One of our favorite tapa dishes is the Spanish tortilla. This is not to be confused with the Mexican tortilla wraps. This savory potato and egg dish is very common to find in every traditional Spanish bar or in the household of many Spanish families for parties or get togethers. It’s a crowd pleaser and you can’t go wrong with making this for any event.
When to eat Spanish tortilla
The amazing quality about the Spanish tortilla is that it can be eaten at any time of the day, and it can be enjoyed cold or hot. It is typical to enjoy this at a café with a coffee as a mid-day snack or at a bar as a tapa along with sangria or red wine. The most important thing is to enjoy this with friends or family. We’ve spent countless nights with friends all sitting around a pie of tortilla enjoying each other’s company or celebrating accomplishments. Spanish tortilla is always a staple for us before a night out because it’s so filling and there are many bars that claim to have perfected the correct ratio of eggs to potatoes. So of course, we have to taste test them all! But don’t worry we have a recipe that’s pretty amazing too.
Spanish omelet recipe
You will need:
- 6 peeled potatoes about medium size (the type of potato should be the sour one because it is easier to fry)
- 1 sweet onion (optional)
- 6 eggs
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
The awesome characteristic of Spanish tortilla is that it is true to the Mediterranean diet and doesn’t include many ingredients. But the issue can arise by the ratio of eggs and potatoes. Too many eggs can make it really runny while too many potatoes make it too dry. The texture of the potatoes is important. That is why we recommend using sour potatoes, not because of the taste but because they fry really well. They give us a texture that’s in between mashed and hard. Honestly, practice makes perfect and everyone has their own take on the recipe. As always use fresh ingredients for better flavor.
How to cook Spanish tortilla? Tips for making a perfect Spanish tortilla
- Make sure to peel the skin off of the potatoes and then cut them into thin slices. This way your tortilla won’t be too chunky or lumpy.
- If you choose to incorporate onion, make sure to finely chop them.
- Don’t be shy with the olive oil or even better extra vigin olive oil! The potatoes and onion need to fry in the oil, and it adds a delicious flavor to the tortilla.
- After the onions and potatoes are soft, place them in a bowl and add the eggs. Mix really well.
- Add the total mixture to a well-oiled frying pan. Distribute the mixture evenly in the pan.
- The flip and when to do it. Don’t be nervous with this step. The trick is to use a plate to help flip the tortilla over to the other side. This way both sides are evenly cooked. You’ll know when to do it because the outer edges change color signaling that it needs to be flipped.
- Time to enjoy with fresh bread and olive oil.
- This plate can also be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until needed. All you have to do is place it in the microwave to reheat it or use a frying pan to warm it up.
What is Spanish omelet served with?
NOTHING!! Traditional Spanish tortilla does not come in a variety of flavors. Why mess with something that is already perfect? Don’t even think about adding ketchup or other sauces as a dip for the tortilla or you’ll just upset the Spanish abuelas. It’s already a big controversy over team onion or team no onion. We just can’t imagine the disturbance it will cause if you add peppers or tomatoes inside the tortilla. Spanish tortilla is best served with a slice of fresh baked bread drizzled with olive oil. It can be accompanied with a side dish of a salad or with other tapas. But that’s the extent to the variety.
Where is the best place to try the Spanish tortilla?
The following is a list of tried and true restaurants that serve the tastiest tortillas in Madrid. They each have their own unique approach to the traditional recipe making them all taste different. So, if you ever visit Madrid be sure to pay these places a visit!
- Casa Dani
- Restaurante Colósimo
- Taberna Pedraza
- Tamara Casa Lorenzo
- La Retasca
- Txirimiri
- Pez Tortilla
- Casa Paco
- Seteventos Casa de Comidas
¡Let’s ir de tapas!
El comidista is a food critic blog that started in 2010 for the Spanish newspaper El País. It is written by Mikel López Iturriaga, a philologist and journalist from Bilbao, Spain. Mikel travels around Spain taste testing various dishes and writes about recipes in the blog. More recently, he has made a video mapping out different routes to eat Spanish tortilla in Madrid. You can watch it here:
If you are a real tapa lover, you will definitely like our posts about:
- Paella – The Best Taste of Valencia
- The best and easy Spanish Migas Recipe.
- The Amazing Spanish Olives – A Healthy Snack for Every Occasion
- How to Make Croquetas (Spanish Croquettes Recipe)
- White Anchovies in Vinegar, a Little Fish with a Big Taste.
- Spanish Cheeses: How to appreciate its great diversity
