Learn how to make a frittata with this simple guide + 5 recipe variations! Perfect for any meal from brunch to dinner, they're easy and delicious.
A frittata is my #1 favorite brunch item to make at home. It’s easy and versatile, so I thought with Easter coming up this weekend, you may like a frittata recipe idea… or five! I usually make my frittatas with whatever vegetables I have on hand, which means that I’ve tried a whole bunch of various combinations over the years. Below are a few of my favorites along with some tips.
First things first though, you may be asking… what is a frittata? Some call a frittata a crustless quiche (although, I call a quiche a crust-full frittata). It’s an egg-bake filled with yummy vegetables, herbs, and a bit of cheese. If you’re not a savory breakfast person, it’s a quick weeknight dinner option.
How To Make A Frittata
Frittatas are so simple to make! Here’s how:
- Choose a recipe variation below, and start by whisking together the frittata base: a simple mixture of eggs, almond milk (or any milk), garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Then, sauté your veggies in a 10 or 12-inch cast iron skillet just until tender.
- When the veggies are ready, stir in any spices or herbs before adding the eggs. Pour in the frittata base, and shake the pan gently to distribute it among the vegetables.
- Sprinkle your frittata with cheese and transfer the pan to a 400-degree oven.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the eggs are set and the top is lightly golden around the edges.
- Allow the frittata to cool slightly before slicing and devouring!
Frittata Recipe Variations
Part of the fun of a frittata is getting creative with your vegetable and herb combinations. Here are 5 of my favorites!
- Broccoli & Feta (pictured above)
- Roasted Red Pepper & Spinach
- Spring Veggie with Asparagus
- Mixed Mushroom & Tarragon
- Caprese, with Cherry Tomatoes & Basil
Frittata Tips
Follow these tips and tricks to make an A+ frittata every time:
- Spread your veggies evenly throughout the pan before pouring in the eggs. Once you pour the egg mixture in, you won’t be moving the vegetables around much (or you’d end up with scrambled eggs!), so make sure the veggies are spaced evenly in the pan to get a final frittata with veggies in every bite.
- Change it up! Play around with these flavor combinations. If you try swapping in different herbs or vegetables, keep in mind that a good veggie:egg ratio is about 1/4 cup of veggies per egg, or 2 heaping cups of vegetables for 6-8 eggs.
- Use a cast-iron skillet. The best choice for making frittatas, cast iron skillets can safely go from stovetop to oven, and they conduct heat well and evenly. Seasoning a cast-iron pan gives it a non-stick quality, so a well-seasoned skillet will result in the easiest slicing & serving. I like to use an enameled cast iron skillet, which does not require any pre-seasoning. If you don’t have a skillet, go make this breakfast casserole recipe instead.
- Safety first! Don’t forget that when the cast iron skillet comes out of the oven, the handle will remain hot for a while – I’ve learned this the hard way multiple times. Place a kitchen towel on it to remind yourself not to grab it before it cools off. You can also get one of these silicone handle covers.
Frittata Serving Suggestions
If you’re serving your frittata as part of a bigger brunch, mimosas, classic french toast, banana bread, pancakes or muffins, French toast, baked oatmeal, overnight oats, blueberry scones, or fruit salad would all be great choices to go with it.
To dress up individual slices, top them with additional fresh herbs or serve with sliced avocado, dollops of lemony yogurt, or scoops of pesto, pico de gallo or tomatillo salsa.
For a weeknight dinner, I like to serve my frittata with a kale salad and some good bread.
Please let me know what your favorite frittata recipe variations are in the comments. Enjoy!
For more healthy breakfast ideas check out this post!
Frittata Recipe, plus 5 Variations
Equipment
- 10-Inch Cast Iron Skillet (I like to use an enameled cast iron skillet)
Ingredients
Basic Frittata Recipe:
- 6 large eggs, use 8 eggs for a 12-inch skillet
- ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk, or any milk
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt, more for sprinkling
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- Choose ingredients for one of the variations below:
Variation #1: Broccoli Feta (pictured)
- 6 scallions, chopped
- 2 cups chopped broccoli or broccolini
- ⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
Variation #2: Roasted Red Pepper & Spinach
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 2 roasted red bell peppers, chopped
- 2 cups spinach
- ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
Variation #3: Spring Veggie
- 4 spring onions or scallions, chopped
- ½ cup chopped asparagus, tender parts
- ½ cup frozen peas, thawed
- ½ cup halved mini mozzarella balls
- ¼ cup crumbled feta
- ¼ cup chopped tarragon or chives
Variation #4: Mixed Mushroom & Tarragon
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 12 ounces mixed mushrooms, chopped
- ¼ cup chopped tarragon
- ⅓ cup grated pecorino cheese
Variation #5: Caprese
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
- ¾ cup halved mini mozzarella balls
- ½ cup sliced basil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Whisk the eggs, almond milk, garlic, and salt until well combined. Set aside. Follow the instructions to make one of the vegetable variations below:
- Broccoli Feta: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 10 or 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions, broccoli, and a pinch of salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli is tender but still bright green, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the smoked paprika, then add the egg mixture and gently shake the pan to distribute. Sprinkle with the feta and bake 15 to 20 minutes or until the eggs are set. Season to taste and serve.
