FILED UNDER:

POACHED EGGS EASTER MOTHER'S DAY

EASTER SIDE DISHES

How to Make Eggs

Benedict
Making eggs Benedict is easier than you
think—especially if you make the
hollandaise sauce in a blender. This recipe
is perfect for any special occasion. Just be
sure to plan ahead!

By ELISE BAUER

Updated November 03, 2022

44 Ratings

123 Comments

Image: Elise Bauer

IN THIS RECIPE

How to Make

When to Serve

What Is It?

Perfect Poached Eggs

Substitutions for Canadian Bacon

Hollandaise Sauce Tips

Make Ahead Tips

FEATURED IN:
10 Best Recipes for Mother’s Day Brunch
Advertisement

Gallery Club Lounge access with all-day

culinary offerings & a dedicated concierge
R O L L OV E R TO
B O O K N OW

Making eggs Benedict requires careful

orchestration.

You have to have warm, crispy bacon, hot

buttered toasted English muffins, eggs
poached perfectly to your desire, and a warm,
creamy, unbroken hollandaise sauce, all at
about the same time.

-32%

-50%

-50% -46%

-60% -78%

Shop for Electronics Deals

Shopee

No wonder I rarely eat Eggs Benedict unless

I'm eating out, my brain is scrambled enough
as it is in the morning without having to juggle
in the kitchen.

READ MORE:
The Best Egg Cookers for Perfect Eggs, Every Time

Watch How to Make

Eggs Benedict

How to Make Eggs

Benedict
That said, if you know how to toast an English
muffin, know how to cook bacon, and know
how to poach eggs, then the only element that
is not your standard fare is the hollandaise
sauce, which is actually quite easy if you have
a blender.

Image: Elise Bauer

When to Serve Eggs

Benedict
There may be an occasion, such as Mother's
Day for example, for which you might want to
make a special someone, such as your mother,
something special for breakfast or brunch.
Eggs Benedict is as special as they come.
Believe me, if you make these for me, I will
worship the ground you walk on.

FROM THE EDITORS OF

SIMPLY RECIPES

What Is Eggs Benedict?

Eggs Benedict is a traditional American
breakfast and brunch recipe that
originated in New York City. It consists
of an English muffin, cut in half, toasted,
and topped with Canadian bacon,
poached eggs, and classic French
hollandaise sauce. It's decadent, rich,
and satisfying.

How to Make Perfect

Poached Eggs
Not everyone poaches eggs right on the
first try. Or the second. If you've never
made poached eggs before, they can
take some practice. For a better chance
of getting it right, try these tips.

• Start with the freshest eggs you can

get. The older the eggs are, the more
likely they are to fall apart in the
simmering water.

• Make sure the water is barely

simmering (with just a few bubbles
appearing every now and then). If the
water is at a full boil (lots of rapidly
moving bubbles), the chances of the
egg separating when it hits the water
are greater.

• Don't forget to add the vinegar to the

water.

• Crack the egg into a small bowl

before adding it to the water. Then
gently slide the egg from the bowl
into the simmering water.

• Time the poaching egg carefully. Four

minutes should be just about right.

• Drain the poached eggs well. Hot tip:

a stale piece of bread works even
better than a paper towel.

Looking for another option? Try our fast

and super-easy Microwave Poached
Eggs recipe.

Substitutions for Canadian

Bacon
While Canadian bacon is the standard in
eggs Benedict, it's okay to buck tradition
with these alternatives.

• Browned crab cakes

• Lobster
• Bacon
• Ham
• Smoked or cured salmon
• Taylor ham (or pork roll)
• Steamed asparagus
• Sautéed spinach

Tips for A+ Hollandaise

Sauce
Our Blender Hollandaise Sauce is really
a breeze to make. But you do need to
follow the recipe closely. Stick to these
tips and you'll be in good shape.

• Blend the egg yolks a full 30 seconds.

Blending them for less time makes
for a runnier sauce, plus it heats the
eggs yolks a bit.

• Melt the butter gently, so it's not hot

and sputtering (this can cause the
sauce to break).

• Add the butter in a slow, steady

stream as the blender runs. Adding
the butter too fast keeps the sauce
from properly emulsifying.

