Eggs Benedict
Most of the time when we eat out at a restaurant my husband could never guess what I'll order because I mix it up so often. The exception is when we go somewhere for breakfast or brunch, I always order Eggs Benedict. There's never something on the menu that could tempt me more! Traditional Eggs Benedict is obviously a classic, but I love different variations of it too, like Eggs Benedict with asparagus.
How to make Eggs Benedict:
Start by making this simple recipe for hollandaise sauce (see the step-by-step photos, below). Next, poach the eggs, warm the Canadian bacon, and toast the english muffin. Finally, assemble your Eggs Benedict by placing the Canadian bacon on top of half of an english muffin. Place a poached egg on top of the Canadian bacon, and smother the egg in hollandaise sauce.
For a healthier Eggs Benedict, consider trying eggs florentine!
How to poach an egg:
To poach an egg, first fill the pot with about 3 inches of water. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce heat until it reaches a simmer. You should see small bubbles coming to the surface but not rolling. Add a little splash of vinegar to the water (this is optional, but it helps the egg white to stay together once it is in the water).
Crack one egg into a small cup (I use a measuring cup). Lower the egg into the simmer water, gently easing it out of the cup.
How long should you cook your poached egg? Cook the egg in simmering water for 3-5 minutes, depending on how soft you want your egg yolk. Remove the poached egg with a slotted spoon.
How to make Hollandaise sauce:
This traditional Eggs Benedict sauce is called hollandaise sauce. Many people buy hollandaise sauce in a packet that just has you add water….I'll never understand WHY?! It's SO easy to make homemade hollandaise sauce and it definitely tastes better from scratch!
The ingredients for Hollandaise sauce are butter, egg yolks, lime juice, heavy cream, and salt and pepper. The method I'm sharing is a more traditional method for making hollandaise sauce. Some people prefer to make hollandaise sauce in the blender, which would work well for this recipe.
To make hollandaise sauce, start by melting butter in a saucepan. Meanwhile, beat egg yolks in separate bowl and add lime juice, heavy cream, and salt and pepper.
Once the butter has melted, you're ready to temper the eggs by adding a small amount of the hot butter to the egg mixture. Stir it well and repeat this process, slowly adding one spoonful of hot butter to the egg mixture. We do this to avoid curdling the eggs.
Finally, add the mixture back to the saucepan and cook it for a few more seconds.
Some people worry about raw eggs in their hollandaise sauce. In this sauce, the eggs are cooked, they are just cooked very slowly to avoid curdling! Cooking the hollandaise allows for a thicker, yummy sauce for your Eggs Benedict.
How to make Hollandaise sauce in advance:
For very best results, Hollandaise sauce is best served fresh, right when you're ready to eat Eggs Benedict. However, you can make Hollandaise sauce a day ahead of time. Refrigerate is until ready to eat, and then reheat it for about 10-20 seconds in the microwave.
CONSIDER TRYING THESE CLASSIC BREAKFAST RECIPES:
- Breakfast Quesadillas
- Classic French Toast
- Broccoli Cheese Quiche
- Homemade Biscuits and Sausage Gravy
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Recipe
Eggs Benedict with homemade Hollandaise Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 English muffins
- 4 large eggs
- 4 slices Canadian bacon
- Vinegar , just a splash
For the Hollandaise sauce:
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice , or lime juice
- 1 Tablespoon heavy whipping cream
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
For the Hollandaise sauce:
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan. In a separate small bowl, beat the egg yolks. Mix in lemon juice, whipping cream, and salt and pepper.
- Add a small spoonful of the hot melted butter to the egg mixture and stir well. Repeat this process adding a spoonful at a time of hot butter to the egg mixture.( Adding the butter slowly, a spoonful at a time, will temper the eggs and ensure they don't curdle).
- Once the butter has been incorporated, pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Cook on low heat, stirring constantly, for just 20-30 seconds. Remove from heat and set aside. It will thicken as it cools. Stir well and add another splash of cream, if needed, to thin.
To poach the eggs:
- Fill a medium size pot with about 3 inches of water. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce heat until it reaches a simmer. You should see small bubbles coming to the surface but not rolling.
- Add a little splash of vinegar to the water (this is optional, but it helps the egg white to stay together once it is in the water).
- Crack one egg into a small cup (I use a measuring cup). Lower the egg into the simmer water, gently easing it out of the cup.
- Cook the egg in simmering water for 3-5 minutes, depending on how soft you want your egg yolk. Remove the poached egg with a slotted spoon.
