Name: The Best Spanish Style Tortilla Using Potato Chips (Meal Prep Breakfast)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 8 large eggs (400 g without shells); 3 tablespoons Japanese mayo or regular mayo (45 g); Salt (to taste (about 6 g to start)); Extra virgin olive oil (generous amount for cooking (about 80 to 100 g total)); Potato chips (plain or lightly salted, some crushed and some whole (2 cups / 90 g)); Mama Lil’s pickled red peppers (chopped (1/4 cup / 40 g)); Dried scallions or chives (1 tablespoon / 3 g); Red onions (thinly sliced (3 medium / about 750 g)); Pickling Liquid; Rice wine vinegar (2 cups / 480 g); Water (1 cup / 240 g, optional to soften acidity); Toasted cumin seeds (1 teaspoon / 2 g); Jalapeño powder or fresh jalapeño (sliced (1 tablespoon / 8 g)); Red chili flakes (1 tablespoon / 6 g); Coriander seeds (1/2 tablespoon / 4 g); Black peppercorns (1 tablespoon / 6 g); Bay leaf (1); Brown sugar (1 tablespoon / 12 g); Salt (to taste (about 8 g)); Orange juice (added after boiling (from 1 orange / about 60 g)); Pickled red onions (as needed); Ripe avocado slices (as needed); Extra olive oil for finishing

There are dishes you cook because they are trendy, and there are dishes you cook because they unlock a memory. This Spanish-style tortilla is both.

When I worked at Palace Kitchen in Seattle, we had a version of this on the appetizer menu for a brief moment. Ours was packed with crushed potatoes and cooked until just barely set in the center. Soft, custardy, rich with olive oil. It was one of those dishes that quietly disappeared, but I never forgot it.

Fast forward to recently. I saw that Chef José Andrés has his own Spanish olive oil potato chips. That instantly clicked something in my head. Spanish chef. Spanish chips. Spanish tortilla. Potato chips are already fried potatoes. They are basically halfway to confit. Why not lean into that?

This is my high-low take on a classic Spanish tortilla. No slicing potatoes. No par-cooking. Just good olive oil, eggs, potato chips, and patience. It is custardy in the center, rich without being heavy, and honestly one of the best breakfast-or-anytime dishes you can make ahead.

And yes, you can eat it warm or cold. Both are correct.

What Makes a Spanish-Style Tortilla Different?

If you are picturing a flour tortilla, this is not that.

A Spanish tortilla is closer to a frittata, but softer. It is cooked low and slow in olive oil. The eggs should never scramble. The middle should stay jammy and custardy. In Spain, it is often served at room temperature or straight from the fridge, sliced like a cake.

This version keeps that philosophy intact. The only twist is swapping traditional potatoes for potato chips. It sounds chaotic. It works insanely well.

Why the Potato Chip Version Works

Potato chips are already fried. They absorb egg beautifully. Some dissolve into the custard, others keep structure. You get soft, creamy interior with pockets of texture.

If you want to push it even further, sour cream folded into the eggs would be insane.

Ingredients

Spanish-Style Tortilla

8 large eggs (400 g without shells)
3 tablespoons Japanese mayo or regular mayo (45 g)
Salt, to taste (about 6 g to start)
Extra virgin olive oil, generous amount for cooking (about 80 to 100 g total)
Potato chips, plain or lightly salted, some crushed and some whole (2 cups / 90 g)
Mama Lil’s pickled red peppers, chopped (1/4 cup / 40 g)
Dried scallions or chives (1 tablespoon / 3 g)

Pickled Red Onions (Make Ahead)

Red onions, thinly sliced (3 medium / about 750 g)

Pickling Liquid

Rice wine vinegar (2 cups / 480 g)
Water (1 cup / 240 g, optional to soften acidity)
Toasted cumin seeds (1 teaspoon / 2 g)
Jalapeño powder or fresh jalapeño, sliced (1 tablespoon / 8 g)
Red chili flakes (1 tablespoon / 6 g)
Coriander seeds (1/2 tablespoon / 4 g)
Black peppercorns (1 tablespoon / 6 g)
Bay leaf (1)
Brown sugar (1 tablespoon / 12 g)
Salt, to taste (about 8 g)
Orange juice, added after boiling (from 1 orange / about 60 g)

To Serve (Optional but Recommended)

Pickled red onions, as needed
Ripe avocado slices, as needed
Extra olive oil for finishing

How to Make the Spanish-Style Tortilla

Make the Pickled Red Onions: Add all pickling liquid ingredients except the orange juice to a pot. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn off the heat and stir in the orange juice.

Pour the hot liquid over the sliced red onions. Press them down so they are fully submerged. Let cool, then refrigerate. These get better after a day and last weeks.

Prepare the Egg Base: Crack the eggs into a large bowl. Add the mayo and salt. Whisk until fully combined and smooth. The mayo adds richness and helps create that custardy texture without overcooking.

Build the Tortilla: Place a nonstick or well-seasoned pan over medium-low heat. Add a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil. You want the oil to coat the bottom generously, not just shimmer.

Add the potato chips directly to the oil. Some should be crushed, some left whole for texture. Pour the egg mixture over the chips. The pan should not be hot. This is critical.

Using a spatula, gently push the cooked edges toward the center as it sets. Do not scramble. Let gravity and time do the work.

Add the chopped pickled red peppers and dried scallions.

Cook low and slow until the tortilla is mostly set but still jammy on top.

Flip and Finish: Place a plate over the pan and confidently flip the tortilla onto the plate.

Add a little more olive oil to the pan, then slide the tortilla back in. Cook on low heat for about 1 minute.

Flip once more onto a plate. At this point, you can serve warm or chill completely and slice later.

How to Serve It: I like serving this warm with pickled red onions and a slice of avocado. A drizzle of good olive oil on top never hurts.

This is also an elite make-ahead breakfast. Keep it in the fridge, slice it cold, and eat it straight. That is not a shortcut. That is tradition.

Final Thoughts

This dish feels nostalgic and modern at the same time. It reminds me why simple food done thoughtfully always wins.

If you try this, make it your own. Change the fillings. Eat it cold. Eat it hot. Just do not overcook it.

Custardy is the goal.