Maybe I’m dating myself a bit, but I remember a famous ad with the tagline, “The incredible edible egg!” running on television when I was young, presumably to encourage consumers to buy more eggs, which had fallen victim to the great cholesterol scare of the late 70s. The tide has definitely turned and now eggs are back to being one of the healthiest and most versatile foods you can eat. And one of the favorite ways to cook them across all cultures is in omelette form—gloriously pale, gently rolled and flipped onto a plate à la France; lightly golden brown and folded over a generous filling in a nod to America; encasing creamy olive oil-slow-cooked potatoes and onion in a Spanish tortilla; resting atop ketchup-seasoned Japanese fried rice like a soft blanket; or fried until golden, puffy, and crispy around the edges Thai-style. Whatever you fancy, these omelette recipes are sure to inspire you to crack a few eggs.
Classic French Omelette
Mastering the art of encasing delicately soft-scrambled eggs cocooned inside a perfectly pale outer layer is what we imagine every would-be chef learns to do in culinary school. For everyone at home, Daniel takes us through the steps. Once you’ve got the basic technique down, then it’s all a matter of flavoring—like adding parsley, chives, and tarragon for an omelette aux fines herbes.
Soufflé Omelette With Cheese
Don’t be intimidated by the word “soufflé.” It’s actually much easier and faster to cook this airy, fluffy omelette than it is to make a classic soufflé—definitely a showstopper for your next breakfast or brunch!
Florentine Omelette With Spinach and Cheese
This five-egg omelette is cooked American-style until lightly golden with fluffy curds, folded over an ample amount of tender spinach and melted Gruyere or Swiss cheese. It may have a short ingredient list, but it’s packed with flavor and substantial enough to feed two people.
Western Omelette With Bell Pepper, Onion, Ham, and Cheese
Whether you called it a Western or Denver omelette, this quintessentially American classic can be found on just about any diner menu. Here, Daniel browns the vegetables and ham first and adds a pinch of smoked paprika to evoke campfire vibes.
Home-Style Tamagoyaki (Japanese Rolled Omelette)
Anyone who frequents a sushi restaurant or has seen the film Jiro Dreams of Sushi can appreciate an impeccably made tamagoyaki or Japanese rolled omelette. While it may take a sushi master years to perfect the technique, Daniel offers up a homestyle version you can produce with a nonstick rectangular tamagoyaki pan and a bamboo sushi mat.
Chicken Omurice (Japanese Chicken Fried Rice Omelette With Ketchup)
This Japanese invention combines fried rice seasoned with ketchup and a fluffy soft omelette. Here, Daniel adds diced chicken thigh into the mix and finishes the whole thing off with a drizzle of ketchup and Japanese mayo. He also created a pork version of omurice topped with okonomiyaki sauce.
Chinese-Style Layered Omelette
Sho Spaeth’s simplified version of a family favorite comes together in just about 15 minutes using only four ingredients for a satisfying weeknight entrée served with rice.
Tortilla Española (Spanish Egg and Potato Omelette)
Eaten any time of the day or night—hot or cold, as a snack, appetizer, or main course—tortilla Española (or tortilla de patatas) is Spain’s gift to the culinary world. Potatoes and onions are gently cooked in a generous amount of olive oil until silky-smooth, then bound in moist, almost custardy eggs with a golden crust.
Spanish Tortilla with Broccoli, Chorizo, and Onion
Kenji swaps out the potato for broccoli for his take on the classic Spanish omelette, slowly simmering it down in olive oil to achieve the same creamy texture as its starchier counterpart—with much less prep work. For those with a fear of flipping, you can just slide the pan under the broiler to finish it off.
Salt-and-Vinegar Spanish Tortilla With Quick Cheaty Allioli
Inspired by a recipe from Spanish-born chef José Andrés, Kenji uses kettle-style salt-and-vinegar potato chips in place of slow-cooked sliced potatoes in this easy spin on the classic tortilla Española. Sticking with the cheater theme, he doctors up store-bought mayo with a glug of good Spanish olive oil and grated fresh garlic for a quick allioli.
Taiwanese Oyster Omelet
A staple at Taiwanese night markets, this dish takes full advantage of Taiwan’s abundance of briney bivalves. The oyster omelet is served with a sweet, tangy ketchup-based sauce that’s reminiscent of Japanese okonomiyaki.
Khai Jiao (Thai-Style Omelet)
Oftentimes a particular cooking technique can transform a few simple ingredients into a truly wondrous dish—as is the case with this puffy Thai-style omelet. Beaten egg seasoned with lime juice, fish sauce, and little rice flour is poured from a distance above a wok of hot oil to produce a golden omelet with multiple soft inner layers and jagged crispy edges,
Indian Masala Omelet
Great for a breakfast with a side of toast or in a sandwich for a quick snack, this masala omelet is flavor-packed with onions, tomato, coriander leaves and green serrano chiles.
Wild Mushroom and Truffle Muffin-Tin Omelets
Looking for an effortless brunch item? Kerry Saretsky’s recipe requires nothing more than popping a muffin pan filled with beaten eggs and milk, roasted enoki mushrooms, and parmesan into the oven and finishing with a drizzle of truffle oil.