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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!
Sauce wasn’t good at all. 2 T lime juice for these proportions is so off. I don’t understand how this has a 4.9 rating.
Cooking, like science, is experimental! A good chef (or cook in your case) TASTES his/hers/their product as you prepare. If you don’t like the taste chances are those you are cooking for won’t either! TASTE, adjust, or start over. It’s art and science…cook. ;>€
t, not T. Read before you comment.
Excellent step-by-step! The results were delicious and I agree, why buy hollandaise when it’s so easy to make from scratch?
Hello, and thank you for this. Do you know how long I need to cook the eggs to get them “hard”. I do not like runny yolk at all?
Made this on valentines for eggs Benedict. It was so easy and so delicious. I learned at a young age to make hollandaisethe hard way by Non stop whisking with everything on the stove. This
Method was so much easier. And delicious. Thank you
Well…not a family favorite. But it was okay. Just okay. We will try it again and tweak a few things.
Awesome recipe, I don’t eat eggs but made it for my family had to use apple juice instead of lime and the judges were overwhelmed. Thanks
Amazingly easy to make, turns out delicious every time, a family favorite.
The sauce is a little too thick for pouring it nicely over the eggs, but adding a little more cream right at the end and heating it up carefully makes this recipe a true success!
Made it for breakfast this morning and it came out amazing! I made a mistake of using like concentrate, not juice, which made the hollandaise sauce more tarty. I would be careful the next time and use lime/lemon juice.
Too much acidity for hollandaise. 2 tbsp cream and 1/2 tbsp lemon not lime juice and it’s perfect. Use a deeper pot and swirl the water around when dropping the eggs in and they become that distinct unclouded shape. Double boiler helps while whipping the hollandaise to get creamy not frothy consistency.
Also used lemon not lime. So easy and so good
This recipe was so easy and delicious, I made it twice in one day! Thank you for helping me master what I once thought to be an intimidating recipe. Bon Appetit!