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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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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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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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.
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 sauce came out amazing! I was going to use a blender recipe but then found yours. Its not difficult at all! I used one TBSP lemon juice juice because I prefer it over lime. The sauce did thicken after it sat so I added more cream and slowly heated it as I stirred. Now I just have to get my timing down on my poached eggs….
Sauce didn’t turn out at all. I assume from not having the butter hot enough? Idk, followed everything to a T
The hollandaise sauce turned out quite runny, and was still cold when I finished making it. I let it sit, hoping it would thicken, and it did not. Then I microwaved it at 5-10 second intervals to try to thicken it and heat it up. It worked a little but not much. In the end I just microwaved it for 20 seconds and put it on the eggs, even though that caused it to be curdled and what wasn’t curdled was still incredibly runny. But at least it was a little warm and I’d rather have it curdled than freezing. I will not be making this hollandaise sauce again, I don’t think.
Simple and delicious! My family loved it!
I made it for brunch and it was a complete hit! Even my picky eaters devoured every single bite. Only adjustment I made was adding more heavy cream to the hollandaise mixture.
I did this recipe today for breakfast for my daughter and my self And love it. I didn’t have the Whippet cream so I use Substitute Instead I my own whip cream with almond milk and butter! It Came out delicious I added lime zest and fresh chives!
Thank you for sharing it!
MMMMM!
This was my first attempt at making eggs Benedict and even though I was missing the bacon (wha?!) and had to sub in 1/2 lemon juice, this was fabulous!! Winning high praise from my breakfast partner and myself. Highly recommended.
Great, easy to follow recipe however the sauce needed 3 minor tweaks; I’ve always had hollandaise sauce with lemon. The lime wasn’t tangy enough and lemon just makes it so much better. I found the sauce to be too thick and dark so I added 2 more tablespoons if cream to get it to be the right thickness. Finally, the sauce does thicken after cooking so I just added more butter (and salt since the additions increased the volume) at the end to make sure it was the correct texture.. Overall, this recipe and instructions are amazing and easy to follow!
Simple straight forward and easy to follow! Tastes amazing!
I absolutely love egg benedict, and I can ‘t wait to try making them for my birthday. Thank you so much for sharing. I love your site.
The recipe turned out really well, my husband made this for the first time, it was delicious.