13 Omelet Hacks You Definitely Need To Try
The days of making sloppy omelets are over; whether you want to make the cooking process quicker, less messy, or improve the consistency of the eggs in general, you can use these creative hacks to your advantage. Although omelets have such a basic formula, they're not always a breeze to make and can be quite finicky; this is understandable, though, because egg dishes are typically delicate, and omelets require more care than other dishes like scrambled eggs as they have to remain in one piece.
If you take the traditional route when you make omelets, it certainly requires a higher level of practice and patience. Moreover, sometimes, you nail the cooking process, but when it comes time to fold it or transfer it to the plate, it doesn't go as planned. Thankfully, we've got an extensive amount of options for you concerning omelet-making tricks. From using appliances instead of the stovetop to shaping the omelets after you cook them, your breakfast game is about to step up.
1. Use a panini press
Use Alton Brown's clever hack and cook omelets in a sandwich press. When Brown uses this method, he first cooks bacon on the appliance and then uses the natural grease from the meat to prevent the omelet from sticking. However, you can also use butter or cooking spray to achieve the same result. If you're curious about the exact process, we've got you covered, and you'll be happy to learn that it's straightforward.
Simply scramble your eggs in a bowl first, allow the panini press to come to temperature, and then throw the eggs (along with other favored omelet components) into the press and promptly close it. Don't go too far, though; this omelet only takes one to two minutes to cook, so you need to be ready to remove it from the machine rather quickly. And there you have it, a lickety-split and delicious omelet to start your day.
2. Make the omelet in a bag
This approach is excellent for people who want a uniformly-cooked omelet and less mess to clean up in the kitchen. Cooking food in a bag isn't necessarily a new concept; sous vide cooking is a popular method where you submerge vacuum-sealed bags of food in warm or hot water. However, this method differs from sous vide because it consists of boiling water, which means the eggs cook much quicker than if they were made sous vide style.
Before you grab your nearest Ziploc bag, though, it's essential to know that not just any plastic bag can be used. If you use plastic bags that can't withstand boiling temperatures, the bag can melt, so it's pretty dangerous. Luckily, boil-cook bags are available for this exact purpose; you can also look on the label of any bags you have to see what temperatures the product is safe in. Another important thing is to ensure the plastic is BPA-free because heat forces extra chemicals to percolate into the food as it cooks, according to Healthline.
Luckily, this technique is a cinch if you have suitable bags. First, pour two to three eggs into the bag with any other ingredients you typically top the omelet with, which includes the seasonings. Try your best to get rid of excess air inside the bag, carefully lower it into a pot of boiling water until the eggs are fully set, then slide the cooked omelet out of the bag.
3. Steam it with a cooking lid
Have you ever thought of steaming your omelet? This omelet-making technique is a lifesaver for people who prefer soft omelets that require no flipping. The most incredible part is that you only need a pan lid to execute this hack. Naturally, the underside of omelets directly touch the pan and cook much faster than the top portion. Unfortunately, sometimes the bottom turns brown by the time the open side finally sets.
Of course, you can flip it to prevent this from happening, but not everyone trusts themselves to do so because of how fragile eggs can be; this is where the lid comes into play. When you cook the omelet, place a cover over the pan after approximately one minute to trap steam and create a warm environment. When you take this simple step, any excess fluid on the omelet finishes cooking from the hot steam. From here, you can even sprinkle cheese and then return the lid for a moment to melt it faster.
4. Mix the eggs in a circular fashion with chopsticks
Believe it or not, chopsticks can prevent your omelets from being overly rubbery; the reason lies in how small the chopsticks are compared to other tools, like spatulas. Mixing the eggs in circles while the omelet cooks is a reliable way to guarantee its texture turns out right because the agitation breaks them down into curds. This small action gives certainty that the omelet doesn't overcook in various spots. When you use chopsticks, the curds become much smaller, resulting in the omelet's consistency benefiting from it.
Not only that, but chopsticks also make it easier to flip, fold, or loosen the eggs from the edges of the pan without difficulty; most of the time, spatulas are rectangular, which makes it hard to maneuver around the rounded lip of the pan, but you don't have that issue with chopsticks. Once you cook and fill your omelet and are ready to fold it, gently slide one chopstick under the omelet (after detaching the edges) and lift one side over, covering the other half.
