Meatless Monday Challenge

5-Ingredient Lox and Schmear Omelet

on December 21, 2020
last updated January 22, 2024
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This is an everything-but-the-bagel Lox and Schmear Omelet for when you're craving your breakfast favorite, but don't want all the carbs. Salty, creamy, delicious.
Lox and cream cheese omelet on a plate with a fork and knife.

Looking for a lighter version of the classic bagel and cream cheese with smoked salmon? This Lox and Schmear Omelet gives you all the deliciousness of your favorite bagel, but in omelet form.

Think creamy schmear and smokey and salty lox folded inside perfectly cooked, buttery eggs topped with everything but the bagel seasoning and scallions. SO MUCH FLAVOR and the best texture!

Plus, these easy egg breakfast requires only 5 ingredients and comes together in just about 15 minutes, for a quick and delicious start to the day!

Lox and Cream Cheese Omelet sliced in half and stacked on a plate.

What is Lox and Schmear?

Lox and Schmear! I’m either speaking your language or you’re utterly confused. Lox and Schmear is the Yiddish way to describe lox and cream cheese—a staple in Jewish American cuisine. It’s a total and classic (and totally rolls off the tongue!).

Lox is thinly sliced salmon that is cured in a salt brine. It’s very similar to smoked salmon and the two can be used interchangeably in this salmon breakfast recipe!

Lox and Schmear Omelet Ingredients


Here’s everything you’ll need:

  • Eggs.
  • Butter.
  • Lox. Or smoked salmon.
  • Cream cheese. It’s best if the cream cheese is softened.
  • Everything but the bagel seasoning. You can grab this at the store, make your own, or if you prefer just sub in half salt/half black pepper.
  • Green onion (optional).
All ingredients needed for Lox and Schmear Omelet including eggs, butter, green onion, everything but the bagel seasoning, lox, and cream cheese.

How to Make a Lox and Cream Cheese Omelet


Beat Your Eggs in a Bowl for the Best Omelet

Crack the eggs into a shallow bowl and use a fork or whisk to beat the eggs until the egg yolks and whites are smooth and well-combined. Typically, this would be the point where you salt your eggs.

However, I highly advise against salting the eggs in this recipe. The lox and everything but the bagel seasoning are both very salty as is.

Cracking eggs into a shallow bowl to beat to make an omelet.

How to Cook the Perfect Lox and Schmear Omelet

Once your eggs are beaten, get the butter hot in the pan over medium heat. Once melted, tilt the pan back and forth to coat it evenly with the butter.

Green tip: Look for pasture-raised eggs (over free-range or cage-free) to support agriculture that is less reliant on chemicals and fossil fuels.

Once the butter is hot, pour the eggs onto the pan with pan still over medium heat. Tilt the pan again if need be so that the eggs are spread out evenly over the pan.

Watch as the edges slow start to firm up and solidify. This usually takes about 30 seconds.

Once the edges are firm, add little dollops of cream cheese evenly spread out over half of the eggs. You can do so with your hand or a spoon. It’s best if the cream cheese is softened.

Next, add the lox right on top. Slide a spatula underneath the half that has no toppings, and fold it over the smoked salmon. Allow the omelet to cook for another minute or two and then flip.

Cook on the second side until you can push down on the top with the spatula without any egg oozing out. Then, slide it on a plate to enjoy!

Getting butter hot in a pan before adding eggs.
Add the butter to a frying pan over medium heat and allow it to melt.
Beaten eggs cooking in a pan of hot butter.
Pour the eggs into the pan with the butter and tilt the pan from side to side to coat. Heat for about 30 seconds until the edges firm up.
Little blobs of cream cheese added to half of omelet.
Spread out little dollops of cream cheese over half of the egg.
Lox on top of blobs of cream cheese in omelet.
Add the lox on top of the schmear.
Omelet folded over in pan.
Fold the empty half over the fillings and cook.
Omelet just flipped in pan.
Flip and continue to cook until the eggs are completely firm.

Serving Your Omelet with Cream Cheese and Lox

I love finishing this omelet with cream cheese and lox with some chopped green onion and everything but the bagel seasoning.

This salmon breakfast omelet is filling and satisfying enough on its own, but if you’re looking for some delicious breakfast pairings, here are some of my favorites:

Sprinkling everything but the bagel seasoning on top of lox and cream cheese omelet.

