Smoked Salmon Omelette

This easy omelette recipe is a cross between an herb omelette and smoked salmon omelette and makes a delicious, healthy, protein-rich breakfast.

whisking eggs and herbs.

I’ve never understood people who can skip breakfast.  Like who does that??? Not me.

I don’t care if it’s a bowl of rice krispies, a handful of granola, a two egg omelette or stack of chicken and waffles.  Breakfast is a must for me — every day.

This smoked salmon omelette is one that makes an appearance regularly, because it’s healthy, tasty and takes about 10 minutes to make — even if I’m still clearing the sleep from my eyes.

Newsletter Signup
Join our community of food lovers!

Get my latest recipes, helpful kitchen tips and more good things each week in your inbox.

cooking herb omelette in a skillet.

Practical Tips for Smoked Salmon Omelettes:

  • You don’t need a non-stick skillet to make a good omelet.  There. I said it. You need a heavy-bottomed skillet that evenly distributes the heat.  I recommend All Clad.
  • You do need a sparkling clean pan. Sometimes grease can build up around the sides and edges – and despite washing with soap and water, the cooked-on gunk can seem impenetrable.  Bar Keeper’s Friend and a Scotch Brite sponge are the answer.  In under a minute, with just a bit of elbow grease, my pans are spic and span — and ready to make an herb omelette.
  • A hot burner.  Place the pan on the stove and turn it up to medium – medium-high heat and let it warm up for 30 to 60 seconds — then spray liberally with vegetable spray.
  • Don’t fidget. Pour the egg mixture into the hot pan and leave it alone for 30 seconds to set the eggs’ bottom.
  • Tip the pan forward at an angle so the eggs run over the cooked side of the omelet and get more surface area with the pan.  Continue to tip and swirl the pan in a circular motion, so that the excess egg meets the pan and starts to cook.  Use a heatproof rubber spatula to pull the side down from the edge of the omelet, exposing the pan — then tilt the egg mix in the same direction as the newly opened void to fill it with raw egg.
  • Don’t cook the egg completely. The idea is to cook most of the egg by bringing it into contact with the hot pan — it may not be cooked through completely, but if it’s 90% done — that’s perfect.
  • Fold the omelet in half or into thirds — the residual heat will continue to cook it while you dress it.
cooked herb omelette.

Tip the skillet over a plate and slide the two egg omelettes onto a plate. It’s a perfect herb omelet at this point, which you could embellish with a sprinkle of grated cheese or knob of fresh goat cheese, but if you want to dress it up a little more, go the cured and/or smoked salmon route.

cooked herb omelette

I buy salmon in bulk — seriously.  At Costco — I always have a large package in my refrigerator — not those 4-ounce packages they sell for $12 at the grocery store… no, I buy the full one-pound packages, which retail for around $14… Yeah, do the math. 

With a couple of eggs, herbs from the garden and one or two slices of salmon per person, this smoked salmon omelet might cost $2-3.  In other words, a very economical meal.

Lox vs. Smoked Salmon

Let’s talk about the salmon. There are a bevy of options here and frankly, I don’t claim to have a preference for any one type. I‘m an equal opportunity cured/smoked fish lover — but here’s a brief overview of the differences.

Lox are traditionally unsmoked and come from the belly of salmon. Salt-cured, thinly sliced, silky and buttery, this is the salmon you expect from old-time delicatessens.

These days, however, the term lox is commonly interchanged with the “smoked salmon” moniker or, rather, cold smoked salmon, which is the process of curing the fish in a wet or dry salt and sugar brine before smoking at such a low temperature that it imparts the flavor of smoke without actually cooking the flesh.

Different Types of Smoked Salmon:

Nova refers to the region where the fish actually comes from, i.e. Nova Scotia or more specifically, Gaspé and is a bit fattier (think mouth-feel), milder and a bit less smoky.

Norwegian Smoked Salmon: (from Norway – duh) is one of the most popular varieties today, can be farmed or wild from the cold waters of Norwegian fjords and is prepared according to ancient Norwegian techniques. It’s less fatty with an intense aroma.

Scottish Smoked Salmon: more buttery and lighter smoke flavor than Norwegian that comes from oak barrels and chips made from whiskey barrels. Scotch salmon is one of the most prized varieties (and my Scottish grandmother will attest to that!)

Irish Smoked Salmon: – fattier than Nova with a lighter smoke but similar texture.

Wild Western Nova: wild fish, belly cut, usually wet-cured, leaner and firmer than farmed fish.

The reason that I don’t tuck the smoked salmon inside the omelette is simple — it would cook.  In other words, it would fundamentally change the salmon into a firm-cooked fish instead of a buttery, cured and cold smoked fish.  

Layering the smoked salmon on top of the cooked omelette will warm the fish without firming it up and solidifying it like cooked salmon.

This simple herb omelette with tender slices of smoked salmon, a bit of creme fraiche and an assortment of your favorite toppings is a healthy, delicious start to the day or try this smoked salmon omelette for brunch or a light lunch or dinner with a simple salad and a crusty chunk of bread.

More salmon recipes you’ll love:

Also try these easy “egg inspired” breakfasts:

Tried this recipe? Leave a rating and review.

Your comments and shares are invaluable to me and the thousands of readers who use this site daily. If you've made the recipe, leave a star rating and review. We want to hear how you liked it.

We'd love it if you shared the recipe with your friends on social media!

A smoked salmon omelette with creme fraiche on a plate with fresh fruit.
Print Pin
4.50 from 18 votes

Smoked Salmon Omelette

Quick, easy, delicious and SUPER-HEALTHY!  This herb omelette with smoked salmon will rev you up for the day ahead!
Author: Lisa Lotts
Course Breakfast, Main Course
Cuisine American, French
Keyword eggs, herbs, omelette, smoked salmon
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 1

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon fresh herbs – preferably at least 2 or 3 different herbs (such as parsley, tarragon, oregano, thyme, mint, chives)
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 2 slices smoked salmon we like Nova
  • wedge lemon
  • ½ teaspoon capers
  • 1 teaspoon creme fraiche or sour cream
  • chives for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

  • In a small bowl, combine the eggs, herbs, salt and pepper. Whisk until well combined and frothy.
  • Heat a small skillet over medium- medium high heat for about 30 seconds.  Liberally spray the pan with vegetable spray. Pour the eggs into the pan.
  • Lift the pan so that it’s about 1-2″ above the flame and tip the pan in a swirling motion to coat the bottom and sides with the egg mixture. Use a spatula to pull the side of the omelette away from the pan and simultaneously dip the pan to that side so the uncooked egg runs into and fills the empty space in the pan.   Do this several times until the eggs are mostly cooked.  Remove from heat.
  • With the spatula, fold the omelette in half or into thirds (kind of rolling it over on itself. Slide the omelette onto a plate and top with smoked salmon, capers, creme fraiche and chives.  Serve with a wedge of lemon.

RECIPE VIDEO:

YouTube video

NUTRITION:

Calories: 274kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 383mg | Sodium: 1069mg | Potassium: 317mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 540IU | Vitamin C: 1.1mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 3.5mg

“Pin It” For Later!

Quick, healthy & delish, this smoked salmon omelette is a great start to the day. An herb omelette embellished with buttery salmon, capers, chives & lemon. #omelette

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

11 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Delicious! Perfect amount and yet filling!

  2. 5 stars
    I am so in love with smoked salmon, this is such a great idea for breakfast!! I could eat this every day!!

    1. 5 stars
      I just fixed this for our Christmas brunch & my husband says it’s the best omelet he’s had in a long time. I agree. I also discovered the one pound packages of smoked salmon at Sam’s club and keep it on hand in the freezer.

  3. 5 stars
    Omelettes are such a delicious, filling, and healthy breakfast for starting the day. Your recipe looks amazing and I love how the smoked salmon is added after cooking the omelette to retain its nice texture. Can’t wait to try this recipe!

  4. 5 stars
    I am NOT one of those people who can skip breakfast either. I’m REALLY grouchy by lunchtime if it ever happens. I enjoyed reading your omelette tips!

  5. 5 stars
    I love salmon, but I’ve never tried it for breakfast. This sounds like the perfect meal. Delicious!!

  6. 5 stars
    On a recent cruise to Alaska my go-to breakfast every day was a smoked Alaskan salmon with all the fixings! The best breakfast!