diff --git a/esphome/components/ethernet/__init__.py b/esphome/components/ethernet/__init__.py
index 17459cabb65..d9f51c677e4 100644
--- a/esphome/components/ethernet/__init__.py
+++ b/esphome/components/ethernet/__init__.py
@@ -104,6 +104,8 @@ CONF_CLK_MODE = "clk_mode"
 CONF_POWER_PIN = "power_pin"
 CONF_PHY_REGISTERS = "phy_registers"
 
+CONF_INTERFACE = "interface"
+
 CONF_CLOCK_SPEED = "clock_speed"
 
 EthernetType = ethernet_ns.enum("EthernetType")
@@ -191,6 +193,13 @@ CLK_MODES_DEPRECATED = {
     "GPIO17_OUT": ("CLK_OUT", 17),
 }
 
+spi_host_device_t = cg.global_ns.enum("spi_host_device_t")
+
+SPI_INTERFACE_MAP = {
+    "spi2": spi_host_device_t.SPI2_HOST,
+    "spi3": spi_host_device_t.SPI3_HOST,
+}
+
 MANUAL_IP_SCHEMA = cv.Schema(
     {
         cv.Required(CONF_STATIC_IP): cv.ipv4address,
@@ -225,6 +234,24 @@ def _is_framework_spi_polling_mode_supported() -> bool:
     return False
 
 
+def _validate_spi_interface(config: ConfigType) -> ConfigType:
+    """Set default SPI interface or validate user choice against the variant."""
+    if not CORE.is_esp32:
+        return config
+    from esphome.components.esp32 import VARIANT_ESP32, get_esp32_variant
+    from esphome.components.spi import get_hw_interface_list
+
+    has_spi3 = "spi3" in sum(get_hw_interface_list(), [])
+    if CONF_INTERFACE not in config:
+        # Only classic ESP32 defaults to spi3; all others default to spi2
+        config[CONF_INTERFACE] = (
+            "spi3" if get_esp32_variant() == VARIANT_ESP32 else "spi2"
+        )
+    elif config[CONF_INTERFACE] == "spi3" and not has_spi3:
+        raise cv.Invalid("Interface 'spi3' is not available on this variant.")
+    return config
+
+
 def _validate(config):
     if CONF_USE_ADDRESS not in config:
         if CONF_MANUAL_IP in config:
@@ -368,6 +395,10 @@ SPI_SCHEMA = cv.All(
                     cv.frequency,
                     cv.int_range(int(8e6), int(80e6)),
                 ),
+                cv.Optional(CONF_INTERFACE): cv.All(
+                    cv.only_on_esp32,
+                    cv.one_of(*SPI_INTERFACE_MAP.keys(), lower=True),
+                ),
                 # Set default value (SPI_ETHERNET_DEFAULT_POLLING_INTERVAL) at _validate()
                 cv.Optional(CONF_POLLING_INTERVAL): cv.All(
                     cv.only_on_esp32,
@@ -378,6 +409,7 @@ SPI_SCHEMA = cv.All(
         ),
     ),
     cv.only_on([Platform.ESP32, Platform.RP2040]),
+    _validate_spi_interface,
 )
 
 CONFIG_SCHEMA = cv.All(
@@ -408,37 +440,18 @@ def _final_validate_spi(config):
         return  # SPI interface validation is ESP32-only
     if config[CONF_TYPE] not in SPI_ETHERNET_TYPES:
         return
-    from esphome.components.esp32 import (
-        VARIANT_ESP32C3,
-        VARIANT_ESP32C5,
-        VARIANT_ESP32C6,
-        VARIANT_ESP32C61,
-        VARIANT_ESP32S2,
-        VARIANT_ESP32S3,
-        get_esp32_variant,
-    )
     from esphome.components.spi import CONF_INTERFACE_INDEX, get_spi_interface
 
     if spi_configs := fv.full_config.get().get(CONF_SPI):
-        variant = get_esp32_variant()
-        if variant in (
-            VARIANT_ESP32C3,
-            VARIANT_ESP32C5,
-            VARIANT_ESP32C6,
-            VARIANT_ESP32C61,
-            VARIANT_ESP32S2,
-            VARIANT_ESP32S3,
-        ):
-            spi_host = "SPI2_HOST"
-        else:
-            spi_host = "SPI3_HOST"
+        # get_spi_interface() returns strings like "SPI2_HOST"
+        spi_host = f"{config[CONF_INTERFACE].upper()}_HOST"
         for spi_conf in spi_configs:
             if (index := spi_conf.get(CONF_INTERFACE_INDEX)) is not None:
                 interface = get_spi_interface(index)
                 if interface == spi_host:
                     raise cv.Invalid(
-                        f"`spi` component is using interface '{interface}'. "
-                        f"To use {config[CONF_TYPE]}, you must change the `interface` on the `spi` component.",
+                        f"The `ethernet` and `spi` components are both using interface '{interface}'. "
+                        f"To use {config[CONF_TYPE]}, change the `interface` on either `ethernet:` or `spi:`."
                     )
 
