How to Make Eggs Benedict

5 from 6 votes
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Eggs Benedict is one of my favorite meals to have for breakfast. If you’ve ever been intimidated by the prospect of making it, don’t be! When you follow these instructions, making eggs Benedict is almost TOO easy. No one will ever know your secret and they will think you are a culinary master!

A plate of eggs benedict with a runny yolk dripping down the side
Featured with this recipe
  1. Traditional Eggs Benedict Ingredients
  2. Homemade Hollandaise Sauce
  3. How to Make the Best Eggs Benedict
  4. Tips for Easy Eggs Benedict Recipe
  5. Frequently Asked Questions
  6. Storing and Reheating Eggs Benedict
  7. More Breakfast Recipes
  8. How to Make Eggs Benedict
  9. How to Make Eggs Benedict Recipe

Sunday brunch will become your favorite meal of the week once you make this foolproof eggs benedict recipe. One of the most requested brunch recipes I make is eggs benedict. A classic benedict has a soft English muffin, topped with a poached egg and poured with a yummy hollandaise sauce overtop.

It is practically foolproof, you really can’t mess this breakfast up. Plus, it still tastes every bit as good as doing it the hard way. No one will ever know your secret and they will think you are a culinary master! I make my version with Canadian bacon or ham, and the salty-sweet flavor adds a nice punch to the entire recipe.

Traditional Eggs Benedict Ingredients

There is no need to be afraid of making this recipe. People are often intimidated by making eggs benedict and for good reason. Poaching eggs and making hollandaise sauce is usually challenging, but not with this recipe!

  • English muffins – Toast the English muffins in a toaster to give them a shell base before adding the eggs and sauce on top. This will keep the muffin stable and not get soggy.
  • Ham – Cook the ham on a skillet to give it that nice crisp flavor. Only heat it until it is warmed through.
  • Eggs – These fresh eggs will become poached in a saucepan filled with simmering water.
  • White vinegar – It helps cook the egg and set the yolk.
Ingredients for eggs benedict including eggs, Canadian bacon, salt, butter, lemon, chives, and english muffins


Homemade Hollandaise Sauce

Blend egg yolks and lemon juice in a blender until smooth and frothy, about 10 seconds. With the blender running, very slowly drizzle in the warm butter. Add salt and pepper to taste! Before serving, whisk the homemade hollandaise sauce together.

  • Egg yolks – These eggs are cooked very slowly to avoid them from curdling when heating and making whisking in the sauce. Egg yolks are a thickening agent to give the hollandaise sauce texture.
  • Fresh lemon juice – The acidity helps cut through the buttery richness and gives it a smooth mixture.
  • Unsalted butter – This helps the hollandaise sauce have a rich and creamy base that is smooth and creamy when pouring.
two plates of eggs benedict with a bowl of eggs in the background

How to Make the Best Eggs Benedict

Without hollandaise sauce, an egg benedict would be nothing more than a runny egg on a toasted muffin. The sauce is what elevates this dish and makes it extra yummy. It sounds extra fancy to say you have made your own homemade hollandaise, but it’s surprisingly simple to make.

  1. Prepare water bath – Fill a 12” lidded skillet nearly to the rim with water. Add the vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Drain the water and crack the eggs into coffee mugs or a small bowl, 2 per cup.
  2. Poach eggs – Reduce the water to a simmer. Lower the rims of the mugs into the water and gently tip the eggs into the skillet simultaneously. Remove the skillet from heat, cover, and poach the eggs for 5 to 6 minutes.
  3. Cook the meat – Cook the ham or Canadian bacon in a 12” nonstick skillet over medium heat until well-browned on both sides.
  4. To Serve – Arrange the English muffins on individual plates and top with ham. Gently remove eggs from the water with a slotted spoon and add one poached egg to each English muffin. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the Hollandaise sauce over the eggs and garnish with chives, parsley, basil, or cayenne pepper for a little heat.
two plates of eggs benedict with a bowl of berries and a bowl of eggs in the background

Tips for Easy Eggs Benedict Recipe

  • Fresh ingredients – Make sure that your ingredients are fresh and up to date for the best results. You will want the freshest eggs. The older eggs will spread as they cook. For best flavor use a high-quality Canadian bacon or ham.
  • Poaching eggs – Add a splash of vinegar to the water as it is simmering. This will help the egg coagulate easier.
  • Protein – Add slices of bacon or slices of Canadian bacon onto the toasted English muffin.
  • Timing – It is hard to get it all done at the same time. Try to space the cooking out and have it finish simultaneously for it to stay hot.
  • Double boiler – For the hollandaise sauce, you can use a double boiler or a heatproof bowl when simmering the water. This allows you to control the heat and prevents the eggs from curdling.
  • Variations – Try eggs benedict with spinach, smoked salmon, and sliced avocados for different variations.

“We love eggs Benedict and these were pure perfection! Awesome weekend breakfast for the whole family!”

-Anna
two plates of eggs benedict with a bowl of berries and a bowl of eggs in the background

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between eggs Royale and Benedict?