• If the sauce is emulsified but too thin

for your liking, pour it into the pot you
melted the butter in and heat over low
heat, whisking constantly until it gets
more body.

• If your sauce is thin and greasy it's

broken. Look here for ways you may
be able to save it.

READ MORE:
How to Pasteurize Eggs at Home

Make Ahead Tips

There are a lot of moving parts to eggs
Benedict. If you'd like to make some of
the dish ahead of time, you can poach
the eggs up to five days early. Here's
how.

• When you're done poaching the eggs,

plunge them in a bowl of ice water.

• Remove the eggs from the water with

a slotted spoon and place them in a
single layer in an airtight container.
Refrigerate.

• Right before you're ready to assemble

the eggs Benedict, reheat the pre-
poached eggs in a bowl of hot—but
not boiling—water for 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove, then drain on paper towels
or a slice of bread and proceed with
the recipe.

Don't make the hollandaise sauce or

toast the English muffins ahead of time.

More Special-Occasion
Breakfast Ideas
• Cloud Eggs (Egg Nests)
• Honey Ricotta Stuffed French Toast
• How to Make French Crêpes
• Ham and Asparagus Quiche
• Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

RECIPE
PRINT SAVE IT

How to Make Eggs

Benedict
PREP TIME 5 mins
COOK TIME 25 mins
TOTAL TIME 30 mins

SERVINGS 4 servings

NOTE: Eggs Benedict is also great made with

slices of smoked salmon in place of the bacon. If
you are in or around New Jersey, try it with Taylor
ham.

Don't have a blender? Make our stovetop

hollandaise sauce, which is easier than you think.

Ingredients

• 8 slices bacon or 4 slices Canadian bacon

• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons white or rice vinegar
• 2 English muffins
• Butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, for garnish
For the hollandaise sauce

• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter (if using

salted butter, omit the added salt)

• 3 large egg yolks

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Dash cayenne or Tabasco sauce

Create a List
Make a list for the store or order
online.

ADD TO SHOPPING LIST

Method

1. Cook the bacon:

Heat a large skillet on medium low heat.
Add the strips of bacon or the slices of
Canadian bacon. Slowly fry, turning
occasionally, until the bacon is browned
on both sides, and if using strip bacon,
much of the fat is rendered out (about 10
minutes).

Use tongs or a fork to remove the bacon

from the pan, set on a paper towel to
absorb the excess fat.

SIMPLE TIP!

Don't pour the bacon fat left in the

pan down the drain! Either sop it up
with paper towels when it has cooled
a bit, or pour it into a jar to be used
later.

Advertisement

2. Bring the poaching water to a

simmer:
While the bacon is cooking, bring a large
saucepan two-thirds-filled with water to a
boil, then add the vinegar. Bring the water
to a boil again, then lower the heat to a
bare simmer.
Advertisement

3. Make the hollandaise sauce:

SIMPLE TIP!

First time making hollandaise sauce?

Check out our Easy Blender
Hollandaise Sauce for additional
details on making the sauce.

To make blender hollandaise, gently melt

10 tablespoons unsalted butter.

Put 3 egg yolks, a tablespoon of lemon

juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt in a blender.
Blend on medium to medium-high speed
for 30 full seconds (count or time it),
until eggs lighten in color.

Turn the blender down to lowest setting,

slowly dribble in the hot melted butter,
while continuing to blend. Taste for salt
and acidity and add more salt or lemon
juice to taste.

Transfer it to a container you can use for

pouring and set it on a warm—but not hot
—place on or near the stovetop.

Variety of Home Products

Shopee

4. Poach the eggs:

Essentially, working one egg at a time
you crack an egg into a small bowl and
slip it into the barely simmering water.
Once it begins to solidify, you can slip in
another egg, until you have all four
cooking.

Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let

sit for 4 minutes. (Remember which egg
went in first, you'll want to take it out
first.) When it comes time to remove the
eggs, gently lift out with a slotted spoon.

Note that the timing is a little variable on

the eggs, depending on the size of your
pan, how much water, how many eggs,
and how runny you like them. You might
have to experiment a little with your set-
up to figure out what you need to do to
get the eggs exactly the way you like
them.

If you need some more instruction, here

is an easy method for poaching eggs.

Ad