Eggs Benedict Recipe

Learn how to master poached eggs and homemade hollandaise for this easy Eggs Benedict Recipe. I’ll show you how to make this classic breakfast in just 20 minutes.

Ingredients

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Ingredient notes

• Clarified butter: Making clarified butter is an easy process where you melt butter over low heat to separate the milk and water from the pure butter fat. Clarified butter has a more concentrated, richer flavor, lasts longer in the refrigerator, and is perfect for making Hollandaise sauce.
• Tabasco sauce or cayenne pepper: Add to taste (I like ⅛ teaspoon) or omit entirely if you don’t dig spice.
• Poached eggs: Don’t skimp on hot water for poaching eggs; the eggs need enough room to cook. I recommend adding vinegar to the poaching water to help the egg whites stay with the yolk.
• Canadian bacon: Traditional Eggs Benedict features Canadian bacon, but if you prefer, substitute slices of cooked ham, pulled pork, or fry some slices of bacon.

Step-by-step instructions

To make the Hollandaise sauce:

1. Set a glass or metal bowl over a small saucepan of gently simmering water (do not let the water touch the bowl). Add the egg yolks to the bowl. Using a metal whisk or wire whip, whisk the yolks constantly without overcooking the yolks.

2. Remove from heat and immediately stir in lemon juice. Off the heat, set a kitchen towel over a pot of water and set the bowl on top. Starting with just a few drops at a time, whisk in the warmed clarified butter.

3. Once all of the butter has been added, season to taste with salt, tabasco or cayenne pepper (if using). Use immediately or set aside in a warm (but not hot) place for up to 1 hour.

To poach the eggs:

1. Into a mesh strainer, crack each egg one at a time to strain some of the watery excess egg white, about 20 to 30 seconds. Pour each egg into individual small bowls.

2. In a Dutch oven or large pot, fill halfway with water, with about 6 cups (2 to 3 inches of water), and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Add the vinegar. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer. While water is heating, set a second large pot filled halfway up with water and heat until the water reaches 150 degrees, remove the pot from heat, and cover to keep warm. The second pot is to keep the poached eggs warm. Carefully drop one egg into the water at a time into the vinegar water, leaving space between them.

3. Cook until whites closest to yolk begin to set, or until the desired doneness, about 2 minutes. Remove using a slotted spoon, and transfer to 150-degree pot and cover to keep warm.

To assemble the Eggs Benedict:

1. Adjust oven rack to be about 6 inches away from broiler and heat broiler. Arrange English muffin halves face up on a rimmed baking sheet. toast under the broiler until golden brown, about 2 to 4 minutes. Place one slice of Canadian bacon on each muffin and broil until bacon is hot and beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Remove sheet from oven.

2. Working with one poached egg at a time, remove from the water and drain on a paper towel. Gently set on top of each muffin half.

3. Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of hollandaise over the top of each of the eggs and garnish with sliced chives, paprika, or kosher salt and black pepper if desired. Serve, passing remaining hollandaise separately.

Recipe tips and variations

• Yield: This recipe makes 4 servings of Eggs Benedicts, 2 Benedicts per serving (1 Benedict is half an English muffin, 1 slice Canadian bacon, 1 poached egg, and hollandaise sauce).
• Storage: Eggs Benedict is best enjoyed the day you make it. Store leftover Hollandaise sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
• Make ahead: The Hollandaise sauce can be made up to 1 hour in advance. Keep in a warm (but not hot) place. To make the poached eggs in advance, undercook the eggs by about 1 minute, then place the poached eggs in an ice water bath to cool. Store eggs in cold water in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Heat them up in a little hot water for 20 to 30 seconds or until warm.
• Eggs any style: Poached eggs are classic, but eat what you want. Fried eggs and scrambled eggs, both made in a skillet instead of in a vat of vinegar water, are tasty with hollandaise, too.
• California Benedict: Substitute a slice of tomato and avocado for the Canadian bacon.
• Irish Benedict: Substitute corned beef for the Canadian bacon.
• Pulled Pork Benedict: Substitute barbecued pulled pork for the Canadian bacon.
• Eggs Blackstone: Add fried bacon and a slice of tomato.
• Eggs Florentine: Add spinach instead of, or in addition to, the Canadian bacon. In the original version, the spinach is served in Mornay sauce (Béchamel with Gruyere and Parmesan).
• Eggs Royale: Substitute smoked salmon for the Canadian bacon.
• Crab Benedict: Substitute Maryland Dungeness crab for the Canadian bacon.

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Eggs Benedict Recipe

By Meggan Hill

Learn how to master poached eggs and homemade hollandaise for this easy Eggs Benedict Recipe. I'll show you how to make this classic breakfast in just 20 minutes.

