Kids and Spanish in the Kitchen: How to Make Tortilla de Patatas With Your Kids

Kids and Spanish in the Kitchen: How to Make Tortilla de Patatas With Your Kids

Looking for a new recipe that gets your kids in the kitchen and helps them practice Spanish? Tortilla de patatas is here for the win. It’s a simple and authentic dish served in nearly every restaurant, bar, and home in Spain. Often a go-to tapa (small snack) or dinner for adults and kids alike, it’s easy to make, but it’s the flip that makes it look impressive (more on that later!). 

What’s tortilla de patatas?

Spain’s tortilla de patatas also goes by the name tortilla española or, in English, a Spanish omelette. 

It’s delicious and about as basic as you can get with just three ingredients that even the pickiest eaters can enjoy. 

As Americans, we tend to think of tortillas as the Mexican version we eat with tacos. Spain’s tortilla is different. It’s made of potatoes, eggs and (sometimes) onions. It’s also much thicker. Think of it as straight-to-the-point quiche.  

That seems pretty simple.

It is! 

Look, a major component to learning any language is learning culture. And trying out the different cuisines of Spanish speaking countries is a fun (and tasty) way to absorb some of that culture. 

In Spain, tortilla de patatas are found in nearly every restaurant, bar and home. There’s always a fierce debate about the best way to cook it. Onions or no? Sliced or cubed potatoes? Runny egg or well-done? Eat it plain or with mayo? You’ll have to decide what you and your kids will like best. 

I prefer my tortilla well-done, with or without onions, and in absolutely zero circumstances can it be topped with mayo. (Just no!)

I’ve seen tons of recipes on American and British websites that claim to be offering an “authentic” taste of Spain, but add an insane amount of extras like veggies and meat to their tortillas. Though my husband will argue that adding chorizo is always a good idea, for the most part, that’s just not how it’s done here.

The simpler it is, the more authentic. 

How to make a tortilla de patatas with your kids:

You’ll need:

3 patatas (potatoes)

5 huevos (eggs)

1 cebolla (white onion) *This is optional

sal (salt)

aceite de oliva (olive oil)

Useful vocab:

sartén (pan) *Your best bet is a medium-sized non stick pan!

bol (bowl) 

colador or escurridor (colander)

cuchillo (knife)

tabla de cortar (cutting board)

pelador (peeler)

espátula (spatula)

Step One:

Pour a generous amount of olive oil in a medium-sized pan. You’ll want enough to cover at least 75% of the potatoes once chopped. Set it to low-medium heat and let it heat up while you move on to step two.

Helpful Phrases:

Echa el aceite de oliva. (Add the olive oil)

Enciende la estufa. (Turn on the stove)

Step Two:

Peel and chop the potatoes into thin slices. If your kids are old enough to handle cutting, then my vote is whatever sized pieces are easier for them. However, the larger the pieces, the longer it will take to cook. 

If you’re using onion, chop that as well.

Helpful Phrases:

Pela las patatas. (Peel the potatoes)

Corta las patatas. (Cut the potatoes)

Pica la cebolla. (Chop the onion)

Step Three: 

Carefully add the potatoes to the pan. Cook for about 20 minutes. If you plan to use onion, add the onion for the last 5 minutes. Keep the temperature on medium-low. You don’t want the oil too hot -you want to soften the potatoes and add flavor from the olive oil- not brown them. 

The potatoes are done when soft. 

Helpful Phrases:

Echa las patatas al sartén. (Place the potatoes in the pan)

¡Cuidado! (Careful!)

Step Four: 

While the potatoes and onion are cooking, crack and beat the eggs in a large bowl. Eventually you’ll add the cooked potatoes and onions to the bowl, so make sure it’s large enough for all your ingredients. 

Helpful Phrases:

Rompe los huevos. (Crack the eggs)

Bate los huevos. (Beat the eggs) 

Step Five:

Drain the potatoes and onions. Try to save the oil for a future kitchen adventure. 

Leave the pan on the stove, but turn it to medium-high heat. Make sure there’s a bit of olive oil left in the pan. This time you don’t want any more than a drizzle. 

Helpful Phrases: 

Escurre las patatas y cebollas. (Drain the potatoes and onion)

Sube la temperatura a fuego medio-alto. (Turn up the temperature to medium-high heat)

Step Six: 

Add the potatoes and onions to the eggs and add salt to taste. Mix everything together and let it sit for a few minutes. I let ours sit for 5 minutes while the pan warmed up.

Helpful Phrases:

Echa las patatas y cebollas al bol. (Pour the potatoes and onion in the bowl.)

Añade un poquito de sal. (Add a little bit of salt)

Step Seven:

Pour the mixture into the pan. Let it cook for 2-4 minutes. I like my tortilla cooked through, so I let it cook for the full 4 minutes.

Helpful Phrases:

Echalo al sartén. (Put it into the pan).

Step Eight:

This is the fun part -and the most nerve wracking! Based on the age and coordination level of your kids, this might be a job for Mom or Dad. But one of you gets to flip the tortilla! 

Place a plate, face down, on the top of the pan. With one hand on the pan handle and the other on the bottom of the plate you’re going to quickly flip both things at once so the tortilla ends up on the plate. 

The trick is to do it in one, quick motion. 

There are two theories on flipping I’ve seen. In the first, you choose a plate that is wider than your pan. In the second, you choose a plate that is smaller than the pan, but wide enough to fit the tortilla. In either strategy you may want an extra plate beneath you to collect any accidental runoff -you can dump it back in the pan after flipping. 

Once you safely have the tortilla on your plate, slide it back into the pan uncooked side facing down. Leave it to cook for another 2-4 minutes. Again, I let mine cook for 4. I have a child under one, so I like to make sure the egg is cooked all the way through.

A note about tortilla flipping: Once you get it down -and it’s not that hard- it looks really cool. If your kids are old enough to attempt it, it’s an awesome trick to have up their sleeve!

Helpful Phrases:

Dale la vuelta a la tortilla. (Flip the tortilla.)

Step Nine: 

Once you’ve finished, you choose if you want to simply slide the finished tortilla from the pan to a new, clean plate. Or you can go fancy, and flip the tortilla again, but this time onto your serving plate. 

Let it cool for a few minutes, cut it in slices or squares, and enjoy!

Helpful Phrases:

¡Terminado! (Finished!)

¡Que aproveche! (Enjoy!)

Want to add more at-home Spanish practice to this activity? 

Have your kids film or act out a Spanish cooking show, using the phrases I’ve written out above. You can also have them write a how-to book: Cómo hacer una tortilla de patatas (How to Make a Tortilla de Patatas). They can draw or photograph each step and add a short, one sentence description.

Enjoy!

Everyone’s family has a secret to the way they make tortilla de patatas. The way you cook it with your kids will vary depending on your likes as well. No matter how you do it, tortilla de patatas are tasty and kid-friendly.

And as we’re spending more time at home these days, it’s a must-try in the kitchen and something the whole family can get involved in. 

Whether you and your kids practice the Spanish phrases I’ve included is your choice. Either way, you’ll be learning a little something about a traditional dish (and culture) of Spain. 

¡Que aproveche!

Need more ideas to keep your kids or students practicing Spanish at home? Read my 8 No Hassle, No Prep At Home Spanish Activities for Kids.