How to Make an Omelet

Get all the tips and techniques you need to make the perfect omelet! Customize it to your tastes and enjoy a delicious breakfast.

Making your own omelet can sometimes be tricky. Too high of heat or too long on the pan and you end you up with dry eggs.

Alternatively, if you have too low of a temperature or don’t cook it long enough you risk runny undercooked eggs. Neither scenario is ideal.

Thankfully I’m going to show you how to make an omelet that is out of this world tasty and incredibly easy to get perfect.

But first, just in case, let’s cover the question, “What is an omelet?” An omelet is a dish made with fried beaten egg whites to create a flat scrambled egg. It’s often filled with toppings and cheeses, folded over and then served. Doesn’t sound too hard or crazy, right? 

The fillings inside of an omelet can vary greatly some choose meats, others veggies, or sometimes a mixture of the two. There are thousands of ways to make an egg omelet and all of them are delicious.

Not to sound overly confusing, but there are actually 4 different types of omelets. This method right here (the American method), the French method, Frittata, and a souffle’.

The French method has no fillings at all and is just the egg part, but instead of being folded, it’s rolled into a log.

A frittata is an open-faced omelet with toppings and often baked in a pan while a souffle is made of flavored eggs that have been beaten into stiff peaks and then baked. They can be served as a sweet or a savory treat or dish. 

How to make an omelet

• Melt your butter in a medium sized skillet over medium low heat.
• In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, half and half, salt and pepper.
• Pour the egg mixture into the warm pan.
• Gently move the eggs a little bit at a time in the pan so that the cooked eggs move to the top and the uncooked eggs can reach the bottom of the skillet.
• As the eggs cook more and more, stir less and less so that they form a solid layer.
• Once the eggs are almost cooked all of the way through, sprinkle the cheese and bacon in an even layer over the top of them.
• Cover the skillet with a lid and wait until the eggs are finished and reach 160F degrees and the cheese has completely melted.
• Uncover the skillet and then fold the omelet in half.
• Slide it off the skillet and onto a plate. Cut into 4 sections for serving.

What can I put in an omelet?

Classic fillings include different types of cheeses including cheddar cheese or swiss.

Others include chopped ham, cooked mushrooms or caramelized onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, fresh herbs or spinach, and really any veggie is a good option.

Cooked chicken or leftover roast could be great inside of an egg omelet. It's a great way to use up leftovers in your fridge!

Can I use milk instead of half and half?

Yes, you could. Using milk or half and half work great in omelets because they are what help to make the eggs become fluffy when cooked. Without them, you may notice that your omelet (although tasty) falls a bit short in the end.

Fun fact: A lot of restaurants will actually add some pancake batter to their egg omelets to help them become even fluffier, so if you’re trying to replicate your favorite diner breakfast, and can’t quite seem to get it right, this could be why.