My family loves my fried-egg 'omelets,' and they're surprisingly easier to make than the real thing (2024)

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Most of the ingredients are really up to you.

The base of the recipe is just two eggs. You could try it with three, but be warned, it may be a harrowing experience.

As for the other ingredients, my favorite combination is chopped bacon, chives or green onions, diced tomatoes, and a sprinkling of cheddar or Mexican-blend cheese.

But you can make a fried-egg omelet with just about anything you want — mushrooms, spinach, bell peppers, onions, etc.

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I start by prepping the eggs.

My first big tip is to ensure the yolks stay intact when you crack the eggs. Otherwise, it won't really be a fried egg.

I always crack one egg into my egg cup (yes, I have a dedicated egg cup), then add half of the ingredients that need the least cooking, usually chives and tomatoes.

Then, I add the other egg and the rest of those ingredients. This helps them spread out more evenly across the eggs, though you will have some leeway to maneuver things as the eggs cook.

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Before throwing the mixture in a pan, I cook up anything that needs extra time.

The next secret is timing when each ingredient gets added to the mix.

I add the chopped bacon to the pan first. If you're using onion, bell pepper, or anything that needs a bit of extra time to cook, add that to the heat before the eggs.

I just try to make sure the ingredients in the pan stay rather close together so the omelet can come together.

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Once everything's ready, carefully pour the egg mixture into the pan.

Next, pour the egg mixture on top of the bacon (or onions or what have you).

Then, use a fork or similar implement to carefully distribute the ingredients evenly around the egg whites.

A good, hot pan helps this recipe along — think sizzling-bacon hot, not grease-fire hot.

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Let the eggs firm up well before flipping.

The key to a good fried-egg omelet is not flipping the eggs too soon. I recommend waiting about two minutes.

Flip prematurely, and the eggs will likely lack the structural integrity for a smooth, even flip.

If the half-cooked omelet falls apart, it's basically impossible to repair it. But, you can still mix everything up and turn it into a plate of fancy scrambled eggs, so it's not a total loss.

Using a spatula, carefully free the eggs from the pan by working around the edges, then get the spatula under the eggs and flip them right over.

If everything is successful, the ingredients that were under the eggs should have blended into the whites.

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I finish it off with a sprinkle of cheese and serve.

As soon as the eggs are flipped, I sprinkle cheese on top and let things cook for about a minute. If you like runnier yolks, take it off the heat sooner.

And that's it. You have a perfectly customized fried-egg omelet — or, depending on how things went, a beautiful plate of scrambled eggs.

I typically top mine with pepper and hot sauce and serve it with toast.