Classic Eggs Benedict
by Chungah
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Make restaurant-quality eggs benedict at home! With toasted English muffins, poached eggs, and a creamy hollandaise sauce! Easy and impressive!
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Why you’ll love classic eggs benedict
- No wait times. Skip the long wait times at brunch! Making eggs benedict at home is so much easier to make than you think, offering complete control over quality ingredients and allowing for so many variations to please everyone in the family.
- So fancy, so impressive. This is just one of those dishes that makes enough for a big crowd for all your breakfast and brunch get-togethers for easy entertaining, impressing friends, family and all the in-laws.
- The creamiest blender hollandaise sauce. There’s no need for a double boiler! The hollandaise is blended to creamy goodness perfection. It’s fast, foolproof, and eliminates the risk of splitting the sauce.
What is eggs benedict?
This is a classic American breakfast made with English muffins, sliced ham or Canadian bacon, poached eggs, and a rich hollandaise sauce.
What is hollandaise sauce?
Hollandaise is a rich, creamy sauce made from egg yolks, melted butter, lemon juice or vinegar, salt, and white or cayenne pepper, yielding a thick, velvety and glossy consistency. The sauce is typically drizzled over eggs benedict, poached fish, or vegetables.
- Egg yolks: the binder to hold the sauce together
- Melted butter: provides the rich, velvety body
- Lemon juice: adds brightness and cuts through the heavy fat
- Salt and cayenne pepper: controls the seasoning and adds a subtle kick of heat
How to make classic eggs benedict
- Make the hollandaise sauce. Blend the eggs yolks, lemon juice, salt, and cayenne pepper, then slowly pour in the hot melted butter in a thin stream until thick and creamy.
- Poach the eggs. Heat a wide, shallow saucepan or Dutch oven with water and a splash of vinegar to a gentle simmer. Crack the eggs into small bowls, then slide them gently into the water, cooking for 3-5 minutes until the whites are set but the yolks remain soft and runny.
- Dry the eggs. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and dry on paper towels for 10 seconds to absorb any excess moisture. Leaving the eggs on the paper towel for too long may cause them to stick.
- Toast and warm. Toast the English muffins and warm the ham in a large cast iron skillet until heated through.
- Assemble. Top each English muffin half with the cooked ham and drained poached egg, drizzling with hollandaise sauce over the top.
- Finish and serve. Garnish with chives and dill, and serve warm.
variations and substitutions
- Eggs florentine: swap the ham for sautéed spinach
- Eggs royale (salmon benedict): swap the ham for smoked salmon or lox
- Eggs chesapeake: swap out the ham for a crab cake
More favorited breakfast recipes
Tools For This Recipe
Classic Eggs Benedict: Frequently Asked Questions
Fresh, cold eggs straight from the fridge are best to use – they have tighter, firmer whites that will hold up well when poached.
This will allow you to gently slide in the eggs rather than dropping it from high, keeping the shape intact and avoiding messy whites.
This will allow the egg whites to set faster than the yolk, preventing the egg whites from spreading (stopping the loose white strands) and yielding clean, round poached eggs.
Simmer for 3-5 minutes until the whites are set and the yolks are soft and runny. Cook for an additional minute for a firmer, set yolk (5-6 minutes, medium to hard poach).
Absolutely! Biscuits, croissants or even hash browns are all excellent swaps.
Classic Eggs Benedict
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 8 fresh large eggs, cold
- 8 ounces thinly sliced smoked ham
- 4 English muffins, split and toasted
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
for the hollandaise sauce
- 3 large pasteurized egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and hot
Instructions
- Heat 3 inches water and vinegar in a wide, shallow saucepan or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer.
- Crack each egg into a separate bowl or small ramekin. Working carefully, gently slide each egg into the saucepan.
- Cook, undisturbed, until whites are cooked through, about 3-5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove eggs and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Working in batches, cook ham until lightly browned and heated through, about 1-2 minutes per side.
- Place English muffins open-faced on a platter. Top evenly with ham and eggs, drizzling the tops with hollandaise sauce, garnished with chives and dill, if desired.
- Serve immediately.
for the hollandaise sauce
- Combine egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and cayenne pepper in a blender until pale yellow in color, about 30-60 seconds. With the motor running, add butter in a slow stream until emulsified; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Equipment
Notes
- Use vinegar when poaching eggs. Add a splash of vinegar to the water when poaching eggs – this will allow the eggs to hold up its shape.
- Simmer gently. Keep the water to a gentle simmer when poaching the eggs. This will prevent the eggs from breaking apart, overcooking or turning rubbery.
- Use room temperature egg yolks for the hollandaise. This will prevent the hot melted butter from solidifying when blending.
- Add the hot melted butter slowly. This will allow for proper emulsification to build a rich, creamy sauce without separating.
- Toast the English muffins. A golden-crisp toasted English muffin is key to hold up the toppings and to prevent sogginess.
Did you make this recipe?
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Tasty I substituted turkey for the ham. i like the idea of the eggs cooked in boiled water. Neat way to cook eggs. The hollandaise sauce is a little strange not cooking the eggs.
the best!!! I’ve made this for dinner a couple times with fresh sourdough english muffins. so yummy and pretty!
Me encantan estos huevos siempre los pido pero ahora los boy a preparar gracias x publicar la receta.
the recipe is amazing, my friends and family loved it!!
The sauce isn’t heated?
Looks fantastic. How can eggs be pasteurized?
65 deg C water for 4 min