Caroline's Cooking

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Spanish tortilla (tortilla Española)

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This simple yet tasty Spanish tortilla (tortilla Española) can be made with traditional potato or swap it for rutabaga for a lower carb version. It’s great as part of a tapas meal, or take it on a picnic or to a party. Versatile, comforting and so good.

Spanish tortilla (tortilla Española) with a slice cut out and on top

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Tortilla Española, or tortilla de patatas, is something you would see in virtually every bar and cafe that served food in Spain. For those unfamiliar, it’s a type of omelette, Spain’s version of a fritatta, most typically made with potato and onion.

Some would be relatively ‘normal’ sized while others could be a good three inches thick (in case you are wondering, there are special double-sided pans that help that be possible but it still takes some skill).

Spanish tortilla, tortilla Española slices

It was always a regular on our tapas selection when I lived there, usually sitting outside on a patio. So it seems fitting to share it for today’s Sunday Supper which celebrates getting outside for a picnic in line with Earth Day and National Picnic Day coming up this week.

As I said, a Spanish tortilla is most commonly made with potato, but I sometimes also make it with rutabaga which has a very similar texture but is is a little less starchy and lower in carbs, if that’s important to you.

cooking vegetables for Spanish tortilla, tortilla Española

How to make Spanish tortilla, tortilla Española

Whether using potato or rutabaga, you peel and cut slices that are around bite-sized pieces before frying them with the onion. Beat the eggs then add the cooked vegetables along with some salt and pepper, before you put them back in the pan.

cooking Spanish tortilla, tortilla Española

You can get pans that will let you flip it over in the same pan, or if you don’t have one the common alternative is to put a plate over the top, flip over the pan then slide it off on the other side. However these days I often cheat a little and go more down the frittata cooking method of finishing it off under the grill/broiler. It’s certainly less likely to have collapsing/falling on the floor or other similar issues!

Spanish tortilla is a great thing to take along to a picnic as it is easily transportable, not too messy and you can cut it either into wedge portions or bite-sized cubes to make for easy dividing up and eating. It also goes well with pretty much anything so you don’t need to worry too much about what others are bringing. Oh, and it’s also really tasty, so what could be better?

Spanish tortilla, tortilla Española from above as part of a tapas meal

Dishes that work really well with Spanish tortilla include:

If you want to know more about tapas, head over to my what are tapas post that also has lots of classics to try. You’ll also find many more Spanish recipes in the archives.

Spanish tortilla (tortilla espanola)
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Spanish tortilla

Spanish tortilla is a classic tapas menu item and for good reason. Great for lunch or as part of a tapas meal.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Total Time40 mins
Course: Lunch, Tapas/Mezze
Cuisine: Spanish
Keyword: Spanish potato fritatta, Spanish tapas
Servings: 2 -8 depending on how served
Calories: 347kcal
Author: Caroline's Cooking

Ingredients

  • 13 oz potato 370g, or you can use rutabaga/swede (I use nearer 14oz/400g with this)
  • 1 onion small-medium
  • 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 eggs large
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  • Peel the potato/rutabaga and onion. Cut the potato/rutabaga in to relatively thin disks - this is probably easiest if you cut chunks around 1in/2.5cm square or a bit smaller then slice them around 1/8in/3mm thick. Peel and dice the onion.
  • Heat the oil in a small skillet/frying pan over a medium heat then add the potato/rutabaga and onion. Cook, stirring regularly to move the bottom pieces to the top and prevent browning for around 20min, until the potato/rutabaga slices are soft to the knifepoint.
  • Beat the eggs in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the cooked potato/rutabaga and onion and mix through.
  • Add a little more oil to the skillet if it is dry then tip in the egg mixture and cook over a medium-low heat until you can see it has cooked round the outside and is fairly set in the middle. Heat the broiler/grill and put the pan under until the top is fully set - you aren't looking for it to brown too much, just set the egg.
  • Allow to rest slightly before loosening from the pan, then place a plate over the pan and invert onto the plate. Serve warm or room temperature in slices or cubes.

Video

Notes

Note - if using potatoes, I find it helps to put the slices of potato in a bowl of water as you cut them to help save them from browning and remove some excess starch. Pat the slices dry before adding to the skillet. 

Nutrition

Calories: 347kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 327mg | Sodium: 145mg | Potassium: 962mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 475IU | Vitamin C: 25.1mg | Calcium: 117mg | Iron: 7.6mg

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Post has been updated, primarily with new photos, previous photos include the following in case you’re looking for them:

Spanish tortilla (tortilla espanola)

Remember to pin for later!

This simple yet tasty Spanish tortilla (tortilla Española) can be made with traditional potato or swap it for rutabaga for a lower carb version. It's great as part of a tapas meal, or take it on a picnic or to a party. Versatile, comforting and so good. #Spanishfood #tapas #tortilla

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Comments

    • Caroline's Cooking says

      Thanks, Effie, yes it’s both very tasty and great picnic food. Great for lots of occasions!

      Reply

    • Caroline's Cooking says

      Thanks, Julie, well first time for everything – this is a nice easy introduction to it, you’d hardly know!

      Reply

    • Caroline's Cooking says

      Thanks, Loretta. Yes it’s definitely a meal in itself, just maybe not in our hungry household 🙂

      Reply

    • Caroline's Cooking says

      Sometimes funny-looking hides tasty! This is a nice easy introduction to it, so I hope you give it a try!

      Reply

    • Caroline's Cooking says

      Thanks, Sarah, I hope you get the chance to make it and like it; it’s not lots of ingredients but is tasty.

      Reply

    • Caroline's Cooking says

      I understand, Laura, but at least there’s an alternative! I hope you manage to make it and enjoy!

      Reply

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