Spanish omelette, also known as Spanish tortilla, is one of the most popular dishes in Spain. It is an omelet made with eggs, potatoes and onion and somewhat similar to Italian Potato frittata. In Spain, it is called tortilla de patatas, tortilla de papas or tortilla española and often served at room temperature as a tapa*. *A tapa: a small plate of food (an appetizer or snack) in Spanish cuisine.
It tastes yummy when served warm, but the cold leftovers are also delicious. You can serve it for breakfast, light meal or as a side dish. You can also make sandwich; place a slice of omelet between two halves of a buttered bread.
Country: Spain
Course: Light meal, Tapas, Appetizer
Alternative names; Tortilla de patatas, Tortilla de papas, Tortilla Española,
Spanish tortilla, Potato omelete
How to pronounce (Tortilla) “taw” + “TEE” + “uh”
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Shallow frying vs Deep frying
Spanish Omelette is usually made with eggs, salt, potatoes and onion. Typically, onions and potatoes are fried in a generous amount of oil before they are added to the egg. However, in this recipe, I sauté potatoes and onion in only a couple of tablespoons of oil.
If you like, you can deep fry your potatoes and onions. I have also tried deep frying method and it tastes good, but I prefer shallow frying whenever possible as it needs only a few spoonful of oil. And the best thing about sauté is then you don’t need to deal with leftover frying oil.
useful info+tips for making
spanish omelette with less oil
How to flip omelet
When you flip the omelet, remove the pan from the heat. Place a plate upside down over the pan and invert it so the omelet flips on to the plate. Do this quickly in one swift motion. Slide it back into the pan, tipping any liquid egg in with it.
Don’t worry if this gets a little messy. When you cook second side, it is a little bit tricky to figure out how long this takes. It cooks much faster than the first side. It might only take one or two minutes. Be careful not to overcook it! It should still be moist in the middle.
Cooking; on the stove top or in the oven
In this recipe, I cook my Spanish omelette in a frying pan on the stove top. But you can bake it in an oven if you like (check out the Italian Potato Frittata Recipe). You can also finish the omelet in the oven after the initial cooking on the stove top. Just cook it gently on the stove top until beginning to set on the sides, then finish cooking in a preheated oven.
Notes
- You can also add other ingredients, such as sausages, mushrooms, cheese, ham and anything that you can think of!
- Make sure to cut potatoes into thin slices so that they cook easily. Peel and cut the potatoes in half and then slice them.
- When cook your potatoes, cover them with a lid and cook for about 5 minutes on low heat. Be careful not to let them burn. This minimizes the amount of oil needed to stir-fry the potato until it’s cooked through. You may need to shake or stir the potato mix carefully, so all the potatoes cook evenly.
- The size of the pan you use to make the omelet will determine the size and the shape of the tortilla.
- When stir-frying potatoes and cooking omelet, just check by eye rather than sticking to a time!
Italian Potato Frittata
I baked Italian Potato Frittata in the oven. If you’re going to bake your Spanish Omelette, be sure to read the post and then watch the video.
Here is the recipe How to Make Italian Potato Frittata
Here is the video How to Make Italian Potato Frittata
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Spanish Omelette with less oil Recipe
How to make Spanish Omelette with less oil
Ingredients
- 7 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 medium onion thinly-sliced
- 600 g potatoes peeled, halved and cut into thin slices
- 5 medium eggs
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat 4 tablespoons olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium flame. Add the potatoes and stir fry for about 3 minutes. Season them with salt.
- Cover with a lid and cook for about 5 minutes on low heat. Be careful not to let them burn. Remove the lid and stir fry for about 3 minutes until soft and brown. Remove from the heat once the potatoes are cooked.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil again in the frying pan over a medium flame again. Add the onion and stir fry gently for about 5 minutes until the onion are tender, stirring occasionally. Season them with salt. Remove from the heat.
- Whisk the eggs in a large bowl and season with salt & pepper. Add the onion mixture to the beaten eggs and mix well. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Leave to stand for 10 minutes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat.
- Turn to coat, and then, when hot, add the potatoes and spread it to evenly cover bottom of the pan.
- Add the egg mixture and spread it to evenly cover the potatoes. The pan should be almost filled.
- Cover with a lid and let the tortilla cook on this side for about 5 minutes on low heat. Remove the lid and cook for about 3 minutes until it is stable enough to flip and looks about two thirds set.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Place a plate upside down over the pan and invert it so the tortilla flips on to the plate. Do this quickly in one swift motion.
- Slide it back into the pan, tipping any liquid egg in with it. Put the pan back on the low heat, shaping it a bit more with the spatula. Let it cook on this side until it is done for about 2 minutes.
- Once the omelet is ready, remove it to a plate. Serve & Enjoy!
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