Eggs benedict is known to be the base and most traditional breakfast out of all the benedict options. Eggs royale is a variation of the eggs benedict. The ham is replaced with smoked salmon instead of ham.

What are the different types of eggs benedict?

There are several variations and creations that you can make with eggs benedict. Eggs florentine, royale, sadou, Neptune, and Cochon are options when making breakfast. They each have their own ingredients that are slightly varied from the original eggs benedict.

Are eggs benedict healthy?

To answer it quickly, no. Unfortunately, this breakfast is not on the healthy side. The hollandaise sauce is very high in fat when covering the eggs. If you omit the sauce and use cherry tomatoes and avocados the breakfast does become a bit healthier.

Are eggs Benedict runny?

Traditionally poached eggs are to be runny. With the runny yolk and cream sauce, this makes the perfect combination for the eggs Benedict snobs.

A plate of eggs benedict with a runny yolk dripping down the side

Storing and Reheating Eggs Benedict

Eggs Benedict will last in the fridge for a day or two. Store the hollandaise sauce separately in an airtight container. This will help prevent it from spoiling. When ready to reheat, simply place everything on a heated skillet on low heat and warm it until hot. Be careful if using a microwave, the eggs can overcook.

READ NEXT: 33+ Breakfast Ideas

More Breakfast Recipes

How to Make Eggs Benedict

two plates of eggs benedict with a bowl of berries and a bowl of eggs in the background

How to Make Eggs Benedict

5 from 6 votes
This method for foolproof eggs benedict is almost too easy. No one will ever know your secret and they will think you are a culinary master!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 3

Equipment

  • Blendtec Blender

Ingredients

  • 3 English muffins split in half (I used whole wheat)
  • 6 slices ham or Canadian bacon
  • 6 large eggs
  • 2 Tablespoons white vinegar
  • salt

Hollandaise Sauce

Instructions

To Poach the Eggs:

  • Fill a medium pot half way full with water. Add the vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Crack the eggs into small bowls, 1 per cup.
    Water boiling in a pot to poach eggs
  • Lower the rims of the bowls into the water and gently tip the eggs into the skillet one at a time.
    eggs being placed in a pot of boiling water to poach
  • Remove the skillet from heat, cover, and poach the eggs for 5-6 minutes. Gently remove eggs from the water with a slotted spoon. Set on a plate.
    Eggs done poaching in a pot

While the eggs are cooking:

  • Cook the ham or Canadian bacon in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until well-browned on both sides.
    Canadian bacon cooked inside a pan
  • Toast the English muffins.
    An english muffin on a plate

Hollandaise Sauce (prepare right before serving):

  • Blend egg yolks and lemon juice together in a blender until smooth and frothy, about 10 seconds.
    Egg yolks blended for Hollandaise sauce
  • With the blender running, very slowly drizzle in the warm butter. Salt and pepper to taste.
    Hollandaise sauce inside a blender

To Serve:

  • Arrange the English muffins on individual plates and top with Canadian bacon or ham.
    An english muffin with Canadian bacon
  • Add one poached egg to each English muffin. Season with salt and pepper.
    An english muffin, Canadian bacon and an egg stacked for a eggs benedict
  • Pour the Hollandaise sauce over the eggs.
    An eggs benedict with hollandaise
  • Garnish with chives, parsley, or basil.
    and eggs benedict with chives and cracked pepper to garnish

Notes

DIY Hollandaise Sauce 

Take your egg yolks and lemon juice, and put them in a blender until they froth, which is about 10 seconds. Then, while your blender is still running, slowly drizzle the warm melted butter in. Add salt and pepper to taste then drizzle your hollandaise all over your egg benedicts.
  • 3 egg yolks – You only need the yolks for this recipe. Set aside the egg whites to make a healthy omelet the next morning or even something like this lemon meringue pie.
  • 1 cup of melted butter – Make sure to use unsalted butter. The best way to melt it is to chop your butter stick up a bit, then put it in a microwave-safe bowl and heat it for 15 seconds at a time. The butter should be warm while making this sauce, so do this when you are ready to make the sauce.
  • Fresh lemon juice – Having a touch of acid is important when making the hollandaise. I like using lemon juice but you can also use white vinegar if that’s all you have on hand.
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Nutrition Information

Calories: 415kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 30gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 553mgSodium: 914mgPotassium: 412mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 735IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 107mgIron: 3mg

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About the author

Emily Walker

Emily lives in Meridian, Idaho, with her husband, Beau, a physician assistant, and her three incredible children: a son and two daughters. Travel is one of her favorite ways to experience new cultures and cuisines, and she has a love for all things Disney.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I’ve avoided making eggs benedict because I couldn’t get it that same restaurant quality. Thanks for this easy to follow recipe that truly is foolproof! It turned out perfectly.

  2. I make this with ONE STICK OF HOT BUTTER. The recipe calls for 2 sticks. It’s way too greasy. One is perfect

  3. Hey! I was planning on making this for dinner tonight, but I just noticed that you don’t mention cooking the hollandaise sauce….is that correct? What about if I’m pregnant? Is it recommended for pregnant women to eat uncooked egg whites? Thanks!