Frittata Recipe (Breakfast)

A frittata is the breakfast I make when I want something that feels special but takes almost no effort. Eggs, whatever vegetables are in the fridge, and a handful of cheese, all cooked in one skillet and finished in the oven until golden and puffed.

It is the Italian answer to the omelette, except it is easier. There is no folding, no flipping, and no worry about the eggs breaking. You pour the eggs over the vegetables, let the edges set, and the oven does the rest.

It takes about 25 minutes from start to finish, serves four, and works for breakfast, brunch, or a light dinner. Slice it like a pie and serve it warm, straight from the skillet.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It is one pan, start to finish. The vegetables saute, the eggs set, and the whole thing finishes in the oven in the same skillet. Fewer dishes, faster cleanup.

It is forgiving. A frittata does not care if you swap the vegetables, use a different cheese, or add leftover ham. As long as the eggs and the pan are right, it turns out well.

It feeds a crowd without fuss. One skillet serves four, and it slices neatly for a brunch table. Double it in a bigger pan and you can feed eight.

It is great for meal prep. A slice reheats beautifully, so make one on Sunday and eat it for breakfast all week. It holds up in the fridge for days.

And it looks impressive. A golden, puffed frittata in a cast iron skillet, scattered with green onions, looks like something from a cafe.

Ingredients

For 4 servings:

• 8 large eggs
• 1/4 cup milk or heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onions or chives, for serving

How to Make It

1. Preheat the oven: Set the oven to 375°F (190°C). Make sure your skillet is oven-safe. A 10-inch cast iron or oven-safe nonstick skillet is ideal.
2. Saute the vegetables: Heat the olive oil and butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and mushrooms and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until softened and lightly golden. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
3. Wilt the spinach: Add the spinach and cherry tomatoes and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, just until the spinach wilts. Spread everything in an even layer across the pan.
4. Whisk the eggs: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk, salt and pepper until the yolks and whites are fully combined and slightly frothy. Stir in the mozzarella.
5. Pour and settle: Pour the egg mixture evenly over the vegetables. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top. Let it cook on the stove for 2 to 3 minutes, without stirring, until the edges just start to set.
6. Finish in the oven: Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the center is set and the top is lightly golden and puffed. It should not jiggle when you shake the pan gently.
7. Rest before slicing: Let the frittata rest in the pan for 3 to 5 minutes. It will settle slightly as it cools, which makes it easier to slice cleanly.
8. Serve warm: Scatter the green onions over the top, slice into wedges like a pie, and serve warm, straight from the skillet or slid onto a plate.

Cooking Tips / Variations

Do not overcook it. A frittata is done when the center is just set and still looks slightly moist. It keeps cooking in the hot pan after it leaves the oven, so pull it out a minute early rather than a minute late.

Use an oven-safe skillet. If your pan has a plastic handle, wrap it tightly in foil, or transfer the eggs to a buttered pie dish before baking. Cast iron is the classic choice because it goes from stove to oven with no trouble.

Dry the vegetables before the eggs go in. Mushrooms and spinach release water, and wet vegetables make a watery frittata. Cook them until the pan looks dry, then pour in the eggs.

For a weekend breakfast spread, our aebleskiver recipe makes sweet Danish pancake balls that sit beautifully next to a savory frittata. And if you like make-ahead egg breakfasts, our starbucks egg bites recipe uses the same idea in a grab-and-go form.

Serving or Storage Tips

Serve the frittata warm, in wedges, with toast, fresh fruit, or a simple green salad. It is good at room temperature too, which makes it perfect for brunch tables and picnics.

Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 4 days in a sealed container. Reheat slices in a 325°F oven for about 10 minutes, or in the microwave for 45 seconds.

To freeze, wrap cooled slices individually and store for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the oven. The texture stays surprisingly good.

It also makes a great light dinner. Add a salad and some crusty bread, and a breakfast dish becomes an easy evening meal with almost no extra work.

Conclusion

A good frittata is mostly about restraint: vegetables cooked dry, eggs whisked well, and the pan pulled from the oven the moment the center sets.

Saute, pour, bake, rest, slice. That is the whole method.

Frittata (Breakfast)

A golden one-skillet breakfast frittata with eggs, spinach, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and melted cheese.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 8 large eggs
• 1/4 cup milk or heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 small onion diced
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes halved
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onions or chives for serving

Method

 

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Use a 10-inch oven-safe skillet, ideally cast iron.
2. Heat the olive oil and butter in the skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion and mushrooms for 4 to 5 minutes until softened and lightly golden. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
3. Add the spinach and cherry tomatoes and cook 1 to 2 minutes until the spinach wilts. Spread everything in an even layer.
4. Whisk the eggs with the milk, salt and pepper until fully combined and slightly frothy. Stir in the mozzarella.
5. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the vegetables and sprinkle the Parmesan on top. Cook on the stove for 2 to 3 minutes, without stirring, until the edges just start to set.
6. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the center is set and the top is lightly golden and puffed.
7. Rest the frittata in the pan for 3 to 5 minutes so it settles and slices cleanly.
8. Scatter green onions over the top, slice into wedges and serve warm.

Notes

Do not overcook; pull the frittata out when the center is just set, as it keeps cooking in the hot pan. Cook the vegetables until the pan looks dry so the frittata is not watery. Use an oven-safe skillet; cast iron is ideal. Swap the filling with ham, sausage, peppers, zucchini, feta or goat cheese, keeping total vegetables to about 2 cups. Leftovers keep 4 days in the fridge and reheat well in a 325°F oven.