Easy Frittata Recipe | How to Make the Best Frittata

So you need an impressive yet easy brunch. Or, a breakfast to batch-cook for the week ahead. Skip the made-to-order omelets (skip made-to-order anything) and go with this easy frittata recipe.

Far less fussy than many other egg dishes, frittatas taste just as good cold, room temperature, or warm; and can be packed with just about anything: Canned artichokes? Sure. Pesto pasta? That works too. Truly, load your frittata with any leftovers or other bits and bobs hanging out in your fridge. It’s about as versatile as a recipe can get. Serve it with a salad, toast, or hashbrowns, and it’s a complete meal.

Once you get the basic frittata formula down, you’ll be flipping them out in no time. (Actually, there’s no flipping involved in this recipe—more on that below.)

First: What exactly is a frittata?

A free-form Italian egg dish, frittatas are made by cooking beaten eggs (plus assorted mix-ins) over low heat. Consider it a low-maintenance hybrid between a French omelet (cooked over moderate heat and rolled into a log) and a quiche (savory egg custard baked inside a pastry crust). Unlike French omelets, which should not take on any color when cooked, frittatas develop a golden brown crust—frittata loosely translates to “fried” in Italian, and it should look the part.

Though ingredient lists for this egg dish tend to remain relatively short (eggs + dairy + mix-ins), frittata recipes differ in their method. Some frittatas are cooked entirely on the stovetop, while others get finished in the oven—sometimes under a broiler. Here’s the thing: The stovetop-only approach requires you to flip the giant, still-runny egg pancake in the skillet. If that sounds risky (spoiler alert: it is!), consider transferring the par-cooked frittata to the oven (no plastic-handled skillets!), as we do in the streamlined step-by-step recipe below.

How to make a frittata

The key to a fluffy, not rubbery, frittata is in the technique. Instead of the tricky folding-and-flipping method, our best frittata recipe takes a stir-and-bake approach. Stirring the eggs while they cook builds volume. Transferring the skillet to the oven once the frittata is partially set lets the egg dish cook through and develop a crispy bottom. The resulting dish has a silky texture, falling somewhere between a quiche and an omelet.

• The skillet: For a classic look, we recommend baking your egg frittata in a well-seasoned 10-inch cast-iron skillet, which helps with even cooking and allows the frittata to be released from the pan easily. A nonstick skillet makes for easy serving, but ensure yours is oven-safe before proceeding. A larger skillet will yield thinner frittatas and may reduce the cooking time. Alternatively, you can use any oven-safe skillet or two-quart baking dish.
• The eggs: Our favorite frittata recipe calls for eight whole eggs. While you might be inclined to whip them to oblivion, beat the eggs just enough to blend the whites and yolks. Overbeating can result in a spongy texture and cause the frittata to poof in the oven, then fall when cooling, like a collapsed soufflé or Dutch baby. We recommend large eggs, but if you keep extra-large or jumbo on hand, they’ll work just fine. Medium eggs? Crack in two extra.
• The dairy: Whole milk is responsible for this egg dish’s custardy texture. If you want a richer frittata, swap in half or all of the milk for heavy cream. Or, substitute with sour cream, cottage cheese, crème fraîche, or yogurt to give your frittata some brightness. Avoid nonfat dairy here; you need some richness to achieve a pleasant texture and satisfying bite, but stick with ½ cup dairy—this is a frittata, not a quiche.
• The add-ins: Customize your frittata with cheese, veggies, or any mix-ins you choose. Sauté any add-ins that need to be cooked—including veggies and meats—alongside the onions. For ingredients that release lots of moisture, like sautéed greens, be sure to squeeze out the excess liquid; this helps prevent a soggy frittata. And don’t forget to precook any potatoes you want to add. You can boil, roast, or cook them in the microwave. Don’t worry about them overcooking in the frittata, they won’t cook a ton once they are added to the pan. (Jump ahead to see a few of our favorite combinations.)

• Yield: 6–8 servings
• Total time: 30 minutes

• 3 Tbsp. olive oil or unsalted butter
• ½ cup diced onions
• Assorted mix-ins (see below)
• 8 large eggs
• ½ cup whole milk
• 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. plus ⅛ tsp. Morton kosher salt
• ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1. Place rack in middle of oven; preheat oven to 350°. Heat 3 Tbsp. olive oil or unsalted butter in a 10” cast-iron pan over medium heat. Add ½ cup diced onions and any add-ins that need to be cooked. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk 8 large eggs in a medium bowl with ½ cup whole milk, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. plus ⅛ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper.
2. Pour egg mixture and any uncooked additions into your skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping bottom of pan, just until edges pull away from sides of pan, about 5 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until frittata is puffed and just set (a slight wobble in the center is fine), 10–15 minutes.
3. Remove frittata from oven; let rest in pan 5–10 minutes to fully set.

Frittata is an ideal make-ahead brunch, lunch, dinner—really, anytime—dish (mini versions work particularly well in kids’ lunch boxes). A cooled frittata can be refrigerated up to five days. To store, transfer slices to foil or wrap tightly in plastic. To protect slices, you can transfer them to a large airtight container.