The Ultimate Spanish Tortilla

I’ve been making tortilla española on the regular for decades and at this point I’ve tried just about everything: cutting the potatoes into both chunks and slices, deep-frying them and poaching them, stirring the egg mixture and not. This recipe is the culmination of all that trial and error, to give you the best possible texture and flavor, without driving you crazy with the amount of work involved.

The most intimidating part of making a tortilla española is flipping it over. In the traditional method, you cook the eggs on one side and then flip the tortilla and cook it on the other side. I think inverting a baking sheet over the skillet is the easiest way to do this, and it’s okay if you make a little mess. On one occasion, I flipped the tortilla onto a plate and the whole thing slipped out onto the kitchen counter. I scooped it back up and did my best to press it back into the pan and reshape it, and honestly, no one could tell. So if you have trouble flipping the first or second time, you can always smoosh it back together in the pan and the tortilla will still be delicious. For more on this, see the Note below.

Serves 4

Ingredients

Spanish Accent: American Home Recipes with a Spanish Touch: A Cookbook Katie Button

• 2½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces

• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 4 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt

• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

• 12 large eggs

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with 2 teaspoons of the salt. Spread the potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast until golden brown and cooked through, about 25 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and season with 1 teaspoon of the salt. Cook slowly, until the onion is completely soft and starting to brown, about 15 minutes.

4. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Add the potatoes and onion (no need to let them cool) and stir to combine.

5. In a 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the egg mixture, cover, and cook over medium-low heat until the eggs are custardy and just set and the bottom is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Gently lift the edge of the tortilla with a silicone spatula to make sure the bottom isn’t getting too dark before the eggs set. If it is, lower the heat slightly.

6. Place a baking sheet over the pan and carefully flip the tortilla onto the baking sheet. Return the skillet to the burner and slide the tortilla back into the pan. Using the silicone spatula, smooth the top of the tortilla and tuck the sides into the pan to create the iconic rounded shape. Continue cooking until fully set, 5 to 8 minutes longer (see Note).

7. Transfer to a platter and allow to cool. Serve at room temperature. This recipe can be prepared through step 4 and refrigerated overnight. The finished tortilla can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Note: The key to flipping a tortilla is to ensure it has cooked through enough first without getting too dark in color on the bottom. Every burner varies, and because of that you will need to adjust the heat up or down depending on how your tortilla is browning. I tend to cook mine over a lower heat to begin, then raise the temperature slightly as the cooking progresses. I want to achieve a nice golden brown color on one side with a center that is starting to firm up before flipping. The bottom line is that the results will be delicious no matter what, and it takes making a few to learn the ideal heat and timing with your burner. Just serve the tortilla prettier-side up.

From Spanish Accent © 2026 by Katie Button with Kate Heddings. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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