The Secret Behind Those Extra Fluffy Omelets At IHOP

The IHOP omelette recipe featured here isn’t your average omelet! It’s fluffy, flavorful, and substantial enough to keep you full until lunchtime. The next time you’re hit by a craving for a restaurant-worthy omelet, try this copycat recipe — it’s one of the best egg hacks I know!

Jillee’s Take:

We rarely go out for breakfast, but I’ll occasionally make the effort so that Dave can get his IHOP fix. He loves their fluffy pancakes and eggs, which I’ve attempted to replicate at home for years without any luck. But now that I’ve pinpointed the secret ingredient, I can whip up an IHOP omelette any old time!

Copycat IHOP Omelette Recipe (AKA Pancake Batter Omelet)

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup prepared pancake batter*
• Veggies, diced ham, or cheese (optional)

*To use “just add water” pancake mix, start with 1/3 cup of the dry mixture and add just enough water to achieve a batter-like consistency.

Directions:

Whisk the eggs together in a mixing bowl and season them to your liking. (I typically keep it simple with salt and pepper, but you could add dried dill, smoked paprika, or chili powder to make things more interesting!)

Add the prepared pancake batter to the bowl, then gently fold the batter into the eggs just until everything is incorporated. (Be careful not to over-mix — you don’t want to deflate the batter and eggs!)

Place a nonstick skillet on your stovetop over medium heat, or set your electric griddle to medium, then pour the egg mixture onto the hot surface.

Cook the eggs for about 5 minutes, or until almost set, then add your veggies, meat, or cheese, if using. 

To fold your omelette, try IHOP’s signature folding method:

• Fold two of the sides in towards the center. Don’t fold too much —just an inch or two to give it straight sides.
• Roll the omelet about three times, starting from the top and working your way down. (It should resemble a burrito.)

Serve your finished omelettes with hashbrowns, toast, pancakes, fruit, or whatever else you like to have with breakfast. Or enjoy your omelet and a salad for a light lunch or dinner!

This side-by-side comparison helps show the difference between an IHOP-style omelet and a standard one. As you can see, the addition of pancake batter makes for a bigger, more golden-brown omelette. It also tastes a bit sweeter and has a fluffier texture.

How to Enjoy Leftovers

To Refrigerate Leftover Omelettes: Wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or sealed in a ziplock bag, omelettes will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.

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To Freeze Leftover Omelettes: Store omelettes in a freezer bag (squeezing out as much air as possible before sealing) in your freezer for 3-4 months.

To Reheat Omelettes: Wrap a refrigerated or frozen omelette in a paper towel and microwave for 1-2 minutes. If necessary, heat in additional 30-second increments just until warmed through. (Avoid overheating them, which can make them rubbery.)

More Copycat IHOP Omelettes

The menu at IHOP has plenty of omelettes to choose from, and they’re all pretty simple to replicate at home! Start with the basic recipe outlined above, then use these flavorful tips and ideas to customize them just the way you like.

Copycat IHOP Pesto Veggie Egg White Omelette

An egg white omelette is a great way to use extra whites after baking recipes that call for egg yolks. Make a delicious egg white omelette a la IHOP by adding sauteed mushrooms, roasted cherry tomatoes, pesto, and avocado.

Copycat IHOP Chicken Fajita Omelette

Fajita leftovers taste amazing when rolled up in an omelette! The combination of peppers, onions, and chicken goes great with eggs and cheese, and you can top your fajita omelette with your favorite fajita toppings (sour cream, salsa, etc.)

Copycat IHOP Bacon Temptation Omelette

It’s hard to beat an omelet crammed full of crispy bacon and cheese, and that’s exactly what you’ll find in IHOP’s Bacon Temptation omelette. It’s an easy meal to replicate at home and perfect for picky eaters.

Copycat IHOP Big Steak Omelette

This variety features hashbrowns, steak, peppers, onions, cheese, and mushrooms. To replicate them at home, heat up a few hashbrown patties in the oven and roll them into omelets with sliced steak, shredded cheese, and sauteed peppers, onions, and mushrooms. It’s a tasty twist on steak fajitas!

Copycat IHOP Colorado Omelette

I can’t say whether Coloradans like meat omelettes any more than the average person, but I do know that IHOP’s Colorado omelette is packed with bacon, shredded beef, sausage, ham, peppers, onions, and cheese. It’s a hearty one!

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Copycat IHOP Country Omelette

Whip up your own version of an IHOP country omelette by adding some diced ham and onion, a layer of hashbrowns, and some shredded cheddar cheese. Simple and satisfying!

Copycat IHOP Garden Omelette

The next time you have some leftover veggies on hand, whip up an IHOP Garden omelette! Add green peppers, onions, sliced mushrooms, diced tomatoes, cheese, and anything else you have on hand.

Copycat IHOP Western Omelette

A western omelette, also called a Denver omelette, features diced ham, peppers, onions, and cheese.  

Omelette Alternatives And Shortcuts To Try

• Keep a jar of Homemade Shake-and-Pour Pancake Mix in your pantry for even speedier omelettes. Just add water and an egg and your pancake batter will be ready to use!
• Mini Omelet Muffins are a fun variation of this classic breakfast. You can make them in your oven or Instant Pot and store them in the fridge for up to five days. Just zap them in the microwave for a quick, delicious breakfast or snack!
• Egg lovers, you need to try Creamy 15-Second Eggs — trust me on this one! They’re lusciously creamy and so easy to make.
• Get everyone fed and out the door in record time with One-Pan Breakfast Sandwiches. These bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches are delicious and cleanup is a breeze.
• Tired of plain old scrambled eggs? There are plenty of add-ins that make eggs more flavorful, from Worcestershire sauce to cottage cheese!

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Shake up your breakfast routine or make your next “breakfast for dinner” more memorable with this copycat IHOP omelette recipe. I’m sure your family will love them as much as mine does!

Do you add any unconventional ingredients to your omelets?

Copycat IHOP Omelette Recipe

Jill Nystul

A classic three-egg omelette with a fluffier, more filling twist! Pancake batter is the secret ingredient that makes these omelettes tastes just like the ones at your local IHOP.

3.70 from 33 votes

Video

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 1 person

Calories 283 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup pancake mix
• 2 tbsp water
• veggies, meat, or cheese optional

Instructions

 

• Prepare 1/2 cup of pancake batter by adding a few tablespoons of water to about 1/3 cup of "just add water" pancake mix.
• Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk well.
• Add the batter to the eggs and stir to combine.
• Cook omelet on a preheated skillet or griddle for about 5 minutes, or until the eggs are mostly set, then sprinkle on add-ins like cheese, meat, or veggies.
• Fold 1-2" of each side of the omelet toward the center, then roll the omelet from the top toward the bottom.

Nutrition

Calories: 283kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 20gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 522mgSodium: 408mgPotassium: 268mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 821IUCalcium: 167mgIron: 3mg