Five ingredients or fewer
Feeding a family

Spanish tortilla

Name: Spanish tortilla
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 6 Medium potatoes; 4 Medium onions; 10 Eggs; Salt and black pepper, to taste, to taste; Olive oil; Oil for frying

By Tom · Updated 17 August 2026

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Serves 8
About 50 min
Takes a bit of care

Spanish tortilla is one of those dishes that proves simple ingredients can create something special. From slowly caramelising the onions to achieving that perfectly soft, creamy centre, I'll walk you through the entire process step by step.

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The recipe

Spanish tortilla

Spanish tortilla is one of those dishes that proves simple ingredients can create something special.

Serves 8
10 min prep
40 min cooking
Takes a bit of care

Times and difficulty are our estimates from the method, not stopwatch figures.

Scale

8 servings

Measurements

Ingredients

A dotted underline means the amount has been rounded to something you can measure.

Method

Step 1
Peel and cut the potatoes (6 potatoes) into quarters lengthwise, then slice thinly (about 2mm). Rinse under cold water to remove excess starch, then drain and dry thoroughly.
Step 2
Slice the onions (4 onions) thinly. Heat around 30ml olive oil in a frying pan over low heat. Add onions with a pinch of salt and cook gently for 15-20 minutes until soft, sweet, and lightly caramelised.
Step 3
Heat frying oil to 170°C in a deep, heavy pot. Fry the potatoes (6 potatoes) in batches until just lightly golden. Remove, drain well, and transfer to a large bowl. Add the cooked onions (4 onions) to the potatoes and mix gently.
Step 4
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs (10) with salt and pepper. Pour over the potato (6 potatoes)-onion (4 onions) mixture, mix, and let sit for 10-15 minutes.
Step 5
Heat a frying pan over medium-low heat with a generous drizzle of olive oil. Add the mixture and cook slowly for about 5 minutes, until set on the bottom.
Step 6
Slide onto a plate, then return to the pan to cook the other side for another 5 minutes (or longer if you prefer it fully set). Tuck the edges down with a spatula as it cooks.

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Also in Eggs, from poached to soufflé.

Questions people ask

How long does spanish tortilla take?

About 50 min from start to finish, of which 10 min is prep and 40 min is cooking. That figure is worked out from the method rather than timed with a stopwatch, so give yourself a little more the first time.

How many does it serve, and can I change that?

As written it serves 8. Use the scale control on the recipe card to change it: every quantity in the ingredients and inside the method steps updates with it. Seasoning, and anything measured in pinches or splashes, is deliberately left alone.

Can I see the ingredients in ounces and pints?

Yes. The metric and imperial switch on the recipe card converts every quantity, rounded to amounts you can actually weigh or measure rather than to four decimal places. Your choice is remembered for every recipe on the site.

Is it vegetarian?

Yes, as written. If you are cooking for a strict vegetarian, the one to check is the cheese: several hard cheeses are made with animal rennet.

Spanish tortilla