How to Make Spanish Tortilla

Quick Answer

In this article, we'll talk about tortilla de patatas(Spanish omelet), a simple-yet-scrumptious dish, and we'll also explain how to make it!

Questions This Article Answers

How to say Spanish omelet in Spanish?

What is tortilla de patatas?

How to make Spanish tortilla?

What is a typical recipe for tortilla de patatas?

What are popular fillings or toppings for Spanish tortilla?

One of Spain’s best-loved dishes, the tortilla de patatas can be served as a tapa(tapa) at a bar, filling for a bocadillo(baguette sandwich), or late-night cena(dinner). The ingredients you need for a tortilla are few and easy to find, which makes it a great go-to meal.

Cooked Spanish Tortilla Omelet

Everyone has their own ideas about what makes the best tortilla. Should it have onion or not? Should it be fully cooked or a little runny? And should it have toppings, or should it be plain?

Spanish Words to Talk About Spanish Omelet

Before we talk about recipes, let’s learn some vocabulary first! Here are some words to help you talk about Spanish omelets:

Spanish	English	Notes
aceite de oliva	olive oil
batir	to beat
cebolla	onion	In Spain, people are divided as to whether they enjoy their tortilla best con cebolla(with onion) or sin cebolla(without onion).
cortar	to cut
dar la vuelta	to flip
dorar	to brown
freír	to fry
huevo	egg
patata	potato	In most of Spain, potato is patata, although papais also used in the Canary Islands and parts of Andalusia. In most of the rest of the Spanish-speaking world, the word used for potato is papa.
relleno	filling	There are almost limitless options for the relleno for your tortilla.

Spanish Tortilla Recipe

As one of Spain’s most popular dishes, there are loads of different ways to make tortilla. You can even bake it!

Now that we know our vocabulary, let’s learn how to make an authentic Spanish tortilla! Spanish Omelet

You need:

aceite de oliva

una cebolla

eight huevos

2.2 pounds of patatas

un cuchillo(a knife)

una sartén(a frying pan)

un tenedor(a fork)

First, wash and peel the patatas. Cut them into fine slices—about the thickness of a coin.

Second, heat a generous amount of quality Spanish aceite de oliva in a sartén. Carefully place the potatoes in, and fry them on low heat for twenty to thirty minutes, until they are cooked.

While the potatoes are cooking, brown the cebolla in another frying pan. Once it is browned to your liking, remove it from the pan.

Beat the eggs, and add the browned onion. Once the potatoes have cooked, gently add them to the egg mixture, making sure to remove as much olive oil from the potatoes as possible.

Finally, remove most of the olive oil from the pan you used to fry the potatoes. Once the oil has been removed, add the egg, onion, and potato mixture to the pan. Cook it until the egg has cooked through—or less, if you prefer it a bit runny.

You can use a plate to dar la vuelta and finish cooking the top side of the tortilla! This is admittedly a difficult part of cooking a tortilla. You can look up "cómo dar la vuelta a una tortilla" ("how to flip a Spanish tortilla") to find videos on how to best do it!

There is a great variety of toppings or fillings that can be used!

Top Five Fillings or Toppings for Spanish Tortilla

Let’s take a look at some of the most popular fillings or toppings for tortilla!

1. Jamón y queso

Jamón y queso(ham and cheese) is a topping for tortilla. It’s frequently accompanied by a generous dollop of mayonnaise.

2. Chorizo

Chorizo(chorizo) tends to be a filling for tortilla, cooked along with the potato and egg mixture. Both chorizo dulce(mild chorizo) or chorizo picante(spicy chorizo) can be used.