- **It is not abnormal for a white foam to form on top of the water when poaching an egg. You can simple skim the foam off of the water with a spoon.
- While the egg is cooking, place the slices of Canadian bacon in a large pan and cook on medium-high heat for about 1 minute on each side.
To Assemble:
- Toast the English muffin. Top each toasted side with a slice or two of Canadian bacon, and then a poached egg. Top with hollandaise sauce.
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
I originally shared this recipe in August 2013. Updated August 2018.
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My wife loves eggs Benedict, so while we were RV’ing in Indiana it seemed a good time to try your recipe. She said it was the best she ever had, so I thank you for getting me a gold star! Such an easy recipe to follow and your guidance hints were awesome.
This is the second time we’ve used the recipe. I had to scour the internet to find it again because I forgot to save it after the first time we made them. This is a very easy to follow recipe and each time the results have been great! I had never eaten eggs Benedict before this. It’s a new family favorite for special occasions!
Wish I could post with photo because it’s absolutely delicious and restaurant quality. 💕
This is the best and easiest eggs Benedict recipe I’ve tried over many years. My husband’s favorite breakfast dish is eggs Benedict ,I served him and my 26 year old son from this recipe today and they both loved it. My husband keeps raving over it and says it is restaurant quality, so delicious, just wonderful! Thank you!
The Hollandaise sauce need to be cooked more than your recipe calls for: the egg yolks must begin to turn a light yellow while stirring in a double boiler. It is clear to see your Hollandaise is bright yellow, just like the poached egg yolks and very runny/thin, because it was not cooked enough. Using a glass bowl over a pot of boiling water is the way to properly cook the egg/butter mixture. BTW, heavy cream is not needed and not a normal ingredient in Hollandaise. Traditional garnish is to sprinkle with paprika and some parsley. Also spread some of the Hollandaise on the toasted English muffins before assembling with the bacon and eggs.
I stole this for school thanks
A very clear and simple instructions indeed
Amazing!! My 19 year old son tried this recipe and it was perfect! Better than any restaurant dish I’ve had!
Confused. The recipe calls for 4 egg yolks for the sauce which means you need more eggs for poaching. What do you do with the egg whires?
Save them for breakfast tomorrow, if you’d like?
Is the hollandaise sauce usually so thin/runny, tastes great just really thin.
Good afternoon I just want to say I just love all your recipes and it is so simple and easy to make it looks so delicious I am going to try to egg Benedict Hawaiian roll for my first lady appreciation Day thank you for the great idea and you have a wonderful blessed day with love 💕
1st of all, the sheer amount of ads I see while trying to read this recipie would pay for an entire 3rd world country’s food supply for 3 years. It covers my screen so much that I need an electronic microscope to read the recipie. It was so difficult to write this comment because 3 grabola bars flew accross my screen trying to advertise while I was writing it. And 2nd of all, how many does this recipie serve? It says 4, but only calls for 2 English muffins. So 2 of my friends get one and 2 don’t? The last time I made this those 2 friends that didn’t get the english muffin got up and left and I haven’t heard from them in 3 years. IM SO SORRY TIMMY PLEASE JUST RESPOND TO MY TEXTS. Now I only have 2 friends left and I can’t even make the full recipie 🙁 I am going to have to cut this comment short because chase bank is so relentless trying to get me to get their credit card that I will jump off a bridge if I keep writing, but I hope my struggles with this recipie are still clear.
I’m really sorry to hear about the ad issues. Ads help us keep the content free, but I understand they can be frustrating. I’ll let the team know to address it. As for the recipe, it serves 4 because you put one egg on each half of the English muffins, as shown in the image. I hope this helps, and thanks for sharing your feedback!
I had no problem whatsoever with any ads. There is a thing called a pop-up blocker. Maybe you should look into it? Marking her recipe as one star because you didn’t properly read it is unbelievable. Eggs benedict is always an open-faced dish. It only takes one half of an English muffin per serving. You should turn on your pop-up blocker and read the recipe instead of being ugly.
Wow! Grow up and realize that most people eat one English muffin that’s split in two. You do get that right? You’ve never been to a breakfast place before and ordered eggs benedict? Were you just born? Do you lack common sense?Yeah you do. Stop complaining and seek help for your rants.
The recipe was easy to follow for my first time making a hollandaise sauce from scratch or poaching an egg. Loved the detailed tips for doing both of those steps just right. This made for a fancy Father’s Day breakfast! Thank you!
Excellent!!