Denver Omelet

Updated Jan. 18, 2024

Denver Omelet
Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist:Frances Boswell.
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
4(506)
Comments
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The Denver omelet — a diner classic of eggs, bell peppers, onions, ham and often cheese — actually began as a sandwich made with those ingredients in the American West in the late 19th century. Its exact origins are fuzzy, but some historians think it was a modification of egg foo yong made by Chinese laborers working the transcontinental railroad, or a scramble made by pioneers masking spoiled eggs with onions. (Bell peppers were likely a later addition.) When the sandwich became popular in Utah, it was named the Denver sandwich after Denver City, Utah. By the 1950s, the Denver was one of the most popular sandwiches around, and at some point in the mid-20th century, diners swapped the sandwich bun for a knife and fork.

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Ingredients

Yield:2 servings
  • 6large eggs
  • Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
  • 2tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1small green bell pepper, seeds and stem removed, finely chopped (about ¾ cup)
  • 1small yellow onion, finely chopped (about ¾ cup)
  • Black pepper
  • 4ounces ham steak or Canadian bacon, coarsely chopped
  • ounces coarsely grated Monterey Jack or pepper Jack (heaping ⅓ cup)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)

532 calories; 37 grams fat; 18 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 7 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 41 grams protein; 1876 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and ½ teaspoon salt; set aside.

  2. Step 2

    In a medium (10-inch) nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high. When foaming, add the bell pepper and onion, season lightly with salt and pepper and stir to coat in the butter. Shake into an even layer and cook, undisturbed, until browned underneath, 2 to 3 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Add the ham and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the mixture to another medium bowl, add the cheese, and stir to combine.

  4. Step 4

    Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium-low. Add ½ tablespoon butter and swirl to coat the pan. Whisk the egg mixture and pour half into the skillet. Cook without touching until the eggs around the edges of the pan are set, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Using a spatula, slightly pull the edge of the omelet in toward the center and, while holding the spatula in place, tilt the pan so that the egg runs to the empty skillet. Repeat this around the edge of the whole circle until the surface is nearly set but still shiny. (No runny egg will travel when you tilt the pan.)

  5. Step 5

    Spoon half the vegetable mixture onto half the egg, cover the skillet with a lid or baking sheet, and cook until the egg is set and the cheese is melted, 1 to 3 minutes. Run the spatula around the edges, then fold the naked half over the filling. Slide the omelet onto a plate, then repeat with the remaining butter, egg and filling.

Ratings

4 out of 5
506 user ratings
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Comments

In NYC it is called a western omelette on all the Greek diner menus I’ve seen but you have to ask for and pay extra to add cheese. They usually mix the ham, onion and pepper into the eggs but serve it as a folder over omelette even though nothing is stuff inside. Ate it all through my childhood in NYC. I tried it per above and was surprised to fine i prefer the diner method of mixing the filling mixed into the egg.

... a scramble made by pioneers masking spoiled eggs with onions." You can't mask spoiled eggs with anything. The odor is overwhelming and sickening. No one would eat a spoiled egg, even under starvation conditions. And there is no such thing as an egg that is just turning. An egg that turns turns all the way.

I've always known it as a Western as well here in Canada, especially in Quebec. Wonder which name came first...

Has anyone ever tried to make this into a quiche?! I want to try it this weekend!

I love a good Denver omelette, and this is delicious. But the instructions here are far more fiddly than necessary. Just mix the cooked veg and cheese straight into the eggs and cook it all together. Simpler and every bite has the yummy goodness in it.

I used to make this, we called it a Western sandwich, for my older brother almost every night when he was in high school. He was growing and needed nourishment. He had teenage male malaise so he needed me to do the cooking. Almost sixty years ago!

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