How to Make Eggs Benedict

Eggs Benedict is an elegant breakfast or brunch dish that’s surprisingly easy to make at home. Poached eggs sit on top of toasted English muffins and savory Canadian bacon, then drizzled with a creamy hollandaise sauce.

When you’re feeling a little fancy in the morning, treat yourself to this homemade eggs benedict recipe. It uses two of my favorite culinary techniques, poaching and making an emulsion. Once you’ve nailed those two methods for the eggs and sauce, everything else is a breeze. What’s even better is that it comes in pairs, so you get two chances to indulge.

Fans of the dish obsess over the decadent open-faced sandwich. It’s hard not to swoon over the velvety butter sauce that oozes into the golden center of the yolk when pierced. Pan-seared bacon and crunchy toasted English muffins catch all those luscious flavors.

How to make eggs benedict

• Make the Sauce: Prepare the hollandaise sauce by whisking the yolks, water, and vinegar over a double boiler until thickened. Stir in the lemon juice to help the egg stop cooking. Gradually whisk in butter to make a concentrated emulsion.
• Poach the Eggs: Barely simmer the eggs in vinegar, salt, and water until the whites set.
• Sear the Bacon: Cook the slices of Canadian bacon in butter to lightly brown the surface.
• Warm the Bread: Toast English muffins in the toaster or on the stovetop with some butter for extra flavor.
• Assemble: Top muffins with bacon, eggs, hollandaise sauce, paprika, and chives.

How do you make a stable hollandaise sauce?

The key to a smooth, rich, yet light hollandaise sauce is making a proper emulsion with egg yolks and melted butter. It’s just like making mayonnaise, however, a double boiler is added to warm, thicken, and help aerate the yolks before adding in the butter.

Once the eggs have gained volume and turned cream-colored, take them off the heat. Add the butter drop by drop, vigorously whisking until it’s all incorporated. It should have the texture of a lightly whipped cream.

How much vinegar do you add when poaching eggs?

The level should be low, about 1 tablespoon of vinegar for every 4 cups (1 quart of water). The eggs should not taste like vinegar or cooked to the point of the texture becoming rubbery. I use this technique when making poached eggs, and it yields beautiful whites with runny centers every time. Can you skip the vinegar? Yes!

Poaching the eggs

Poach using barely simmering water, between 180 to 190°F (82 to 88°C). Crack each egg into a small bowl, then add the eggs one at a time. Cook until the whites firm up, and the yolks stay runny, about 3 to 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove, then transfer to a paper towel to drain. Cook the remaining eggs.

Serving the eggs benedict

It’s all about timing. Make sure the hollandaise sauce is warm, it can be reheated and whisked over the double boiler until it reaches 141 to 145ºF (61 to 65ºC). Next, poach the eggs, and while those are cooking lightly sear the Canadian bacon until golden brown. Toast the muffins right before you’re ready to serve so it stays crispy.

This an open-faced sandwich; top each piece of bread with a slice of Canadian bacon and a poached egg, drizzle on the hollandaise sauce, and garnish with a sprinkle of paprika or cayenne pepper, and chives to make the colors pop!

What other ways can you make eggs benedict?

• Make it eggs Florentine by substituting sauteed spinach or other greens like kale.
• Add smoked salmon to make it an eggs Hemingway.
• Switch the protein with crispy bacon, crab cakes, ham, carnitas, or shredded BBQ chicken.
• Croissants, biscuits, or crusty sliced sourdough bread make tasty bases.
• Layer in sliced avocado, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, fresh herbs, or pesto sauce.
• Use portabello mushrooms, sliced sweet potato, butternut squash, zucchini, or beefsteak tomatoes for a low-carb alternative.

More breakfast recipes

• Homemade Pancakes
• Raspberry Breakfast Bars
• Breakfast Casserole