5. Use a waffle iron
Similarly to if you use a panini press, you can make an omelet in a waffle iron; the precise reason why this method is so advantageous is that it cooks both sides of the omelet simultaneously. Furthermore, it only takes around three minutes to cook thoroughly, so you have a hearty breakfast in under five minutes, which is impressively fast. Mix the eggs in a bowl first to scramble them; you can do this while the waffle iron preheats.
If the waffle iron has different settings, you can keep it on the lowest one. Mix in milk and other typical ingredients you lean toward when you make your omelets. Use cooking spray to hinder the omelet from sticking. Pour the eggy mixture into the gadget and close it. What's the best part? The appliance alerts you when it completes cooking, so you don't have to open it prematurely, only for it to fall apart. Wait for the machine to indicate that it is safe to open, then get ready to dig into your perfectly-cooked omelet.
6. Shape your omelet with a dish towel
While there are many tricks for cooking omelets, sometimes it is the presentation you need help with. It can undoubtedly be tricky to fold or roll omelets to look as great as they taste, especially with how delicate they are. Fortunately, you can learn a thing or two from Bobby Flay and how he makes his rolled omelets look top-notch with one simple tip. First, when your omelet finishes cooking, fold it onto the plate with the seam hiding underneath. This way, it doesn't have the chance to open up and reveal what is inside.
Secondly, as Flay does, you can use a clean dish towel to tighten and shape it further. To do so, place the linen over the omelet and use it to tuck it in and make it tighter, almost like a burrito. The clean towel ensures your hands don't get messy and that nothing contaminates the food while shaping it into a restaurant-worthy omelet.
7. Make a microwave mug omelet
Mug cakes are at the top of the list of convenient ways to make sweet treats because of how quickly they can be made. Also, you don't have to use special bakeware and utensils when you make them. Luckily, with the mug omelet hack, the same perks appear. Not only can you cook the eggs in the microwave, but you can add in other components, too, so that your omelet isn't plain. It only takes a couple of minutes to create mug omelets, so it is perfect for when you want to have breakfast on the go or don't feel like breaking out the pans and spatulas.
First, you need to choose a large mug and grease it. Next, add the eggs and milk if you wish; scramble it with a fork before you add any spices or other components. Veggies aren't usually an issue as long as you chop them small enough, but deli meats are best for this hack since they're pre-cooked. Then, cook the omelet in 30-second increments to prevent it from turning tough. In between intervals, stir it to distribute the heat and promote even cooking. It can take up to two minutes in total, but it might take less, so it is wise to keep an eye on it.
8. Cook the cheese on the outside instead of as a filling
If you want to elevate your omelet skills, an inside-out omelet is a fool-proof way. For folks unfamiliar with this food, you might wonder how an omelet can be inside-out in the first place. Well, although you typically add shredded cheese as a finishing touch to the dish, this variation by TikToker @feelgoodfoodie has you do the opposite. You cook the cheese on the outside of the eggs, which produces a crunchy, savory exterior for you to bite into. To start, sprinkle shredded cheese into a hot pan to give this hack a go.
Allow time for the cheese to melt and fuse, turning it into one large cheese mass. Then, add the eggs to the pan to form a separate layer and begin cooking the omelet. If you add the eggs too early, both ingredients mingle, and you don't have the same result. Cook your omelet as usual (without flipping it), and once you're ready, fold one side over the other to reveal the crispy cheese casing.
9. Cook bread into the omelet for a tasty egg sandwich
This omelet hack might become your new favorite way to make egg sandwiches because of how effortless it is. The idea comes from a TikTok user, @caughtsnackin, who posted a video that demonstrates how to make an omelet with built-in bread slices. To make it yourself, you need three eggs and your favorite type of sliced bread. First, cut off the crust so the eggs can soak into the edges for the best results. Next, pour the eggs into a large, hot pan and set two bread slices vertically parallel to each other, then flip them over so that both sides become saturated in the egg mixture.
