Omelettes are a brilliant thing to make for breakfast, lunch or a light dinner (or a whole dinner, if you have a salad on the side) and this cheese and chorizo omelette is one to store in your repertoire.
It’s ready in 10 minutes, it’s blimming delicious, you only need one pan AND it uses only 4 ingredients (chorizo, eggs, chives and cheese). A chorizo omelette is the perfect thing to whip up when you’re in a hurry, feeling lazy or just fancy something low effort.
I love to make this omelette for brunch, especially when I’m only making it for myself. It feels special without requiring any special skills, and uses up spare chorizo from when I’ve been making one of my chorizo recipes.
The recipe below serves one, but to serve more, simply multiply the ingredients by however many you’re serving and make everyone their own individual omelette in turn.
Why This Omelette Works So Well
Omelettes don’t need to be complicated to be good! In fact, I’d argue the opposite.
This one works because each ingredient is doing something useful.
The chorizo crisps up in the pan and releases that gorgeous smoky oil. That oil flavours the eggs and means you don’t need to add any extra fat.
The cheese melts into the omelette and softens the spice of the chorizo.
And the chives add just enough freshness to stop the whole thing feeling too rich.
It’s a very simple combination – but one that works beautifully.
Ingredients, Substitutions and Variations
You only need a handful of ingredients here, but it’s worth choosing good ones.
- Chorizo – Use any type you like. I tend to go for a slightly spicy Spanish-style chorizo because it releases plenty of flavourful oil when cooked.
- Eggs – Two large eggs make a perfectly sized omelette for one person.
- Chives – These add a gentle onion flavour without overwhelming the omelette. If you don’t have chives, spring onions or parsley also work nicely.
- Grated cheese – Any good melting cheese works here. I used cheddar, but Gruyère, mozzarella or even a little Parmesan would all be lovely.
Top Tips
This recipe is wonderfully simple, but a few small things make it even better.
- Let the chorizo cook properly first – This is important. Chorizo needs a few minutes in the pan to crisp up and release its oils. Those oils are what flavour the eggs and stop them sticking. If you add the eggs too soon, you miss out on all that lovely flavour.
- Keep the heat sensible – Eggs really don’t like aggressive heat. Cook the omelette over medium heat and it will stay soft and tender instead of turning rubbery.
- Leave the centre slightly soft – The omelette will carry on cooking a little once it’s folded. So if you cook it until it’s completely firm in the pan, it can end up a bit dry. A slightly soft centre is perfect.
How to Cook the Omelette
Crack the eggs in a bowl, add the chopped chives and whisk together.
Fry the chorizo in a non stick frying pan until crisp and golden. This will release the oils that the egg will cook in.
Tip in the egg and move it gently around the pan so that it covers the whole surface of the pan.
Sprinkle grated cheese over the egg.
Use a spatula to gently fold the omelette in half, and it’s ready!
Troubleshooting Your Omelette
If your omelette hasn’t turned out quite how you expected, don’t worry – these things are easily fixed.
My omelette went rubbery – This usually happens if the eggs are cooked on heat that’s too high. Eggs like gentle heat, so keep the pan at medium rather than high.
My omelette stuck to the pan – Two likely causes: the pan wasn’t non-stick or the chorizo didn’t release enough oil ye. Let the chorizo cook properly before adding the eggs.
My omelette tore when I folded it – This usually happens if you try to fold it too early. Wait until the base has set and the omelette moves easily in the pan before folding.
My omelette tasted too salty – Some chorizos are quite salty already. If that happens, simply skip adding salt to the eggs – the chorizo usually provides plenty of seasoning on its own.
What to Serve With a Chorizo Omelette
This omelette is perfect on its own, but it’s also lovely with a few simple sides.
Some favourites are:
• toasted sourdough
• roasted tomatoes
• a simple green salad
• avocado slices
If you’re making it for dinner rather than breakfast, a quick salad on the side turns it into a really satisfying meal (and why not check out my other breakfast for dinner recipes!).
