Salt cod tortilla

Salt Cod Tortilla — Easy Bacalao Tortilla Recipe for Weeknights

Meta description: A flavorful Salt Cod Tortilla (Bacalao Tortilla) — a Spanish-style omelette with soaked salt cod, potatoes, and onions. Quick, hearty, and perfect for brunch or tapas.

Introduction
Give the classic Spanish tortilla a coastal twist by adding salt cod (bacalao). This Salt Cod Tortilla combines tender potatoes, savory onion, flaky rehydrated cod, and eggs to make a rich, protein-packed dish that works as tapas, brunch, or a light dinner. It’s simple to prepare and full of umami — ideal for home cooks looking for an easy salt cod recipe.

Ingredients (serves 4)
– 8 oz (225 g) salt cod, desalted and flaked (see note)
– 2 medium potatoes (about 400 g), thinly sliced
– 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
– 5 large eggs
– 3 tbsp olive oil
– Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
– Fresh parsley or chives, chopped (optional)

Method
1. Desalt the cod: Rinse the salt cod and soak in cold water 24–48 hours, changing water 3–4 times. For quicker prep, soak in the refrigerator for 12–24 hours and taste for salt. Drain, remove skin and bones, then flake.
2. Cook the potatoes and onions: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add sliced potatoes and onion, season lightly with pepper (avoid too much salt), and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender and onions are translucent, about 12–15 minutes. Remove and drain excess oil.
3. Combine with cod: Stir flaked salt cod into the potato-onion mixture and spread evenly in the skillet.
4. Add eggs: Beat the eggs in a bowl and season with pepper. Pour eggs over the potato-cod mixture, shaking the pan to distribute evenly. Cook on medium-low until edges set, about 5–7 minutes.
5. Finish: Slide tortilla onto a plate, invert back into the skillet to cook the top, or finish under a hot broiler for 2–3 minutes until fully set and lightly golden.
6. Rest and serve: Let rest 5 minutes, garnish with parsley, slice into wedges, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips and variations
– Swap potatoes for sweet potatoes or add roasted red peppers.
– Add a pinch of smoked paprika for Spanish flavor.
– Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

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step 1
Heat half the oil in a frying pan, and sauté the onion over a medium heat until soft and pale gold – this will take about 8 mins. Remove from the pan, set aside, and add the potatoes to the pan. Cook until they are tender but not falling apart, carefully turning every so often. Cover the pan some of the time to help the slices cook through. Add the onions back to the pan along with the garlic and cook for another 4 mins. Tip into a bowl with the eggs, parsley and some seasoning and mix together. Leave to sit for half an hour.

step 2
Meanwhile, put the cod in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring up to a simmer. Remove from the heat, cover and leave for 10 mins. Drain, leave to cool and remove the skin and any bones. Break into large flakes and add to the potato and egg mixture.

step 3
Heat the rest of the oil in a non-stick frying pan. Pour in the tortilla mix and cook over a medium-low heat until it is just set and coming away from the sides of the pan. You might need to cover it to help the centre set. Be careful not to overcook it. Put a spatula underneath the tortilla every so often to make sure it isn’t sticking. Slide the tortilla onto a plate, then put the pan on top and flip the tortilla into it, uncooked side-down. Cook over a low heat until golden, or grill until just set. Leave to cool a little before serving.