Cook the eggs until they have some color on the bottom, then turn over the whole omelet, bread slices and all, to finish cooking the other side. Lastly, where the bread pieces protrude from the eggs, stack on any sandwich toppings you want, such as lettuce, sausage patties, bacon, cheese, and more on top. Next, fold in the sides, then fold one piece of bread on top of the other, and you have a fully assembled egg sandwich ready to be enjoyed immediately. This is a tidy way to make breakfast because the pan contains all of the ingredients in one place, and you only need a spatula to fold it over.
10. Air fry the eggs
If you don't like the conventional process of making omelets, the air fryer helps because you can make the egg dish without needing to babysit it the whole time it cooks. TikTok user, @kassandra_cross, shared a video that showcases the process of making an air fryer omelet. In the video, she first mixes eggs, seasonings, and a bit of milk in a bowl. Then, she sprays the air fryer pan and dumps in the egg mixture, followed by chopped peppers, onions, cheese, and more; she cooks it at 400 degrees. Her omelet comes out fully cooked, with the shredded cheese slightly browned, after eight minutes in the appliance.
You can take inspiration from this method to make your omelet, and of course, switch up the mix-ins and add more or less time depending on how brown you want the omelet to be. For example, if you just want the cheese to be gooey instead of browned, you can add it after some cooking time elapses. Furthermore, since cooking takes less than 10 minutes, add pre-cooked meat so you don't have to worry about it not cooking in time. Most veggies, like peppers and onions, can go into the omelet raw, but you should cook heartier vegetables, like asparagus, before you add them.
11. Add baking powder for extra fluffy omelets
You might've heard about the baking powder trick that makes scrambled eggs extra fluffy, but did you know you can apply this concept to omelets? Baking powder is a leavening agent that people commonly use when they bake; it helps baked goods to rise, making them extra airy. When you mix a small amount of baking powder into your eggs before you cook them, it has the same effect. So, if you prefer omelets to be pillowy rather than dense, this is a top-tier hack.
For a three-egg omelet, you only need ¼ teaspoon of baking powder to see results. First, thoroughly mix it into the eggs so any clumps break and distribute. Then, you can cook your omelet as usual, and the final product is guaranteed to impress anyone who has the honor of trying it. Remember that this doesn't work with baking soda since it needs an acidic ingredient to activate it. While there are certain instances where you can alter recipes to substitute baking soda for powder or vice versa, this isn't one of them.
12. Cook the top layer with a broiler
Some folks have trouble cooking the omelet's top layer, but you won't have this issue when you use a clever hack from Reddit. Rather than flipping the omelet or waiting until the top is done (only to find that the bottom has browned), you can pop the pan under the broiler for a moment to speed up the process. In a Reddit thread regarding omelet making, a Redditor called walkswithwolfies suggested this genius idea and noted how the broiler melts the cheese, too.
To try this method out for yourself, wait until you cook the underside of the omelet, but the surface is still glossy-looking. Next, add any cheese if you wish, then remove the pan from the stovetop heat and transfer it to the broiler. Watch it closely because it takes less than one minute for the eggs to solidify and the cheese to melt. Next, add chopped onions, peppers, spinach, or any toppings you wish, then fold or roll the omelet as usual.
13. Add a small amount of pancake mix to the eggs
Some restaurants add a small amount of pancake mix to their eggs to give omelets better structure and fluffiness, which makes them easier to flip and cook; IHOP is an example of an establishment that uses this trick. Aside from the texture improvements, the pancake mix also gives the omelets a sweet undertone that isn't too overwhelming, but pairs well with cheese, veggies, and breakfast meats. You can try this hack out at home any time you wish and adjust the amounts to your liking.
If you plan to make pancakes with your omelet, you're in great shape because you already have the mixture at your disposal. But, even if you don't have pancake mix ready, it only takes a few seconds to make it for the omelet because you need such a tiny amount. For instance, for a three-egg omelet, we recommend two tablespoons of batter. Scramble the eggs with a fork or whisk before you introduce any pancake batter. If you wish to add more pancake mix, you certainly can, but it will be more noticeable in the final product and might be more reminiscent of a crepe in terms of consistency.