Tortilla Española Recipe (2024)

I learned to make tortilla espanola from a woman in NW Spain and use about 4-6 Tablespoon oil for this size recipe..cooking the potatoes and onions (no bell pepper) slowly over medium to medium low heat until soft and not browned. Then continuing with the eggs. There is no need to drain oil.

First rule for making a great tortilla: Do not skimp on the oil! You essentially boil the potatoes and onion in oil, and if you go with less, you'll change the texture of the final product. I save the oil in the fridge for my next tortilla. And everyone's right: a green pepper does not belong in a (classic) tortilla. I will say that a nice variation can be had by adding thinly sliced zucchini to the potatoes.

I love the recipes on this site, but this one is really really bad. You don't put peppers or garlic in a Tortilla Española.

Carefully drain the oil through a fine sieve and store it, carefully marked, in a mason jar for your next tortilla.

Garlic? Peppers? Please. No! One pan. Cook potatoes and Onion gently in gererous olive oil but no draining. Salt. No pepper. Eggs. Flip. Done.

Please absolutely do not listen to any posts saying this has too much oil, or they skipped some oil - that is not a classic tortilla española! The oil sinks deep into the onions and potatoes while cooking to imbue the whole bite with moisture; this is not just a quiche with potato in it, but a specific cooking method for this dish style. If eating like a Spaniard, just make sure you use good quality olive oil - according to many, it’s the key to a long and happy life anyhow!

I didn't bother trying to flip the tortilla, it was still too wet after 4 minutes. I finished it off in a 350 degree oven and then flipped it out onto a flat cookie sheet for serving.

I never use this much oil on this dish. It can be made with a lot less.

One of my pet peeves is a recipe with a photograph that is NOT the dish as directed. There is no green pepper in sight in the photo. I never had Tortilla with green peppers in it in my visits to Spain.

Everyone is a critique! I appreciated the recipe and was glad to cook it. It helps to have an open mind. I am sure that everyone's tias and mamas made it differently, but they probably also made it a little differently every time. Thank you very much for the recipe! I had as much fun making it as I did eating it.

Pouring 4 cups of hot oil and potatoes through a colander seems like a step fraught with peril. If I were to make this, I would remove the potatoes with a strainer and then let the oil cool down while proceeding with the next steps, and then finally pour the somewhat cooler oil into a storage (or disposal) container just before cooking the potato-egg mixture. Better yet, I would prepare a much easier version by Nigella Lawson.

Used our large cast iron skillet. I was afraid to flip it when it wasn't fully cooked, so I covered it until the eggs set then ran it under the broiler to brown the top. I turned it out onto a serving plate after it cooled in the skillet. Came out perfectly.

Don't dispose of the oil! This can be chilled and makes a wonderfully flavored oil for future sauteeing of all manner of good dishes--greens, vegetable combinations, even latkes!

Four cups of oil, drain the potatoes into a colander, then wondering what to do with the oil...dump it, reuse later, what? And do you save any oil when you add the eggs and potatoes back into (I'm assuming) the same skillet? Do advise, please and thanks!

Definitely not a recipe one nails on the first try. I used my 12 inch Lodge cast iron skillet. Cooking the potatoes was fine. When everything went back into the pan, it is basically just scrambled eggs and potatoes. It tastes good but not the showstopper it should be. There has to be a technique there I didn't get.

I was an exchange student in Spain in college and they are not afraid of olive oil in that country... they sell it in huge 5 gallon jugs. I have tried making tortilla espanola in the past and could not get the same flavor until I discovered this recipe. The oil is a necessity. I also strain and reuse. Skipped the garlic and bell pepper for the authentic real deal. Delicious and nourishing!

Latecomer here. I was taught to slide the tortilla out of the hot pan *sideways* onto the pan’s lid (or a large plate), then turn the hot pan upside down to cover the still-right-side-up tortilla (as tightly as possible), then flip the whole thing over - thus putting the less-cooked side of the tortilla face-down in the pan. You can probably find a video of this sideways-first Spanish tortilla flipping process online. Controlled chaos. :)

So Nestor from Bar Nestor in San Sebastián, considered by many to be the best tortilla in the world (only cooks 2 per day and you have to get on the list to have a piece) uses a lot of sunflower oil to cook his potatoes, onions and yes, 1 small green pepper! He then drains it in container which he keeps to reuse.He then coats pan with olive oil to cook egg & potato mixture with light brown crust 2 min & flip. His is a softer somewhat runny interior, tho.

