoes. There was no discernable amount of oil after cooking and before adding to the eggs. I did cook the combined egg and veg mix a little over aggressively so it didn’t finish with the golden colour of your photos! Delicious non the less. The ‘flipping’ went extremely well. A good balance when served with a mixed salad. The preparation took quite a bit lot longer by hand than the ten minutes suggested and due to my being overly careful. The sizing references to utensils to be used was welcomed, as some other recipes leave one guessing. Thank you very much for this introduction, you can’t beat simplicity and extremely thorough instructions!

    1. Hello Robin! Thank you so much for your lovely review! It’s very encouraging to hear that the detailed instructions were helpful. The sizing of the pan is definitely important. I tried to make this recently without my usual pan and it didn’t go so well, although it still tasted good. I like your idea of adding the tomatoes – it’s good to hear that turned out well too. A mandolin or food processor with a veggie slicer really helps with the potatoes, but I realise that’s a bit of an investment. Thanks again and have a lovely day!

  2. 5 stars
    I’ve been scared to make this forever and did it today..long and slow like you said worked! I love that we only needed 1/4 of olive oil too. I can see myself making it again. There was no need for more and draining it. Love it!

    1. Hello Sue! I totally know what you mean. I’ve always had great success with this recipe but made it a few weeks ago and had a bit of a disaster because I didn’t quite let it cook long enough. It sounds like you nailed it first time though! I’m so glad my tips helped! Thank you so much for the feedback! 🙂

      1. 5 stars
        Yes you just need to set an alarm a couple of times to flip the potatoes and onions and have patience. When it’s so low on the flame you don’t need to stand around so it’s not so bad it takes a while to cook. I feel so much better now I know I can make this. Thanks so much! I wouldn’t have known to use a smaller pan for the final part but that really helped. Also the lid on the pan when frying off the veggies is a must too. Awesome!

      2. I’m so so happy you found my tips helpful, Sue. It’s a labour of love, but so worth it! 🙂

  3. 5 stars
    I haven’t made a Spanish omelet in years!!! This will be a great meatless meal for Lent!

  4. 5 stars
    Hi Helen,
    I made this tortilla the other night and served it with your tomato, corn, avocado and basil salad. It was a winner, thank you! I was a bit hesitant at having a go at this because you had to flip the tortilla but followed your instructions and it was perfect and easy to do. I will be making this again definitely.
    Regards,
    Karen

    1. Thank you so much for the feedback, Karen! I absolutely love this simple tortilla – in fact you’ve just reminded me to make it again soon. Also great idea to serve it with the salad!

  5. Oh! It is so difficult to eat a really good tortilla here in Spain. There is a mistery about this dish, one person makes very good tortillas, tasty and juicy, and his or her brother just does not. In my experience women make usually better tortillas. I am a man and after many years cannot reach excellence, don´t ask me why.But i have seen excellent things made without any precise rule, with or without onion and so on. Only one point: we spaniards never measure oil in the pan, just put more or less half the capacity. The potatoes must be well drained. You can get an oily tortilla using a small amount of oil if you do not have the skills to drain well the potatoes. Tortilla de patata never never never, like the britons be enslaved, must be seasoned with black or white pepper, only salt. And the fire must be high when you pour in the mixture of eggs and potatoes, and inmediately softened in order not to burn the egg. There is a fierce battle in Spain about onion in tortilla, I should say that if you are not endowed by the gods with the art of cooking this dish, as most mortals are not, onion usually makes the final result more palatable. But in my opinion really good tortillas are onionless. One final remark, best tortilla in Spain, as most contests and chefs agree, is cooked in the marvellous medieval little town of Betanzos, in Galicia.

    1. Hello Ignacio,
      How wonderful to get tips on a proper Spanish omelette from a real Spaniard! Thank you so much! I will definitely give some of your tips a go next time I make this. I’m sure my recipe isn’t perfectly authentic, but it’s delicious all the same. It’s truly genius of the Spaniards to make something so so delicious with so few ingredients. I love it.
      Thank you for passing by, and I hope you visit the blog again! 🙂

      1. Helen, your recipe is quite good and authentic, and no doubt you can get a good tortilla following its instructions.I should say it is one of the best I have found in english or french blogs about cooking, Congratulations ! My comment just pretended to make your recipe even more spanish: anything about
        this dish published on spanish media is inmediately followed by many comments like mine, he ,he.

      2. Well, I really appreciate your input, Ignacio. Thank you again! 🙂

  6. I love tortillas! If you think they will be a staple in your house, you might want to consider buying a real tortilla pan. It’s like one frying pan om top of the other (one pan bottom down and one bottom up. Do I make sense at all?😉). It closes with a small hinge like a paninigrill. When the first side is done, all you have to do is hold om to the handles and flip it over. No mess or additional dishes. Works like a charm. I bought mine in the Netherlands, where I live, but you can also buy them at Amazon.

    https://www.amazon.com/Spanish-Tortilla-Pan-diameter-Spain/dp/B01IWQDZ00/ref=sr_1_4?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1477983978&sr=1-4&keywords=tortilla+pan

    1. Hi Monique. Thank you so much for this tip! I didn’t know such a thing existed, but will definitely check it out. It is a bit of an art doing the flipping part, isn’t it, and this would make it SO much easier!

  7. That is an absolutely beautiful specimen Helen! I’ve heard omelettes are often the hardest thing to perfect. I guess there is nowhere to hide with an omelette. Thanks for doing all the experimenting and sharing your recipe! 😀

    1. Thank you Lorraine! Actually, this isn’t too hard – you just have to be a bit patient. Hope you give it a go some time!

  8. Helen your photography is just stunning and your Spanish omelet is just perfect. Perfectly toasted and delicious. I love this as a delicious brunch or even dinner with a salad. Wishing you a super weekend!

    1. Hello Bam. Thank you so much for the compliment on the photos. Wishing you a great weekend too! 🙂