7 hours ago
10
My second ever chef job was at Glastonbury in 1997, which is now famous as the “Year of the Mud”. We sliced hundreds of kilos of potatoes, peeled onions until we cried, and cracked and whisked untold dozens of eggs. Back then, you couldn’t buy tortilla in a shop, only from a tapas restaurant, but these days there’s an incredible selection in many supermarkets. I normally eat shop-bought tortilla straight from the packet, but during this taste test, I discovered just how nice it is when reheated in a pan. I tried all these tortillas hot and cold, and even the lower-scoring ones were quite enjoyable when eaten warm.
I judged them on taste and texture, which varied from a dense, firmly set egg to the soft and squidgy centre I love. All were relatively minimally processed, but all lacked transparency regarding the origin of their ingredients – though, thankfully, many were made with free-range eggs, which scored them an extra star. Some were made in the UK and others in Spain, but that didn’t always equate to a better product. While supermarket tortilla can’t quite replicate the fresh-from-the-pan experience, the best come surprisingly close.
The best supermarket tortillas
Best overall:
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Spanish tortilla with flaked pimentón
★★★★★
A small, plump, well-caramelised tortilla with red specks from the pimentón. Beautifully soft-set with large pieces of floury potato and a marvellous, gooey texture, even cold straight from the packet. No onion, but free-range eggs. Packed in Spain.
Best bargain:
M&S Spanish potato & onion tortilla
★★★★☆
Pale yellow, well caramelised and the largest offering in this group. A seductive, soft-set texture with large pieces of floury potato and translucent onion. Clean, appetising, loads of flavour and made in Spain.
And the rest …
Unearthed Spanish potato tortilla
★★★★☆
Bright yellow with a loose texture, thick-cut potatoes, pieces of onion and subtle caramelisation. Rich, oily and well seasoned, with a well-rounded, umami flavour. A one-star 2025 Great Taste award winner made with free-range eggs. Packed in Spain, plus 1p from every pack goes to support Action Against Hunger.
Unearthed Spanish spinach tortilla
★★★★☆
A small, plump tortilla with a subtle caramelisation. Perfectly soft-set with a generous filling of spinach and potato, and made with free-range eggs. A dominant spinach flavour and deliciously savoury. My best splurge. Packed in Spain.
Asda tortilla
★★★☆☆
Pale yellow, evenly caramelised, firmly set and generously layered with fluffy potatoes. Highly seasoned with a nice, rounded flavour, but quite oily. Made with free-range eggs and a blend of sunflower and olive oils.
Unearthed Spanish chorizo tortilla
★★★☆☆
A fat, small tortilla. Well caramelised, with a nice soft set and generous distribution of chorizo. Great texture and flavour, too. Made with free-range eggs and Spanish pork, though there’s no mention of that pork’s welfare credentials, so it loses a star. Packed in Spain.
Lidl Chef Select Spanish potato & onion tortilla
★★☆☆☆
A turmeric-yellow, well caramelised tortilla that’s firmly set and densely packed with thin slices of potato. A strong, savoury flavour with plenty of onion. Made in Spain with caged-hen eggs and a mix of sunflower and olive oil.
Tesco Spanish-style tortilla
★★☆☆☆
Golden yellow with some caramelised spots, firm set, with thick-sliced, floury potatoes. A subtle onion flavour, tasty and well-seasoned, but a bit dry and potato-heavy. Made with caged-hen eggs.
Morrisons Spanish-style potato & onion tortilla
★★☆☆☆
Saffron-yellow with even caramelisation and firmly set egg packed with soft potato. Lightly seasoned, with a subtle taste of onion and olive oil. A little dry, but much better reheated. One of the most economical free-range egg omelettes in this test.
Co-op Spanish tortilla
★★☆☆☆
A nicely formed tortilla with a light, even colour. A high ratio of fluffy potato to egg, and a fresh onion taste. Well seasoned, but not as tasty as the other smaller options.
For more, read the best supermarket feta