- Roasted Red Pepper & Spinach: Heat ½ tablespoon olive oil in a 10 or 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot, and a pinch of salt and pepper and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the roasted red peppers and spinach. Sauté until the spinach is wilted, then add the egg mixture and gently shake the pan to distribute. Sprinkle with the feta and bake 15 to 20 minutes or until the eggs are set. Season to taste and serve.
- Spring Veggie: Heat ½ tablespoon olive oil in a 10 or 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions, asparagus, and a pinch of salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the asparagus is tender but still bright green, about 5 minutes. Add the peas, then add the egg mixture and gently shake the pan to distribute. Add the mozzarella and feta and bake 15 to 20 minutes or until the eggs are set. Season to taste and serve.
- Mixed Mushroom & Tarragon: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 10 or 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot, and a pinch of salt and pepper and cook until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, stir, and cook until soft and tender, about 8 minutes, stirring only occasionally. Stir in the tarragon, then add the egg mixture and gently shake the pan to distribute. Sprinkle with the pecorino and bake 15 to 20 minutes or until the eggs are set. Season to taste and serve.
- Caprese: Heat ½ tablespoon olive oil in a 10 or 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot, and a pinch of salt and pepper and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, half the basil, stir, then add the egg mixture and gently shake the pan to distribute. Add the mozzarella and bake 15 to 20 minutes or until the eggs are set. Top with the remaining basil. Season to taste and serve.
Excellent basic recipe that you can add what you have to it.
I had spinach, bell peppers, onion, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and gruyere cheese!
Hi Joy, so glad you enjoyed the recipe! That combination sounds great.
I use Japanese vegetables out of a bag. Chop them a little. Add some onion and bell peppers. With four eggs to two. I top it with cheese before baking. It helps to fry it a little to make a crust to make it easier to get out of pan
Made this last night for dinner. I made the broccoli , orange pepper and feta one.
Even the fussy eaters liked it. It will be put into the rotation.
Fast, easy and tasty
This frittata turned out fabulous. I will use this recipe every time. I made the spinach red pepper variation used fresh red pepper and added zucchini. Absolutely delicious.
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! I have company coming this weekend and was looking for something good to make for breakfast. I want to try all the versions eventually, but I’m definitely going with broccoli and feta this time!
Hi Kim, you can’t go wrong with the variations here! I hope you and your guests love the frittata.
Hi. I may something. What is the oven temp?
I love your variations.
400°
Question please: I live alone and this recipe is too much for me but all of the variations sound so delicious. If I were to cut everything by at least 1/2, will it work? I know that some recipes don’t cook at all the same if the portions are reduced.
I would make it and freeze what you don’t eat.
That should work fine, warranted you use a smaller cooking dish, and keep a careful eye on the time.
That said, frittata keeps really well in the fridge, so like someone said before it’s well worth cooking the whole recipe and keeping the leftovers.
Hi! Can this same recipe be done with egg white beaters instead of whole eggs?
Hi Sonia, I think that would work fine, but we haven’t tested it, so I can’t say for sure whether the timing/ratios would be at all different.
Do you have a vegan version?
Hi Ana, I don’t, but here’s a delicious tofu scramble: https://www.loveandlemons.com/tofu-scramble/
Try making it without milk. You might be pleasantly surprised.
Thanks for sharing the recipe. 🙂
I use this recipe all the time! Thanks for sharing!
I customized with roasted peppers, mushrooms, garlic, shallots, Swiss chard,, tarragon, and raw goat feta from the farmers market. Delicious! And beautiful! Thank you for this very versatile recipe!
I’m so glad you loved it!
Thanks for an easy recipe that I can add to our dinner roster. Love that it’s also vegetarian – I did the red capsicum and spinach version and also added some mushrooms. I also cooked it in a quiche dish cause I don’t have a skillet – worked absolutely fine. Kids loved it – I’m trying to get them to eat more vegetarian so this one’s a winner!
I’m so glad you’ve been loving the variations!
I didn’t have a skillet, so I just used a 10-inch cake pan which worked fine–just needed to sauté the shallots and mushrooms in a pan and transfer to the cake pan. Also, didn’t have tarragon so replaced with fennel and basil which gave it an Eastern/Middle Eastern flavor. Really happy with how it came out. Great addition to our usual weekend breakfast fare.
So glad you enjoyed it! Those changes sound delicious.
Hi Made this delicious casserole and loved it!
Can it be made ahead , cooled and frozen – then reheated?
Would make a great Christmas breakfast 🙂
Hi, So glad you loved the recipe! I wouldn’t recommend freezing it, though you could make it a day ahead and store it in the fridge. Microwave to reheat or serve at room temp.
This is a fantastic mixture! I used the 6 eggs and 1/4 c. of whole milk and the texture was light and fluffy. I made this on a whim, while “glamping” at our tiny cabin, and had limited filling options but worthy of 2-3 helpings: 3 slices cooked turkey bacon, chopped finely
1 full green onion, thinly slices
1 small Jalapeño, finely chopped
and sauted in, 8 inch cast iron skillet, the olive oil for just a few minutes, then added a few dashes of the smoked paprika and stirred it through and then added the egg mixture and blended the saute into it and then 1/4 c. of shredded Gouda on top and baked as instructed. So frigging good 👍 THE perfect egg mixture for a beautifully textured fritatta!
Hi Robin, What a great variation! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe.