I Tested Famous Omelet Recipes And Found The Very Best One

    Eggs = the ultimate cooking test.

    Jesse Szewczyk
    by Jesse Szewczyk

    BuzzFeed Staff

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    For many chefs, omelets are the ultimate cooking test...

    Food Network

    That's because omelets are one of those deceptively simple things where technique really does matter — it all comes down to the details.

    So in an attempt to perfect my omelet-making skills (and explore techniques I've never tried before), I decided to test five famous methods.

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    This was my lineup:

    1. Emeril Lagasse: Because he makes his omelet in a blender with heavy cream and finishes it with lots of cheese, so it sounded both delicious and accessible.

    2. Julia Child: Because if there's anyone who knows how to cook an omelet, it's Julia Child. Her classic French omelet not only seemed tasty, but kinda magical — you just add your eggs to a hot pan, swirl 'em around, and it comes together without even touching it. I needed to try it.

    3. Geoffrey Zakarian: Because his omelet technique was too weird not to try. He actually adds frozen butter to his eggs and slowly lets it melt in, so I was both confused and intrigued.

    4. Masaharu Morimoto: Because Morimoto is a culinary guru (and an Iron Chef), and his rolled Japanese omelet was something I've never made before. It looked stunning and a bit difficult to make — but would it be worth the effort?

    5. LL Cool J: Because I wanted a wild card. I mean, how funny would it be if his healthier egg white omelet turned out to taste the best?

    Here are their techniques:

    Up first was was Emeril Lagasse. He starts by adding eggs and cream to a blender.

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    Along with salt and pepper, then blends until frothy.

    That mixture gets tossed into a buttered skillet over medium-high heat.

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    Cook until set (smoothing out the top with your spatula during the final few seconds), top with cheese, and fold it in half.

    So, was his diner-style omelet any good?

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    I mean, yeah. It was buttery and loaded with cheese, so what's not to like? The method was fairly straightforward too — it didn't require any fancy techniques and came together quickly. It tasted just like an omelet you would get at a hometown diner — cheesy, a bit browned on the top, but nothing special. It was good, but it didn't wow me — literally anyone could make this.

    Rating: 🍳🍳🍳

    Get Emeril Lagasse's recipe here.

    Up next was Julia Child with her traditional French omelet. She starts by mixing up two eggs with salt, pepper, and a bit of water.

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    She's said that the best and "tenderest" omelet is made with two to three eggs — any more can make it "leathery."

    In a buttered nonstick pan, swirl the eggs over high heat, then — here's the key part — jerk the mixture toward the front of the pan as it sets. (Don't touch it with a spatula!) It might feel weird, but after a few seconds it magically comes together.

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    Transfer it to a plate, brush with butter, and garnish with chopped parsley — if the messiness bothers you, you can take a second to fix the plating, NBD. (You can see exactly how she does it here.)

    So, did the omelet taste as magical as the process of making it was?

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    It did! The omelet was perfectly cooked. It was super tender, cooked through, yet still soft and creamy in the center. The high heat cooked the outside and left the center soft and creamy without overcooking it. It felt strange making it, like it wouldn't turn out right, but it was actually super easy and came together in no more than 20 seconds. This was a textbook-perfect omelet. Bon appétit!

    Rating: 🍳🍳🍳🍳🍳

    Get Julia Child's recipe here.

    Up next was Geoffrey Zakarian. He beats three eggs with an extra yolk and two tablespoons of frozen, diced butter.

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    Zakarian says the frozen butter provides "lift" and makes the omelet "creamier as it emulsifies."

    The mixture goes into a nonstick pan over medium heat, and the eggs are stirred continuously until they're just barely set.

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    Last? Top with shredded Gruyère cheese and finely chopped herbs, roll it up, then garnish with even more cheese and herbs.

    It certainly looked beautiful, but how did it taste?

    Taylor Miller / BuzzFeed

    It was pretty good, but not great. I liked that the eggs were gently cooked and remained bright yellow — it reminded me of Gordon Ramsay's perfect scrambled eggs — but it wasn't as tender as I wanted it to be. Compared to Julia's super soft omelet, this one was a bit tougher. (Maybe my pan wasn't hot enough and I let it sit too long? Unsure.) The cheese and herbs were also overwhelming — it had too many strong flavors rolled into one tiny omelet. Although it looked perfect, it didn't taste perfect.

    Rating: 🍳🍳🍳

    Get Geoffrey Zakarian's recipe here.

    Then came Masaharu Morimoto with his recipe for tamagoyaki (a rolled Japanese omelet). He starts by combining a sweet and salty mixture of dashi, soy sauce, and sugar.

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    Then he adds four eggs, mixes, and strains.

    Then he heats up a rectangular pan (or a regular ol' skillet) over medium-high heat, brushes it with oil, then adds some of the egg mixture. And this is where it gets challenging.

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    As each bit cooks, you'll roll it up and push it toward the end of the pan. Then repeat: Add oil, add more egg, let it cook, and roll it up again (like you're rolling one big carpet). Do this four times, rolling each layer on top of the other until you have one big roll. (Kinda hard to explain, but you can watch him do it here.)

    This took me a few tries to get right, TBH. Was it worth the effort?

    Taylor Miller / BuzzFeed

    Yes! It tasted awesome — unlike any other omelet I've had. The dashi and soy sauce made it super savory while the sugar gave it a pop of unexpected sweetness. Although the eggs were completely cooked and not very soft, it was still super tender and didn't dry out. The design was beautiful, and when you cut into it, it revealed a perfect spiral. This was certainly not an omelet I would forget, and the flavors were perfectly balanced.

    Rating: 🍳🍳🍳🍳🍳

    Get Masaharu Morimoto's recipe here.

    Last but not least was LL Cool J's veggie-packed egg white omelet. He dices up bell peppers and whisks nine (!!) egg whites.

    Jason Merritt / Getty Images, Taylor Miller / BuzzFeed

    He cooks the peppers and spinach in a nonstick pan, then adds the egg whites.

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    Cook until set, fold in half, and transfer to a plate.

    It was bright and colorful, but was it tasty?

    Taylor Miller / BuzzFeed

    Sadly, it was not. The omelet was pretty flavorless, and the spinach and bell peppers didn't save it. It was rubbery, sad, and also purged a whole bunch of liquid as it sat on the plate (which is NOT pretty). I get that this is supposed to be healthy, but it just didn't taste good.

    Rating: 🍳

    Get LL Cool J's recipe here.

    SO WHICH TECHNIQUE DID I LIKE BEST?

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    MY FAVORITE: Julia Child

    Listen, I know this omelet might seem kinda boring, but it's absolutely perfect in its simplicity. Not only was it by far the easiest and quickest to make, but it had a wonderful texture that was still soft and creamy in the middle — a true classic. If you're looking for a delicious omelet that's simple and easy to make, this is the technique for you. Get the recipe here.

    ALSO LOVED: Masaharu Morimoto

    So this is hard to compare to Julia's French method, but I loved it just the same (but in a different way!). It was super savory with the slightest bit of sweetness — perfectly balanced and complex. If you're expecting a standard, diner-style omelet, this is not for you — but if you wan't something with a ton of flavor and are up for a challenge, I recommend you give this a try. Get the recipe here.

    LIKED: Emeril Lagasse

    This one is good, but pretty boring. It's your classic American omelet made with a generous amount of cheddar cheese — so what's not to like? It's standard, comforting, but nothing special (and definitely missing his signature BAM! flavor). Get the recipe here.

    WAS JUST OK: Geoffrey Zakarian

    This omelet was by far the most beautiful, but it wasn't the most delicious. Freezing the butter didn't seem to do much, and the main flavor was the overpowering cheese and herb mix. While I did like this one, I didn't love it and found it to be a lot of work for a mediocre omelet. Get the recipe here.

    NOT FOR ME: LL Cool J

    I didn't love this omelet — in fact, I kinda hated it. It tasted bland and overly healthy, and that's something I'm not looking for in an omelet (but is probably why he has a killer six-pack and I don't). I get that this is a completely different dish (and that egg whites are inherently not that tasty), but I still think it sucked. Sorry! Get the recipe here.

    TL;DR: If you want a classic, textbook-perfect omelet that's moist and fluffy, go with Julia Child's quick and easy French omelet — but if you're up for a challenge, go with Masaharu Morimoto's Japanese rolled omelet, which is loaded with unexpected flavor.

    Watch the whole thing here:

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    What ultimate recipes should we test next? Let us know in the comments below!