Adding a bell pepper is not authentic, but the cooking process is. I actually prefer adding oil packed sardines or salted cod into my tortilla for added flavor (more authentic than the bell pepper that’s for sure).

This is wonderful. I did not use bell pepper and did not miss it. I made half the recipe with a tad less oil than would have been half and 4 eggs instead of five. Didn’t have enough on hand. Anyway it was wonderful. Flipping it was a challenge for arthritic hands, but it was perfect. Ate at room temp first and warmed it for other meals so it wasn’t too cold. I am making it again this weekend. The drained oil is good for sautéing anything. This is delicious when you just want a tasty bite.

I am Spanish, this is a weekly dinner at home. No, Spanish Tortilla doesnt have any kind of peppers. We do use garlic tho, when we fry the potatoes in oil we add a smashed (with a knife) garlic (1. To see when the oil is hot enough to add the potatoes 2. It adds aroma to the potatoes 3. We take it out when the potatoes are semi fried and mixed with the eggs)And what about the onions? Well this is a war going on in Spain since decades, pro-onion and anti-onion people, i wont judge your decision

And for further advise, mix the potatoes with the eggs as soon as possible, if the potatoes are still hot when you kix them with eggs you can creat more uniform and merged mix when you ofen a tortilla you dont want to see the pieces of potatoes, you want to see the tortilla as a whole unitFor this i smash a but potatoes when mixing, this is the moment when you add saltNever in your life trust a non spanish cook to learn how to do tortilla de patatas.My best wishes

4 cups of oil was too much, it won't fit in the skillet you're using. Try with 3-3.5 cups oil.

I’m sure it’s tasty but I’ve been eating tortillas since the 60’s when I lived in Spain for ten years and I’ve never seen one cooked with garlic or peppers. But this recipe has the technique right and I like the precision of the measurement. I usually just eyeball the quantities and sometimes under salt. My only suggestion would be to add more oil. The potatoes and onion moisture should be almost covered in oil so you need to drain. I use a splatter shield. Not a quick recipe but very good!

Please absolutely do not listen to any posts saying this has too much oil, or they skipped some oil - that is not a classic tortilla española! The oil sinks deep into the onions and potatoes while cooking to imbue the whole bite with moisture; this is not just a quiche with potato in it, but a specific cooking method for this dish style. If eating like a Spaniard, just make sure you use good quality olive oil - according to many, it’s the key to a long and happy life anyhow!

There are two types of Spaniards: those who like the tortilla well done ("bien hecha o cuajada") and those who like it with runny egg ("poco hecha o jugosa"). One tip for the onion: Do not cook it with the potatoes. Caramelize the onion to death aside (no need to add sugar; some times I add a few drops of balsamico). Onions could be cooked the day before. We seldom cook tortilla with peppers, but it is often served with sauteed green peppers.

The amount of oil is indeed daunting. Think of it as the "pre-fry" step in making french fries; of course you will drain off the oil and reuse it. If the oil is hot (350) when you add the potatoes, they will not absorb too much. A tip: gently toss the sliced potatoes with the chopped onions before frying; it will de-stack the slices that might otherwise glue together. Cook covered, and definitely flip, but wait till the top is set. Top with grilled asparagus and serve with aioli.

Garlic? Peppers? Please. No! One pan. Cook potatoes and Onion gently in gererous olive oil but no draining. Salt. No pepper. Eggs. Flip. Done.

A nice variation is to cook fresh or frozen spinach or kale, squeeze every last drop of moister out ( I use old towels) then blend into the mixture in step 4. and cook as directed. Another note: yes you could use 4 cups of olive oil to do the initial cook of potatoes/onion, that can get expensive, I use 3 1/2 cups canola and 1/2 cup olive oil. Just be sure to fry the tortilla itself in 2 Tbsps olive oil in step 5. (they appear to have omitted putting any oil in the skillet?)