I’ve had this tutorial for egg white omelets on my list for a long time thanks to a few emails from readers and I figured it would be appropriate to post it during the new year when people are trying to eat healthier!
Personally, I almost always eat whole egg omelets. I prefer the flavor and I don’t worry too much about the extra fat and cholesterol. But, if you’re trying to watch those things, switching from full eggs to egg whites can make a big difference, especially if you eat eggs regularly. For example, a full egg has about 190mg of cholesterol in it (Approx 60% of your recommended daily value) and an egg white has ZERO. You also lose all of the fat in the egg (5g) and keep about 60% of the protein.
It’s a healthy switch, no doubt, but it can also be a disaster if you don’t cook it correctly. It’s my opinion that if you can’t make it taste good, very few people will force it down their gullet every day.
So, here’s my method for making a really tasty and fluffy egg white omelet!
Egg White Omelet
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 large egg whites
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
- Salt and pepper
- Parmesan cheese
- Fresh chives
Instructions
- Separate whites from yolks. Feel free to save yolks for homemade mayo or some other purpose!
- Whisk egg whites until they are frothy. You don’t want them to be meringues though, just to have some bubbles and air in them.
- Heat a small omelet skillet over low heat. Once hot add butter and melt.
- When butter is melted, add whisked egg whites and let cook for a minute. Then use a rubber spatula to scrape uncooked egg white to the outside and push cooked egg white to center. It should cook fairly quickly.
- When the egg whites are cooked through (about 2 minutes), season omelet with salt and pepper and add Parmesan cheese to the center (optional). Carefully grip skillet and slide omelet out, flipping the pan as you roll so the omelet folds over itself.
- Top omelet with more Parmesan and fresh chives. Serve immediately!
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Egg White Omelet
Separating and Whisking
I like to separate my eggs by carefully cracking them in half and then letting the whites of the eggs flow out. The yolk should sit nicely in the egg shell. We aren’t making meringues here so if you happen to get a little yolk in with the egg white, it’s no big deal.
I like to use 3 egg whites for one omelet which will obviously leave you with 3 egg yolks. If you happen to be making homemade ice cream sometime soon (or a batch of homemade mayo), keep these!
Add the separated egg whites to a bowl and whisk them vigorously. I used a fancy new copper bowl I got for Christmas to whisk mine, but you don’t need that. Again, we aren’t making meringues so you don’t need the egg whites to hold their shape. You just want to beat some air into them so they are fluffy.
These are looking good.
Cooking the Egg White Omelet
Here’s all you need to know about cooking this omelet: You need a little fat and LOW HEAT.
Personally, I use a tiny bit of butter, but you could also use coconut oil or something if you want.
Set a small nonstick skillet over low heat and let it warm up. Add your butter (or fat of choice) and let it melt. Then pour in your egg whites. Let these cook for a minute or so to start to firm up.
Then use a nonstick spatula to start pushing the cooked egg white to the center. If the egg is really fluffy, it might not flow to the outside, but you can use the spatula to scrape the uncooked egg white to the outer parts of the pan to cook. This will all happen really quickly. It shouldn’t take longer than 2-3 minutes to cook the omelet.
When the egg whites are cooked (you shouldn’t need to flip them or anything), season the omelet with salt, pepper, and a little Parmesan cheese. I don’t really like a gooey cheese in an egg white omelet because it messes with the fluffy texture.
When you’re ready to get the omelet out of the pan, slide it toward the edge of the pan and flip the skillet as you slide it. The egg should kind of fold over itself on a plate!
Boom! This was my finished egg omelet.
I topped mine with a little extra Parmesan cheese and fresh chives. You want to eat it asap while it’s nice and hot!
It has a way different texture than a full egg omelet, but not in a bad way. It’s really light and fluffy if you cook it correctly and a nice change.
That’s all there is too it! I would keep filling simple and enjoy the fluffy texture!
Happy New Year everybody!
- Read my favorite recipes to cook with your kids!
Erin
I love that you paired this (in the photo) with bacon :) All things in moderation!
Nick
That’s how I roll! :)
Sally
I too enjoy the flavor and taste of egg whites. Wonderful omelet!
Michael
Makes A LOT sense to eat egg whites instead of whole eggs and then cook them in butter and add cheese and bacon.
Come on man seriously?
Nick
Hey Michael, most people switch from whole eggs to reduce cholesterol. I said that in the intro and wrote the nutritional stats. Adding a tiny tab of butter and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese still drastically reduces the cholesterol in the omelet and makes it also taste good.
Claudie
“We all eat, and it would be a sad waste of opportunity to eat badly.” -Anna Thomas
Sierra
I am soo very glad I don’t do dishes in your house if you cook eggs without any oil or butter to keep them from sticking.
LadyinLA
Thanks for this. Really helped me make delicious egg whites!
Kathleen
This was delicious, easy, and a good thing to do with leftover egg whites. I filled it with sauteed nopal (opuntia cactus pad), onion, garlic and a bit of Edam cheese. The egg whites had been in the freezer for months; still good. No bacon today, because that’s a Sunday treat. :)
Thanks!