Think of this spinach frittata—with its greens, chives and custardy eggs—as a simple alternative to omelets and crustless quiches.
Whether I’m cooking brunch for a crowd or preparing breakfast for the workweek, an oven-baked spinach frittata is one of my go-to dishes. This recipe, written by Taste of Home recipe developer Maggie Knoebel, is a simple matter of whisking eggs with seasonings, adding some flavorful vegetables and combining them in one pan. Maggie adds lemon zest and fresh chives for extra flourish. Finishing the frittata in the oven helps it cook evenly. Because you can serve it warm or at room temperature, it’s nearly perfect.
Served with potatoes, toast and fresh fruit, spinach frittata makes a lovely brunch. Alternatively, you can cook one up on Monday and save the extra portions for quick and easy breakfasts when you’re too rushed to make anything healthy the rest of the week. Either way, it’s an egg recipe we love to keep around for just about any occasion.
Spinach Frittata Ingredients
- Eggs: Rely on the best eggs you can buy when they’re the star of the dish. Let them come up to room temperature before cracking them to cook the frittata quickly and evenly.
- Half-and-half cream: Whisking in half-and-half gives the frittata a luxurious richness, but you can use whole milk for a lighter texture.
- Salt and pepper: The right amount of salt allows the other flavors in a dish to pop without making it taste too salty. Freshly ground black pepper is wonderful in eggs.
- Lemon zest: Lemon zest is full of aromatic essential oils. I like the brightness that some acidity brings to a frittata, so I also include a squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of artisanal vinegar.
- Chives and green onions: Unsure of the difference between chives, scallions and green onions? Chives are characterized by a delicate, onion-like flavor and their slender, grass-like stalks. Scallions can refer to young onions that don’t yet have bulbs, while green onions can describe those same plants as the bulbs begin to swell. In recipes, scallions and green onions are often used interchangeably.
- Parmesan: Use Parmigiano-Reggiano and your taste buds will thank you. The flavor is savory and complex, and it melds beautifully with eggs and spinach.
- Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil is what you’ll want in your frittata.
- Onion: Yup, you read that right. In addition to the green onions and chives, you’ll also add a regular white onion to the frittata. It delivers a little more zing than its more delicate counterparts.
- Spinach: Baby spinach wilts faster, but may be less flavorful than full-grown spinach. If you use larger spinach leaves, you’ll want to give them a rough chop before adding them to the pan.
Directions
Step 1: Make the frittata mixture
Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half cream, salt, lemon zest, pepper, green onion and Parmesan cheese until they’re well blended.
Step 2: Cook the frittata
In a 12-inch broiler-safe skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and spinach. Cook them, stirring, until they’re tender, about four to five minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and sprinkle in the chives.
Pour in the egg mixture. Cook the frittata, uncovered, until the egg is nearly set, four to six minutes.
Step 3: Finish it in the oven
Bake the frittata until it’s set, for 18 to 20 additional minutes. Let it stand for five minutes before cutting it into wedges for serving.
Editor’s Tip: The egg will puff up a bit as it sets in the oven. You’ll know it’s done when you can gently touch the top of the frittata and it bounces back under your finger.
Spinach Frittata Variations
- Try other greens: Any cooking green would be excellent in a frittata, especially chard, baby beet greens, kale or collards. You could use arugula, too.
- Change the cheese: Parmesan is glorious, but pretty much any cheese could be a good fit in a frittata. You can’t go wrong with cheddar, Gruyere, fontina, Gouda or your favorite blue cheese.
- Make it hot: Add chili flakes or swirl a bit of hot sauce into the egg mixture to add some heat. You could also add the hot sauce to individual servings if your dining companions don’t like spice.
- Mix in more veggies: Frittata can be made with any of your favorite vegetables, like cherry tomatoes, roasted peppers, sauteed zucchini or eggplant, artichoke hearts, or roasted broccoli or cauliflower.
How to Store Spinach Frittata
Store the spinach frittata in an airtight container for three to four days.
How should you reheat spinach frittata?
Reheat this egg and spinach frittata in a 350-degree oven. You can use a microwave, but you’ll risk making the eggs tough and rubbery.
Spinach Frittata Tips
Can you cut this recipe in half?
If you want to make a smaller portion of spinach frittata, halve the recipe and cook it in a 6- or 8-inch skillet.
What can you serve with a spinach frittata?
Spinach frittata is excellent when served with a starch, such as breakfast potatoes or Southern buttermilk biscuits. There’s no meat in this recipe, so if you like ham, sausage or bacon, those would make a nice accompaniment as well. Finish the meal with a minted fruit salad.
Ingredients
- 12 large eggs, room temperature, beaten
- 1 cup half-and-half cream
- 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 8 ounces fresh spinach
- 1 tablespoon minced chives
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, half-and-half, salt, lemon zest, pepper, green onion and parmesan cheese until blended.
- In a 12-in. broiler-safe skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and spinach; cook and stir until tender, 4-5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; top with chives. Pour in egg mixture. Cook, uncovered, until nearly set, 4-6 minutes.
- Bake until set, 18-20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut into wedges.
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