Tortilla Española is a classic Spanish tapa made of scrambled eggs and tender potatoes, cooked into a sliceable round omelet. Served warm, room temperature, or straight from the fridge, it’s widely considered to be a national dish of Spain. This version—inspired by a twist popularized by celebrated Spanish chef Ferran Adrià—swaps in crispy potato chips for raw potatoes. That means super-thin layers of potato without having to use a mandoline. Saving your fingers from potential slicing disaster is not the only shortcut. While a traditional tortilla is cooked on both sides (requiring some real finesse to slide a half-raw omelet...
Tortilla Española is a classic Spanish tapa made of scrambled eggs and tender potatoes, cooked into a sliceable round omelet. Served warm, room temperature, or straight from the fridge, it’s widely considered to be a national dish of Spain. This version—inspired by a twist popularized by celebrated Spanish chef Ferran Adrià—swaps in crispy potato chips for raw potatoes. That means super-thin layers of potato without having to use a mandoline.
Saving your fingers from potential slicing disaster is not the only shortcut. While a traditional tortilla is cooked on both sides (requiring some real finesse to slide a half-raw omelet onto a plate and invert it back into a hot pan), this version bakes in the oven—no flipping required. Any bits of chip that stick out of the eggy mixture stay delightfully crisp, so there’s no need to worry about getting everything flat and even. Rustic is the move, which makes for a more relaxed path to mealtime.
Sour cream and onion—that beloved savory pairing—factors into this tortilla in two ways. First, as the ingredients themselves: A scoop of sour cream is whisked into the beaten eggs for richness and tang, while caramelized onions add sweetness and bulk. Second, sour-cream-and-onion-flavored chips offer surprising brightness and depth. Even if you’re not a huge fan of the flavored chips (raises hand), the results are so undeniable when baked into a pan of eggs, you might find yourself keeping a bag around for this recipe alone.
Ingredients
4–6 servings
2
Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1
large onion, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
9
large eggs
½
cup sour cream
5
oz. sour-cream-and-onion potato chips, preferably kettle style
2
Tbsp. unsalted butter
Thinly sliced chives (for serving)
Preparation
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Step 1
Preheat oven to 400°. Heat 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in an ovenproof medium nonstick skillet over medium. Add 1 large onion, thinly sliced; season with kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and browned, 13–16 minutes.
Step 2
Meanwhile, whisk 9 large eggs and ½ cup sour cream in a medium bowl until well combined; season with salt. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in 5 oz. sour-cream-and-onion potato chips. Let sit 3 minutes to soften.
Step 3
Transfer onion to egg mixture; fold to combine.
Step 4
Melt 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter in same skillet over medium heat. Pour in egg mixture and spread into an even layer. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until tortilla is lightly browned on top and just set, 11–13 minutes.
Step 5
Top tortilla with thinly sliced chives before serving.