This Spanish tortilla is a versatile 1-pan dish. Easily switch up the traditional ingredients as I did with this recipe to use what you already have on hand.
The first time I ever made a Spanish tortilla is when I had a friend visiting. I offered to make dinner instead of going out to eat and was excited to try out this new (to me) dish I had recently heard about.
Because I rarely ever follow a recipe, I decided to do things my way. When it came time to flip the tortilla, I realized the pan I was using was too big (and heavy). So, myself, my husband, and my friend gathered around the pan, all held onto a section, and flipped the pan with bated breath.
And now every time I make a Spanish tortilla I think of that hilarious memory. I also use a smaller pan.
What's A Spanish Tortilla And How's It Different From A Frittata?
The Spanish tortilla falls under many names including Spanish omelet, potato tortilla, potato omelet, or tortilla de patatas, and is traditionally made with potatoes, eggs, and salt. And depending on which region of the country you live in, some Spaniards make it with onion as well.
Although they're similar to frittatas as far as ingredients go, the main difference is how the eggs are finished cooking.
When making a frittata, the pan is put in the oven to finish cooking whereas the tortilla gets flipped and then returns to the pan to finish cooking on the stove.
Ingredients
- extra virgin olive oil
- yellow onion
- orange sweet potato
- yukon gold potato
- eggs
- salt
- dried herbs of choice: rosemary, oregano, thyme, etc., or a blend
How To Make A Spanish Tortilla
STEP 1
Heat a pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once warm, add the diced onion and cook for 2-3 minutes or until translucent.
STEP 2
Add the cubed potatoes/sweet potatoes and ½ teaspoon salt. Mix everything together and kind of press the potatoes down into the pan with a spatula so they’re all ‘sardined’ in there in the oil.
STEP 3
Cover with a lid* and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
*Although this isn't done in the traditional method, I prefer using a lid to help speed up the process of cooking the potatoes. Especially on days when I'm really hungry and those extra five or so minutes without a lid feel like forever.
STEP 4
Whisk the eggs and add the other ½ teaspoon of salt, and the dried herbs in a bowl. Remove the cooked potatoes and onions out of the pan with a slotted spoon and shake off any excess oil. Add to the whisked egg mixture and stir together.
STEP 5
Remove all but about 1 tablespoon of oil in the pan (reserve the excess oil for later - see helpful tips section) and bump up the heat to medium. Add the egg and potato mixture. Smooth it out to make sure it’s touching the edges of the pan, and then stir it in the middle until it starts to scramble then stop stirring. Cook for about 3-4 minutes and then run a rubber spatula along the edges to make sure it will lift out with ease.
STEP 6
Remove the skillet from the heat, put a plate face down on top of the pan and then flip it onto the plate before sliding it back into the pan. Cook another 2 minutes, remove from the heat and serve immediately.
Substitutions & Variations
Please remember that recipes are just a starting point.
How can you make this Spanish tortilla with sweet potato using what you already have? Here are some ideas…
- No orange sweet potatoes? - sub another variety or use carrots, winter squash, or only Yukon gold potatoes (this is how it's traditionally made and it's delicious!)
- No yellow onion? - use white onion or you could also use red onion or a large shallot
Helpful Cooking Tips
LEFTOVER OIL
Use the leftover olive oil to make a homemade vinaigrette that you can serve on a salad alongside this dish. The oil has a lot of flavor since it's been infused with the onion and potatoes.
SMALLER IS BEST
Make sure your potatoes are cut into small cubes. The larger the pieces, the longer the cooking time.
Tools Needed to Make Spanish Tortilla
For this recipe, you'll need a chef knife, cutting board, slotted spoon, 8-inch skillet, lid for your skillet (any lid with work as long as it will cover the potatoes and onions), mixing bowl, and a rubber spatula to help you determine whether or not your tortilla is ready for the flip.
More Recipes You'll Love
- Any Kind of Savory Galette
- Dairy-Free Red Pesto Stuffed Peppers
- 1-Pot Dairy-Free Butternut Squash Risotto
Spanish Tortilla With Sweet Potato & Herbs
Ingredients
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ yellow onion, diced or substitute
- 1½ cups orange sweet potato and yukon gold potato, cubed small
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 4 eggs
- ¾ teaspoon dried herbs
Instructions
- Heat a pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once warm, add the diced onion and cook for 2-3 minutes or until translucent.
- Add the cubed potatoes/sweet potatoes, and ½ teaspoon salt. Mix everything together and kind of press the potatoes down into the pan with a spatula so they’re all ‘sardined’ in there in the oil.
- Cover with a lid* and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.*Although this isn't done in the traditional method, I prefer using a lid to help speed up the process of cooking the potatoes. Especially on days when I'm really hungry and those extra five or so minutes without a lid feel like forever.
- Whisk the eggs and add the other ½ teaspoon of salt, and the dried herbs in a bowl. Remove the cooked potatoes and onions out of the pan with a slotted spoon and shake off any excess oil. Add to the whisked egg mixture and stir together.
- Remove all but about 1 tablespoon of oil in the pan (see notes below) and bump up the heat to medium. Add the egg and potato mixture. Smooth it out to make sure it’s touching the edges of the pan, and then stir it in the middle until it starts to scramble then stop stirring. Cook for about 3-4 minutes and then run a rubber spatula along the edges to make sure it will lift out with ease.
- Remove the skillet from the heat, put a plate face down on top of the pan and then flip it onto the plate before sliding it back into the pan. Cook another 2 minutes, remove from the heat and serve immediately.
Evie+Ugrin says
We made the Spanish Tortilla to serve 9. We doubled ingredients and a small amount of non dairy dairy cheese and 1/4 cup dry white wine with a pinch of djon mustard. We baked it in a glass pan. The tortilla was delicious with a touch of tomato salsa. A recipe we will prepare again. Thank you Lindsey