How to Make an Omelette
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This easy-to-make classic French Omelette recipe is loaded with ham and shredded cheddar cheese for the perfect breakfast. You will love how quickly this comes together, not to mention it’s a great way to use leftover ham.
This is one of my favorite things to eat for breakfast. It’s incredibly easy to make, and you can customize them with all your favorite ingredients. If you love breakfast as much as I do, try my Chilaquiles or Corned Beef Hash.
Omelette
An omelette is a classic French recipe consisting of eggs with salt and pepper whisked together until combined and then cooked in some butter in a nonstick skillet. You then fold it over, and it becomes long and narrow in shape and is smooth on top, with a few layers of cooked eggs in the middle. Often, they are cooked with meat, cheese, and vegetables.
I’ve spent most of my professional chef career making and serving omelets at brunches. Everyone in the restaurant industry has worked at this station before. While I was annoyed back then, I certainly learned this classic French technique to perfection, so now it’s your turn, and you won’t believe just how easy it is.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Eggs – You will need large chilled or room-temperature eggs.
- Seasoning – I use only coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper.
- Butter – I always use unsalted butter in my cooking and baking to control the sodium content and not a butter company.
- Cheese – Sharp or mild cheddar works well. American, Swiss, gruyere, comté, or gouda are other great options. Feel free to get creative with this.
- Optional Ingredients – My favorite omelette ingredients include ham, Boursin cream, onions, garlic, mushrooms, asparagus, bell peppers, herbs, and spinach.
How to Make an Omelette
Start by whisking some eggs, salt, and pepper together with a fork or whisk until completely combined. The yolks and whites should be emulsified together.
Next, simply add in your small diced leftover ham and give it a quick mix together. Set aside.
Add unsalted butter to a non-stick pan over low heat until it has melted. You may notice a few bubbles from the perfect butter!
Pour in your eggs and immediately grab the handle with one hand and move it back and forth while whisking the egg mixture with your other hand using either a fork or a rubber spatula.
You’ll notice that the eggs will form a cooked bottom layer while the top part is a little soft and undercooked. This is perfect; stop mixing. You do not want to break that bottom-cooked layer.
Sprinkle your cheddar cheese all over the top of the eggs.
Starting from the top of the pan, while tilting it down, scrape under the bottom cooked layer and fold over gently.
Garnish with optional chopped parsley and chives.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: This is meant to be eaten as soon as it’s done cooking.
How to Store: The omelette can be stored in the refrigerator covered in plastic for up to 2 days. This will not freeze well.
How to Reheat: Add your desired portion to a pan, cover it with foil, and heat it in the oven at 350° for 4-6 minutes or until hot.
chef notes + tips
- Use a non-stick skillet to make this recipe; preferably, it should be 10”.
- In a classic recipe, there is no need to add any milk or cream. It is whisked eggs. That said, you can add some milk or cream if you’d like to enhance the flavor and extend the amount of your recipe.
- Do not limit yourself to the ham and cheese once you perfect the technique; feel free to add your favorite vegetables, proteins, or cheeses.
More Breakfast Recipes
Video
How to Make an Omelette
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- ¼ cup of small diced cooked ham
- 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- sea salt and cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the eggs, salt, and pepper until completely combined. The yolks should be emulsified with the whites.
- Next, add in the ham and give it a quick mix.
- Add some butter to a non-stick skillet over low heat until melted.
- Pour in the egg mixture and move the pan back and forth with 1 hand while constantly mixing the eggs with your other hand using a fork or spatula.
- Cook it until a bottom layer of cooked eggs is formed and it is soft and slightly undercooked on top.
- Sprinkle on the cheese.
- Tilt the pan and gently fold the omelette over, creating rolled-up layers of cheesy eggs.
- Garnish with optional chopped parsley and chives.
I love both sweet and savoury crepes…this is my go to recipe…thank you Chef!
So good!!
how could you go wrong with a recipe like this for taste? it was scrumptious.. my technique however needs some practice. Thank you for the inspiration. I had ham just waiting for a purpose
Is there a non-stick pan you recommend?
green pan or made in
One of my favorite memories of our trip to Paris is breakfast at the corner restaurant outside and eating ham and cheese omelets and a warm croissant. Mmmm.
First one tasted delicious but didn’t look very pretty. Second one I stuck under the broiler for a few seconds after it started to form a crust underneath. That one turned out absolutely perfect!
practice makes perfect
Can you use olive oil instead of butter?
yes