The basis of the Western Omelet is simple: eggs, cheese, diced ham, onions and green pepper. It’s a basic omelet that truly tastes like the West.
Omelettes are so easy to make and can be one of the quickest breakfast, light lunches or, served with a salad, a quick and light dinner.
And there are only a couple of tried and true rules to making omelettes.
- Don’t over-cook the eggs. Eggs are delicate and beautifully delicate in flavor. If the bottom of the omelette browns too much, the flavor can have an off-putting scorched note.
- Cook any ingredients before adding to any omelette and fine chop vegetables. Those small pieces will make a more manageable stuffed omelette.
- We made hundreds of omelettes in Culinary School, following the rules of quick and fast. Once any fillings are chopped and cooked, an omelette should take about two minutes to make, from start to finish.
For this Western Omelette Recipe, we’re the using classic filling of onions, green bell pepper, cheese and diced ham. And we’re making a folded omelette rather than the rolled French version.
Note: This is a great breakfast recipe to use left-over holiday ham.
Western Omelette Ingredients
- Cheese: Shredded Medium Cheddar Cheese is traditional in a Western Omelette. I’ve seen some restaurants use Pepper Jack or Monterey Jack cheese. I prefer the standard cheddar option.
- Eggs: Four large eggs. I stick to my guns and make omelettes like we learned in Culinary School. Two eggs per omelette.
- Ham: Use either a purchased fully cooked ham steak, or leftovers from your Holiday Ham.
- Bell Pepper: Chopped green bell pepper is what is customarily used in a Western Omelette.
- Onion: Yellow or sweet.
- Two tablespoons salted or unsalted butter. You’ll use 1 tablespoon to make each omelette.
Pro Tip: Purchase good quality cheese and grate it yourself. Pre-grated cheese in bags includes additives to keep it from clumping, which will also compromise the melting factor. Grating cheese from a block of cheese will result in a creamier and more consistent melting experience. Plus, it’s less expensive.
Step by Step Instructions, It’s Easy!
- Step 1: Cook vegetables: Spray a non-stick 8″ omelette pan with a little PAM. Heat the skillet over medium heat and when hot, add the chopped onions and bell peppers. Cook, stirring frequently until tender. About 5 minutes. Add chopped ham and cook until heated through.
- Step 2: Remove this to a plate and keep warm.
- Step 3: Break two eggs into a bowl. Using a whisk, beat them until bubbles start to form.
Pro Tip: Don’t over mix the eggs. Mix just enough to combine eggs until a few bubbles appear. If you over-mix it will cause the protein to break down resulting in rubbery texture.
In my opinion, there isn’t really a difference. A Western Omelette and a Denver Omelette are basically the same. And I think it depends on the restaurant and what they want to call it, and where you live. Fun Fact: The Denver Omelette is said to have originated from Chinese immigrants working on railroads in the Western part of the United States in the early 1800’s. It was similar to a dish from their home called Egg Foo Young.
A two egg omelette is easier to make, easier to handle, easier to fold and easier for the filling to set up while cooking. I recommend sticking to two eggs.
American publications and food writers prefer the Western spelling of Omelet. Omelette is the traditional French spelling. However spelled, both are referring to the same egg dish. I prefer “omelette” due to my training in Culinary School.
Tips For Success
- Use a non-stick 8″ – 9″ omelette pan. An inexpensive non-stick skillet is perfect to make any omelette including this Western omelette. Due to the materials used to make non-stick pans, they simply don’t get as hot as your expensive heavy fry-pans used to successfully quick sear meat. That means your omelette is less likely to brown too quickly and over-cook on the bottom.
- This is a great opportunity to practice your knife skills. Chop the vegetables and the ham in small uniform pieces. This not only will make sure the flavors blend well, but is also beneficial when moving the cooked omelette from the pan to a plate. Chunks too big may cause the omelette to fall apart.
- Don’t over-cook the eggs, and let them brown on the bottom. You’ll lose that delicate texture and flavor.
- Want to make this more of a Southwest Western Omelet? Once plated, just use a splash of your favorite hot sauce to spice things up.
- Remember, when making any omelette, less is more. Too much filling will only ruin and break the omelette. Plus you want a nice balance of flavor and texture between the filling and egg.
Western Omelette Recipe
This blend of eggs, ham, peppers, onions, and cheese creates a combination of flavors and textures that can satisfy even the heartiest of appetites. The American breakfast table wouldn’t be complete without a Western Omelette. It’s a beloved classic and a timeless choice for a morning meal.
Related Recipes
And if you’re looking for more breakfast recipes, don’t miss my Breakfast Category. You’ll find lots of eye-opening recipes including the most popular on my site for Pan Fried Biscuits. If you’ve never tried these, you simply must.
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2-Egg Western Omelette Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons Butter salted or unsalted, divided, 1 tablespoon per omelette. 1 tablespoon to cook vegetables.
- ½ cup Green Bell Pepper Diced, divided between two omelettes
- ½ cup Sweet Onion or Yellow onion, diced and divided between two omelettes
- ½ cup Cooked Ham chopped and divided between two omelettes
- ½ cup Medium cheddar cheese shredded, divided between two omelettes
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt per omelette
- ⅛ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper per omelette
Instructions
- Melt one tablespoon butter in a 8" or 9" non-stick omelette pan over medium high heat. Add the chopped bell pepper, chopped onion and diced ham. Cook until onion and pepper are starting to soften and ham is starting to brown. This will take about 5 minutes. Lower heat if needed.
- Transfer vegetable mixture to a plate and wipe out pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk two eggs until bubbles start to form. Add a little bit of pepper per omelette. I don't believe much salt is needed. Ham and cheese are both salty. Melt one tablespoon butter in the omelette pan, swirling the butter to coat the bottom of the pan.
- Reduce heat to medium low. Pour in the two beaten eggs. Let the eggs sit for about a minute. Swirl and tilt the pan so the uncooked eggs in the middle are pouring to the sides to set up. Use a rubber spatula to gently shape the omelette as the uncooked eggs spill to the edges.
- Top one side of the omelette with half the vegetable and ham mixture. Add ½ of the grated cheddar cheese. Let this sit for a few seconds and then gently fold the omelette in half. Repeat these steps to make the 2nd omelette.
- Even if the inside of the omelette seems slightly runny, once the omelette is folded, it should set up the remaining jiggly part.
Notes
- Use a non-stick 8″ – 9″ omelette pan. An inexpensive non-stick pan is perfect to make any omelette including this Western omelette. Due to the materials used to make non-stick pans, they simply don’t get as hot as your expensive heavy fry-pans that you use to successfully quick sear meat. That means your omelette is less likely to brown too quickly and overcook on the bottom.
- This is a great opportunity to practice your knife skills. Chop the vegetables and the ham in small uniform pieces. This not only will make sure the flavors blend well, but also will be beneficial when moving the cooked omelette from the pan to a plate. Chunks too big may cause the omelette to fall apart.
- Don’t over-cook the eggs, and let them brown on the bottom. You’ll lose that delicate texture and flavor.
- Want to make this more of a Southwest Western Omelet? Once plated, just use a splash of your favorite hot sauce to spice things up.
- Remember, when making any omelette, less is more. Too much filling will only ruin and break the omelette. Plus you want a nice balance of flavor and texture with the filling and egg.
Nutrition
Western Omelette … It’s What’s For Breakfast
Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.
Very good omelette making tips and now I’m craving one. The only thing I do differently is that I put the ham and green pepper on one half and the cheese on the other half so it can melt easier.