 
@@ -528,6 +541,8 @@ async def _to_code_esp32(var: cg.Pvariable, config: ConfigType) -> None:
         cg.add(var.set_clock_speed(config[CONF_CLOCK_SPEED]))
 
         cg.add_define("USE_ETHERNET_SPI")
+
+        cg.add(var.set_interface(SPI_INTERFACE_MAP[config[CONF_INTERFACE]]))
         add_idf_sdkconfig_option("CONFIG_ETH_USE_SPI_ETHERNET", True)
         # CONFIG_ETH_SPI_ETHERNET_{TYPE} Kconfig options were removed in IDF 6.0
         # ENC28J60 was never built-in to IDF, so it has no Kconfig option
diff --git a/esphome/components/ethernet/ethernet_component.h b/esphome/components/ethernet/ethernet_component.h
index c6e37d01ea2..b760ba2af76 100644
--- a/esphome/components/ethernet/ethernet_component.h
+++ b/esphome/components/ethernet/ethernet_component.h
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@
 
 #ifdef USE_ESP32
 #include "esp_eth.h"
+#ifdef USE_ETHERNET_SPI
+#include "hal/spi_types.h"
+#endif
 #include "esp_eth_mac.h"
 #include "esp_eth_mac_esp.h"
 #include "esp_netif.h"
@@ -135,6 +138,7 @@ class EthernetComponent final : public Component {
   void set_interrupt_pin(uint8_t interrupt_pin);
   void set_reset_pin(uint8_t reset_pin);
   void set_clock_speed(int clock_speed);
+  void set_interface(spi_host_device_t interface);
 #ifdef USE_ETHERNET_SPI_POLLING_SUPPORT
   void set_polling_interval(uint32_t polling_interval);
 #endif
@@ -201,6 +205,7 @@ class EthernetComponent final : public Component {
   int reset_pin_{-1};
   int phy_addr_spi_{-1};
   int clock_speed_;
+  spi_host_device_t interface_{SPI3_HOST};
 #ifdef USE_ETHERNET_SPI_POLLING_SUPPORT
   uint32_t polling_interval_{0};
 #endif
diff --git a/esphome/components/ethernet/ethernet_component_esp32.cpp b/esphome/components/ethernet/ethernet_component_esp32.cpp
index a170239e032..d4585bf100b 100644
--- a/esphome/components/ethernet/ethernet_component_esp32.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/ethernet/ethernet_component_esp32.cpp
@@ -158,12 +158,7 @@ void EthernetComponent::setup() {
       .intr_flags = 0,
   };
 
-#if defined(USE_ESP32_VARIANT_ESP32C3) || defined(USE_ESP32_VARIANT_ESP32C5) || defined(USE_ESP32_VARIANT_ESP32C6) || \
-    defined(USE_ESP32_VARIANT_ESP32C61) || defined(USE_ESP32_VARIANT_ESP32S2) || defined(USE_ESP32_VARIANT_ESP32S3)
-  auto host = SPI2_HOST;
-#else
-  auto host = SPI3_HOST;
-#endif
+  auto host = this->interface_;
 
   err = spi_bus_initialize(host, &buscfg, SPI_DMA_CH_AUTO);
   ESPHL_ERROR_CHECK(err, "SPI bus initialize error");
@@ -458,6 +453,11 @@ void EthernetComponent::dump_config() {
                 "  MOSI Pin: %u\n"
                 "  CS Pin: %u",
                 this->clk_pin_, this->miso_pin_, this->mosi_pin_, this->cs_pin_);
+  const char *spi_interface = "spi3";
+  if (this->interface_ == SPI2_HOST) {
+    spi_interface = "spi2";
+  }
+  ESP_LOGCONFIG(TAG, "  Interface: %s", spi_interface);
 #ifdef USE_ETHERNET_SPI_POLLING_SUPPORT
   if (this->polling_interval_ != 0) {
     ESP_LOGCONFIG(TAG, "  Polling Interval: %" PRIu32 " ms", this->polling_interval_);
@@ -760,6 +760,7 @@ void EthernetComponent::set_cs_pin(uint8_t cs_pin) { this->cs_pin_ = cs_pin; }
 void EthernetComponent::set_interrupt_pin(uint8_t interrupt_pin) { this->interrupt_pin_ = interrupt_pin; }
 void EthernetComponent::set_reset_pin(uint8_t reset_pin) { this->reset_pin_ = reset_pin; }
 void EthernetComponent::set_clock_speed(int clock_speed) { this->clock_speed_ = clock_speed; }
+void EthernetComponent::set_interface(spi_host_device_t interface) { this->interface_ = interface; }
 #ifdef USE_ETHERNET_SPI_POLLING_SUPPORT
 void EthernetComponent::set_polling_interval(uint32_t polling_interval) { this->polling_interval_ = polling_interval; }
 #endif
diff --git a/tests/components/ethernet/test-w5500.esp32-idf.yaml b/tests/components/ethernet/test-w5500.esp32-idf.yaml
index 36f1b5365f1..f1551fef603 100644
--- a/tests/components/ethernet/test-w5500.esp32-idf.yaml
+++ b/tests/components/ethernet/test-w5500.esp32-idf.yaml
@@ -1 +1,20 @@
-<<: !include common-w5500.yaml
+ethernet:
+  type: W5500
+  clk_pin: 19
+  mosi_pin: 21
+  miso_pin: 23
+  cs_pin: 18
+  interrupt_pin: 36
+  reset_pin: 22
+  clock_speed: 10Mhz
+  manual_ip:
+    static_ip: 192.168.178.56
+    gateway: 192.168.178.1
+    subnet: 255.255.255.0
+  domain: .local
+  mac_address: "02:AA:BB:CC:DD:01"
+  interface: spi2
+  on_connect:
+    - logger.log: "Ethernet connected!"
+  on_disconnect:
+    - logger.log: "Ethernet disconnected!"