American Omelets are flat circles of folded over, lightly scrambled eggs, filled with an assortment of sautéed vegetables, meats and cheeses. They are firm on the outside, and succulent on the inside. They look and taste amazing!
American Omelet Recipe
American Omelet
Equipment
- 1 cutting board
- 1 kitchen knife
- 1 small bowl
- 1 wire whisk
- 2 small seasoned cast-iron skillets
- 1 spatula
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 mushrooms – large, sliced
- ½ cup onion – chopped
- ½ cup bell pepper – red & green, chopped
- 1 tomato – medium, roughly chopped
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 3 slice American cheese – or other mild melty cheese
- 3 slice bacon – fried and chopped (optional)
- ¼ cup parsley – finely chopped
Instructions
- Whisk eggs gently until thoroughly mixed, but don't get too much air in it. Set aside.3 eggs
- In a small skillet, heat butter over medium heat until shimmering, then add mushrooms and sauté until golden brown.1 tbsp butter, 2 mushrooms
- Add onion and peppers, then sauté until soft.1/2 cup onion, 1/2 cup bell pepper
- Add tomato slices, salt and black pepper, reduce heat to low.1 tomato, 1 pinch kosher salt, 1 pinch black pepper
- In a separate skillet, melt the butter over high heat until bubbling. Add the egg wash, then reduce heat to low just as the eggs begin to set.
- Add the cheese, then the bacon and vegetables.3 slice bacon, 3 slice American cheese
- Fold the egg over the filling, and plate immediately while piping hot.
- Add salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.1/4 cup parsley
Notes
PRIVATE NOTES
Nutrition
More Information
Omelet or Omelette?
The French spelling is omelette. The American spelling is omelet. Normally, I would go with the French spelling, because that’s where it originated. But this one has American in the title, so it seems only right to spell it that way here.
The Spanish spelling is tortilla Francesa, which is really confusing because the word francesa literally means French!
Margaret Thatcher: You cannot make an omelet without breaking some balls.
This has me completely scrambled. I will stick with calling it an American Omelet after all. I guess Margaret Thatcher was right…
What’s the difference?
If you want to know the detailed differences between preparing an American Omelet and a French Omelette, this article on Southern Living explains it pretty well. I’ll try to sum it up for you here.
French-style Omelette
A French Omelette is more delicate. Cook a French omelette over lower heat and use more butter. It will not have the light browning that you will find on an American Omelet. Don’t fill a French omelette. Fold it over twice like a crepe.
American-style Omelet
Cook an American Omelet slightly longer over slightly higher heat. It will have a light crusty brown appearance. Add cheese and fillings, then fold it over once, like a taco.
Spanish-style Omelette
A Spanish Omelette, or Tortilla Española, is made with potato, onion, and other ingredients mixed into the egg. Cook it on the stovetop and flip it over halfway through the cooking process.
Pro tips
Don’t over-cook!
Don’t make the mistake of overcooking your American omelet. It should be a bit runny on the inside when you fold it over. The eggs will continue to set with the steam from the hot fillings trapped inside.
Dedicate a skillet to making eggs
Find a small, long handled cast-iron skillet with tapered sides, and a lid. Dedicate this skillet to making eggs, and don’t use it for anything else. Always use butter, and swirl it around before you cook to evenly coat the pan. You can use this for crepes, omelets (French or American), scrambled eggs, sunny side up or over-medium fried eggs. Your eggs won’t stick, and your omelets will release easily every time.
Sauté the fillings separately
Sauté the mushrooms and fillings in a separate pan. Don’t put uncooked fillings onto the eggs while they are cooking. The fillings won’t have enough time to cook through. The uncooked fillings also risk sinking into the egg wash before it sets, which is a sure way to have a blowout when you fold it over. Add cooked and steamy fillings to the egg just before you plate the omelet. This will help the egg to finish setting and will also melt the cheese.
Don’t over-whisk the eggs
Try to whisk the eggs gently without incorporating any air, like you would when making fluffy scrambled eggs. The egg should stay flat and firm when cooked, not fluffy.
Use a gentle back-and-forth swishing motion with the whisk just until the yolk and white is fully incorporated. This will help the egg stay together when filling and folding over.
More Omelet Inspirations
Ham and Cheese Omelet
Sautéed onion, diced ham, cheese, and parsley
Denver Omelet
Sautéed bell pepper, onion, and tomato with diced ham, cheddar, and parsley.
Monterey Omelet
Sautéed red and green bell pepper, onion, tomato with Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese.
Mushroom Swiss Omelet
Sautéed mushrooms, thyme, and Swiss cheese.
Mushroom Spinach Omelet
Wild mushrooms, wilted spinach, gouda cheese.
French Omelette Ideas
Omelette Chèvre et Epinard
Chèvre, fresh spinach, gruyere, béchamel
Omelette Champignons
Sautéed mushroom, gruyere, béchamel, herbs
Omelette Jambon
Diced ham, gruyere, bechamel, rosemary
White Omelette
Egg white omelette with roasted tomato, mushroom, and red onion
Related Recipes
Sautéed Mushrooms
Salsa de Tomate Asado
Perfect Scrambled Eggs
Southwest Tortilla Española
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