Potatoes are one of the ingredients most loved by all people, it doesn’t matter if they are great cooks or not, you can’t go wrong if you use potatoes.
Andalusians understand that very well since every recipe with potatoes they make is a success. One of them is the Spanish omelette, which has been the protagonist of Spanish cuisine for years.
Keep reading because here I will teach you how to make this famous breakfast tortilla de patatas recipe, a little about its history, and different changes you can make to make it unique.
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Background of the Dish
The tortilla de patatas recipe has a long history and it is a dish that can’t be missed in any Spanish house. This means that there are different recipes and that it has changed over the years.
The original recipe for the Spanish tortilla was created in 1500 since the potatoes were brought to Spain from South America.
This recipe became popular really fast as it only needed 2 key ingredients (egg and potato), and some seasoning or onion.
It is also as simple to make as a Spanish omelette, so it quickly won everyone’s heart.
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Things You’ll Need for Tortilla de Patatas
The best part about making this Spanish tortilla recipe is that you don’t need any expensive or hard-to-find ingredients.
The potato tortilla is made basically with eggs and potatoes, so it’s pretty similar to the classic omelette ingredients.
You won’t need any type of kitchen tools such as a blender or food processor, but you’ll need to use a couple of bowls so be ready to do a little bit of washing afterward.
Ingredients
- 5 (1kg) potatoes
- 1 onion
- 5 eggs
- Olive oil (for frying)
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
How to Make Tortilla de Patatas – Step by Step Guide
- To make an authentic tortilla de patatas, the first thing you have to do is to peel and cut the onion. The size depends on how you like it, I recommend making julienne cuts. Put it in a pan with olive oil and cook for 5 minutes or until golden (don’t let it caramelize).
- In the meantime wash and peel the potatoes. Cut them into irregular cubes although you can also cut them in the way that seems most comfortable (slices, stick, etc.). I prefer irregular cubes because it gives it the traditional homemade tortilla texture, but it’s up to you.
- Grab another pan and put enough oil to cover the potatoes and fry them. This will help you cook evenly and not be hard when you want to make the tortilla. Fry until soft but without getting toasted on the outside.
- When the onions are ready, take them to a separate bowl. Do the same thing with potatoes once they’re ready, but before pat them dry with absorbent paper to remove the excess oil.
- In another bowl, beat the eggs with the salt and pepper, just enough so that they become a homogeneous mixture.
- After that take a pan (about 24 cm in diameter) and heat a little oil (a couple of tablespoons is enough). Put the potatoes and onions, spread them well and add the egg mixture.
- For the final step, cook for a few minutes over medium heat until the egg is cooked. Halfway through make sure to flip the tortilla, something you can do with the help of a large plate, to make sure everything cooks evenly and nothing burns.
- Once everything is cooked and has a golden color, you can serve it warm.
Substitution of Ingredients
This tortilla de patatas only calls for 3 main ingredients; onion, potatoes, and eggs, so you shouldn’t have any problem finding them.
Anyways, here I’ll give you some replacement ideas in case you find yourself in that situation.
First, you can use any type of potato, and if you don’t have any, you can use other similar root vegetables, such as sweet potato, cassava, beet, and more.
The sweet potato can be a healthy alternative and you can try our Spanish sweet potato recipe this fall and enjoy a good and nourishing Halloween dish.
Also if you’re looking for a healthier tortilla de patatas recipe, then you can boil the potatoes instead of frying them.
You can mix them with the eggs and onions just the same. This way you’ll reduce the amount of oil.
Besides that, you can use any type of onion such as white onion, red onion, sweet onion, etc.
Lastly, if you liked this recipe, you should try making other recipes, such as the traditional Spanish paella recipe, Patatas a lo Pobre recipe, and creamy Spanish tomato soup.
And when it comes to breakfast, you can also try the easy Spanish omelet recipe with cheese.
Tips on Serving Tortilla de Patatas
This tortilla de patatas can be served at any time of the day, and many food items go well with it.
Take this as some potato omelette, which means that it falls into the Spanish breakfast food categories.
If you want a filling Spanish breakfast, top this Spanish omelette recipe with some chopped cooked chorizo or some serrano ham slices.
You could also try the Spanish potato salad, especially if you’ve boiled more potatoes than necessary, and have a real Spanish lunch or side dish for later.
Give a go to the papas arrugadas, the Spanish wrinkled potatoes that can be served as tapas or side dish.
Tortilla de patatas is also one of the most famous Spanish tapas and it can be served with marinated carrots. A true Spanish dish that you’ll definitely love.
Do you want to impress your guest next time they come over? Put together the best Spanish tapas menu with mini tortilla de patatas bites, Spanish meatballs recipes, and Berenjenas Fritas con miel.
How to Store Tortilla de Patatas
My favorite part about making tortilla de papas is that it usually tastes better after a couple of hours before making it.
This means that you can make it a couple of hours ahead and store it in the fridge until you want to serve it.
Since the main ingredient of this tortilla española is patatas, you shouldn’t freeze this dish. Potatoes usually don’t freeze well, and the same happens with eggs.
But don’t let this stop you from making a potato tortilla, you can still store it covered in the fridge for up to 5 days and enjoy a tortilla slice almost every day of the week.
Recipe Card: Tortilla de Patatas
Tortilla de Patatas Recipe
Potatoes are one of the ingredients most loved by all people, it doesn't matter if they are great cooks or not, you can't go wrong if you use potatoes.
Andalusians understand that very well since every recipe with potatoes they make is a success.
One of them is the Spanish omelette, which has been the protagonist of Spanish cuisine for years.
Ingredients
- 5 (1kg) potatoes
- 1 onion
- 5 eggs
- Olive oil (for frying)
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Peel and cut the onion. The size depends on how you like it, I recommend making julienne cuts. Put it in a pan with olive oil and cook for 5 minutes or until golden brown (do not let it caramelize).
- In the meantime wash and peel the potatoes. Cut them into irregular cubes although you can also cut them in the way that seems most comfortable (slices, stick, etc.)
- In another pan, put enough oil to cover the potatoes and fry them. This will help you cook evenly and not be hard when you want to make the tortilla. Fry until soft but without getting toasted on the outside.
- When the onions are ready, take them to a bowl. When the potatoes are ready, pat them dry with absorbent paper to remove the excess oil and take it to the same bowl with the onions.
- In another bowl, beat the eggs with the salt and pepper, just enough so that they become a homogeneous mixture.
- Now take a pan (about 24 cm in diameter) and heat a little oil (a couple of tablespoons is enough). Put the potatoes and onions, spread them well and add the egg mixture.
- Cook for a few minutes over medium heat until the egg is cooked. Halfway through make sure to flip the tortilla, something you can do with the help of a plate, to make sure everything cooks evenly and nothing burns.
- Once everything is cooked and has a golden color, you can serve it warm.
Notes
You can use any type of seasonings, such as paprika, turmeric, and more pepper. But remember that the potatoes are the protagonist of this dish.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 226Total Fat 14gSaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 164mgSodium 847mgCarbohydrates 13gFiber 2gSugar 1gProtein 8g
Hola, I’m Paulina! Together with my team, we are passionate about Southern Spain. Here we share all you need to know for great times in Southern Spain with the best places to visit, stay and, of course, the best food to eat.
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