Variations You Can Try
Once you’ve made this omelette once, it’s very easy to tweak depending on what’s lurking in the fridge. Omelettes are wonderfully forgiving things, they’re basically designed for using up bits and pieces.
Here are a few combinations I’ve made that work particularly well.
- Chorizo and Mushroom Omelette – Add a handful of sliced mushrooms to the pan with the chorizo and let them cook down together. The mushrooms soak up that lovely smoky chorizo oil and become absolutely delicious.
- Chorizo and Spinach Omelette – Stir a handful of spinach into the chorizo just before adding the eggs. It wilts down beautifully and makes the omelette feel slightly more virtuous – which is never a bad thing when cheese and chorizo are involved.
- Chorizo and Potato Omelette – Add a few small cubes of cooked potato for a rustic/traditional version. This is especially good if you’ve got leftover potatoes from dinner the night before. Suddenly your quick omelette turns into something much more substantial.
More Quick Egg Recipes
If you enjoy quick egg-based meals like this (which I certainly do), you might also like a few of my other favourites:
They’re all the sort of recipes I make when I want something comforting and properly satisfying, but don’t particularly feel like spending ages in the kitchen.
Cheese and Chorizo Omelette
Ingredients
- 25 grams chorizo
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon chopped chives
- 25 grams grated cheese
Instructions
- Finely dice the chorizo. Add to a non stick pan over a medium heat and cook until the oil has been released and the chorizo starts to crisp – about 3-4 minutes.
- Meanwhile, crack the eggs into a bowl. Add the chives and season with salt and pepper. Stir with a fork – breaking the yolks – until combined.
- When the chorizo is cooked, pour the eggs into the pan. Move the pan around so that the egg forms a thin, complete layer over the base. Sprinkle the cheese on top.
- Leave to cook for 2 minutes until the bottom of the egg is cooked. Then, use a spatula to fold half of the omelette over the other. Cook for another 2 minutes. Done!
Video
Notes
The chorizo releases plenty of smoky oil as it cooks, which is exactly what the eggs should cook in. Adding extra oil usually just makes the omelette greasy. Let the chorizo crisp properly
Give the chorizo a few minutes in the pan before adding the eggs. This allows it to crisp slightly and release all those lovely paprika oils that flavour the omelette. Cook the eggs over medium heat
Eggs cook very quickly, and high heat can make them rubbery. Medium heat keeps the omelette soft and tender. Don’t overfill the omelette
It can be tempting to add lots of fillings, but too much makes it harder to fold neatly. Keep the filling mostly in the centre of the omelette. If the omelette tears, don’t worry
It will still taste delicious! Omelettes are wonderfully forgiving and once it’s on the plate no one will notice. Use leftover chorizo
This is a brilliant recipe for using up small amounts of chorizo left from other dishes.
One of my favorite omelette recipe. So delicious.
This is my kind of dinner omelette! Everything is so flavourful and pairs perfectly with a crisp green salad for the easiest weeknight dinner. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
This was the perfect omelet. Hearty, cheesy, and filling!
I loved the combo of the cheese with the chorizo. Something I wouldn’t have thought of but it was so good!
Chorizo makes so much a difference in this recipe. It is delicious.
Quick and delicious omelette! The flavors blended beautifully for a satisfying breakfast. Thanks for this easy and delicious recipe!
Fantastic omelette! We had this as a “breakfast for dinner” last night and it was nice and filling and super tasty.
Soooo cheesy and delicious! Loved the flavor the chorizo brought to the omelette too!
I love chorizo. put it in anything and I’m a happy camper. Thanks!
The combination of melty cheese and savory chorizo creates the perfect balance of flavors. The omelette comes out fluffy and flavorful every time. Definitely a go-to breakfast option.
What a delicious omelet recipe to try. thanks for sharing.