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Servings 4 servings (2 eggs each)

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Calories 890

5 from 6 votes

ReviewPrint

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

For the Hollandaise:

• ▢ 3 egg yolks
• ▢ 1 tablespoon water
• ▢ 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• ▢ 8 ounces clarified butter warm (see note 1)
• ▢ Salt to taste
• ▢ Tabasco sauce or cayenne pepper, to taste (see note 2)

For the poached eggs:

• ▢ 8 eggs (see note 3)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

For the Eggs Benedict:

• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 4 English muffins split
• ▢ 8 slices Canadian bacon (see note 4)
• ▢ chives thinly sliced, for garnish (optional)

Instructions 

To make the Hollandaise:

• Set a glass or metal bowl over a pot of gently simmering water to make a double boiler (do not let the water touch the bowl). 
• Add egg yolks to the bowl. Using a metal whisk or wire whip, whisk the yolks constantly without overcooking the yolks. You'll know the yolks have thickened enough when you can draw a line through the yolks and yolks stay put (the line does not fill in).
• Remove from heat and immediately stir in lemon juice. Off the heat, set a kitchen towel over pot of water and set bowl with the hollandaise on top (this prevents the bowl from sliding around while you finish the sauce).
• Starting with just a few drops at a time, whisk in the warmed clarified butter. Once the emulsion has formed, drizzle the butter more quickly until it is fully combined. Season to taste with, tabasco, or cayenne pepper if desired.
• Set aside in a warm (but not hot) place until you are ready to assemble the Eggs Benedict. If the sauce appears too thick, whisk in a few drops of warm water until desired consistency is reached.

To poach the eggs:

• Adjust oven rack to be about 6 inches away from broiler and heat broiler. Into a mesh strainer, crack each egg one at a time to strain some of the excess egg white, about 20 to 30 seconds. Pour each egg into individual small bowls.
• Fill a Dutch oven or large pot halfway with water, about 6 cups, and bring to a boil. Add vinegar and bring to a simmer with small bubbles barely breaking the surface, about 200 degrees. Hold this temperature.
• While water is heating, set a second large pot filled halfway up with water and heat until the water reaches 150 degrees, remove pot from heat and cover to keep warm. The second pot is to keep the poached eggs warm.
• Crack eggs into separate ramekins, small bowls, or tea cups. Gently drop one egg into the water at a time, leaving space between them. Cover pot, remove from heat, and let stand until whites closest to the yolk are just set and opaque, about 3 minutes (or 4 minutes for medium-cooked yolks or 6 minutes for hard-cooked yolks).
• If the whites are not set after 3 minutes, continue checking every 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, carefully lift each egg out and transfer to the pot with the 150-degree water to keep warm.

To make the Eggs Benedict:

• Arrange English muffin halves face up on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil until golden brown, about 2 to 4 minutes. Place one slice of Canadian bacon on each muffin and broil until bacon is hot and beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Remove sheet from oven.
• Working with one at a time, remove a poached egg from water and drain on a paper towel. Gently set on top each muffin half. Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of hollandaise over the top of each of the eggs and garnish with sliced chives if desired. Serve, passing remaining hollandaise separately.

Recipe Video

Notes

1. Clarified butter: Making clarified butter is an easy process where you melt butter over low heat to separate the milk and water from the pure butter fat. Clarified butter has a more concentrated, richer flavor, lasts longer in the refrigerator, and is perfect for making Hollandaise sauce.
2. Tabasco sauce or cayenne pepper: Add to taste (I like ⅛ teaspoon) or omit entirely if you don’t dig spice.
3. Poached eggs: Don’t skimp on hot water for poaching eggs; the eggs need enough room to cook. I recommend adding vinegar to the poaching water to help the egg whites stay with the yolk.
4. Canadian bacon: Traditional Eggs Benedict features Canadian bacon, but if you prefer, substitute slices of cooked ham, pulled pork, or cooked bacon.
   
5. Yield: This recipe makes 4 servings of Eggs Benedicts, 2 Benedicts per serving (1 Benedict is half an English muffin, 1 slice Canadian bacon, 1 poached egg, and hollandaise sauce).
6. Storage: Eggs Benedict is best enjoyed the day you make it.

Nutrition

Serving: 2 benedictsCalories: 890kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 30gFat: 73gSaturated Fat: 41gCholesterol: 647mgSodium: 1494mgPotassium: 407mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 670IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 101mgIron: 3mg

Did you make this recipe?Tag @culinaryhill on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! #culinaryhill

Meggan Hill

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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

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