José Andrés’ Tortilla de Patatas Recipe

Excerpted from ‘Spain My Way: Eat, Drink, and Cook Like a Spaniard’

José Andrés,

AARP

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Published May 15, 2026

José Andrés’ Tortilla de Patatas is shown in a photo

José Andrés’ recipe for Tortilla de Patatas blends simple ingredients for a delicious and quick meal.

Joan Pujol-Creus/Courtesy HarperCollins

What is there to say about the tortilla de patatas — so Spanish we sometimes call it tortilla Española — that hasn’t already been said? It is the tapa that launched a thousand tapas; you’ll find it on every bar in the country. It’s made by moms and dads and abuelas and abuelos in every home. Restaurants dedicate themselves to it; people love to debate whether or not onions belong inside it (seriously, look up the battle between cebollistas and sincebollistas if you don’t believe me).

To me, the tortilla is a perfect reflection of humanity: Tell me how you like your tortilla, and I’ll tell you who you are. Every family makes it differently — more or less set or runny; with other vegetables or not — and you are the only one to decide for yourself how you like it. Don’t listen to anyone else! Just find a version you love, and you’ll have it in your back pocket forever — anytime you need it.

Tortilla de Patatas

Serves 4

Ingredients

1½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes

2½ cups extra-virgin olive oil

½ small yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

6 large eggs

2 egg yolks

2 teaspoons kosher salt

Flaky sea salt

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Directions

Peel the potatoes, then quarter and thinly slice them. Put them in a bowl and cover with cold water to keep them from oxidizing.

Heat the olive oil to 200°F in a medium pot. Drain and dry the potatoes with a paper towel. Add potatoes to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and easily pierced with a knife but not browned, about 25 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes to a paper-towel-lined tray to drain. Reserve the cooking oil in the pot over low heat.

Meanwhile, after the potatoes have cooked for 10 minutes, carefully spoon about 1/2 cup of the hot oil from the pot into a small sauté pan and heat over medium-low. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until soft and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Be careful not to let the onions burn. Transfer them to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.

Whisk the eggs, egg yolks, and kosher salt together in a mixing bowl. Fold in the warm potatoes and onions with a spatula and mix until well combined and the eggs and potatoes start to become creamy. You want to break up the potatoes and create a creamy mixture, but be careful not to turn them into mashed potatoes.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the reserved oil in an 8- to 9-inch nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. When the oil begins to slightly smoke, add the egg and potato mixture to the pan and remove it from the heat. Shake the pan in a circular motion for about 15 seconds to spread out the mixture evenly in the pan and to keep the egg from sticking. Reduce the heat to low and return the pan to the heat. Let the tortilla cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the edges start to set but the center is still loose and runny.

Place a 10-inch plate over the pan, flip the pan and plate over, and shake the tortilla onto the plate. Return the pan to the heat, add 1 more tablespoon of the reserved cooking oil, heat until the oil just begins to smoke, then slide the tortilla, runny side down, into the pan. Swirl the pan for 10 seconds, and let the tortilla cook for 45 seconds to 1 minute until its edges have set.

Slide the tortilla onto a serving plate and let rest for a few minutes. The tortilla should be soft and runny on the inside, but firm and golden yellow on the outside. Season to taste with flaky sea salt and cut into wedges to serve.

From Spain My Way: Eat, Drink, and Cook Like a Spaniard by José Andrés with Sam Chapple-Sokol. Copyright © 2026 by José Andrés. Excerpted by permission of Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

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José Andrés is an internationally recognized culinary innovator, educator, humanitarian, Emmy-nominated television personality and New York Times best-selling author. He is also known for his groundbreaking avant-garde cuisine and his award-winning restaurant collective, José Andrés Group, with more than 30 restaurants across the U.S. and abroad. In 2010, Andrés founded World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit that uses the power of food to nourish communities and strengthen economies in times of crisis and beyond. One of his newest ventures, José Andrés Media, produces television series, books, podcasts and digital content with a focus on food-related stories and the culture of food.