This Spanish huevos rotos recipe is traditional from the Galicia region of Spain but you can get a big plate of this yumminess in almost every corner of Spain.
This plate features a base of crunchy fry potatoes, topped with serrano ham or prosciutto and soft yolk fried eggs. The runny yolk will create a kind of “sauce” over the fry potatoes that results heavenly.
This is the reason why this dish is called “huevos rotos”, which literally means broken eggs. The eggs must have that soft yolk that is going to be broken at the time of eating the potatoes.
This creates that mushy, messy and really tasteful result.
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What type of oil used for huevos rotos?
This recipe uses a lot, I mean A LOT of olive oil. To fry all the potatoes and then the eggs (you don’t need to change the potato oil to fry the eggs) you will need almost a full cup of olive oil.
Another type of oil will give a different type of flavor. Therefore, the authentic Spain touch for huevos rotos is to fry the ingredients only using extra virgin olive oil.
How to cut the potatoes?
You can choose between thin cut lengthwise potatoes — Like in the photo below — or french fries type of cut. Either way, the important thing is to fry in batches to avoid potatoes sticking to each other and to make sure that the potatoes are crunchy on the outside and soft inside.
I like to put my fried potatoes over an absorbent towel to reduce a little bit the amount of oil in the plate. You know, to absorb the guilt.
After that, the last step is to fry the eggs. Carefully place the eggs into the oil without breaking the yolks. Then cover with a lid or foil. This will allow the top part of the egg to cook without the need to flip the egg.
How to make huevos rotos?
The base of this dish will be our crunchy fried potatoes, then we add serrano ham in thin slices and top we fried eggs. Sprinkle some salt, pepper, and paprika and it’s ready to serve.

- 3 big potatoes
- 4 medium eggs
- 100 gr Serrano ham or prosciutto
- 1 cup olive oil
- Paprika
- Salt and pepper
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Cut the potatoes into slices and fry them into the hot olive oil. When the potatoes are crispy and slightly brown, place them over a towel and keep them warm.
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Fry the eggs in the same oil that you use for the potatoes. Cover with a lid while frying.
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In a deep big plate place the potatoes in the base. Cover with serrano ham and top with the fry eggs. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika.
Owner and Food blogger on The Cookware Geek. She loves cooking, baking, traveling, playing with the cats, and knitting. She believes that eating delicious meals doesn’t require a culinary degree or a Michelin-star chef in your kitchen.