How to Store and Reheat Leftover Salmon Omelet

If you have leftovers, store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container and enjoy them within 4 days. It’s important that the leftover omelet is thoroughly reheated before you enjoy it.

To reheat in the oven, preheat to 350°F and place on a baking sheet on the top rack for 5-7 minutes. You can also reheat it in a frying pan over medium heat or in a pinch in the microwave (though this will likely change the texure).

Leftover eggs should be reheated to 165°F to ensure they are safe!

Green tip: Of the billions of tons of food wasted annually, 50% of food waste happens at home. Reduce your contribution to food waste by properly storing and consuming leftovers.

What Makes this Salmon Breakfast Special?

  • It’s a fun twist on a classic. This omelet takes the iconic duo of lox and schmear and instead of serving it on a bagel, served it inside buttery eggs.
  • It’s quick and easy. Nothing like a unique and gourmet breakfast that comes together in 15 minutes and with only 5 ingredients.

If you’re loving this Lox and Schmear Omelet and want more savory breakfast recipes, check out this Quinoa Breakfast Bowl and Pan-Fried Egg and Cheese Sandwich.

Lox and cream cheese omelet on a plate with a fork and knife.

5-Ingredient Lox and Schmear Omelet

5 from 5 votes
Marley Goldin
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This is an everything-but-the-bagel Lox and Schmear Omelet for when you’re craving your breakfast favorite, but don’t want all the carbs. Salty, creamy, delicious.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 2 servings

Equipment

Ingredients
 
 

  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (or olive oil)
  • 1 ounce cream cheese
  • 3 ounces lox (or smoked salmon)
  • ¼ teaspoon everything but the bagel seasoning
  • 1 stem scallion (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Crack your eggs into a shallow bowl and use a fork or whisk to beat until the eggs and yolk are well-combined.
    Getting butter hot and melted in a pan before adding eggs.
  • To a frying pan over medium heat, add the butter and allow it to melt. Tilt the pan to coat the bottom with an even layer of butter.
    Beating eggs in a bowl with a fork
  • Add the eggs to the pan with the butter and tilt the pan again so that the eggs are completely covering the pan. Allow them to cook for about 30 seconds until the edges firm up.
    Eggs cooking in a pan with butter to make an omelet.
  • Spread little dollops of cream cheese out over half of the eggs.
    Little dollops of cream cheese spread out over half of eggs cooking in pan.
  • Lay the lox flat on top of the cream cheese.
    Lox on top of cream cheese in an egg omelet.
  • Slide your spatula under the empty half of eggs and fold it over the cream cheese and lox. Allow to cook for about 1-2 minutes.
    Folding eggs in half in a pan to form an omelet.
  • Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until the eggs are completely firm. A good test to see if it's done is pushing down on top with the spatula. If no raw egg oozes out, it's done!
    Flipping omelet to cook thoroughly on both sides.
  • Top with everything but the bagel seasoning and chopped green onion (optional). Enjoy!
    Lox and Schmear Omelet with everythign but the bagel seasoning and green onion on a plate.

Pro Tips

  • You can buy bagel seasoning, make your own (just combine poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and dried onion and garlic), or simply save the extra toppings that fall off your bagel. If you’re not a fan. just sub in salt and pepper as needed. 
  • While I usually always recommend salting your eggs, I would urge you not to for this recipe. The lox and bagel seasoning are both salty components that add enough salinity to the dish.

Video

Course Breakfast, Brunch
Cuisine Pescatarian
Keyword 30 Minutes or Less, Easy, Omelet, Quick, Smoked Salmon
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4 thoughts on “5-Ingredient Lox and Schmear Omelet”

  1. Nancy Sheintal

    You have such fabulous recipes here!!! You need to do a cookbook. What is great about your recipes is there are MANY recipes for EVERYONE…including people who eat kosher or kosher style. They are all easy to follow and not too time consuming. Start working on a book. Think of a catchy title…. TITLE: “Guaranteed You Can Do This”
    Subtitle:
    “How I kept busy and found a recipe for EVERYONE during a pandemic”.

    Your hubby is a very lucky man!

  2. Oh my goodness!! This looks so delicious and a perfect idea to cut carbs and still enjoy lox and a schmear!

5 from 5 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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