Easy Eggs Benedict With Hollandaise Sauce Recipe

Making Eggs Benedict starts with gathering the right ingredients. Each one adds something special to your breakfast plate. Let's explore what you'll need.

• Eggs: Pick out large, fresh eggs at your market. The whites should stand tall in the pan when you crack them. Most home cooks find that fresher eggs make prettier poached eggs, while slightly older ones work great for the sauce.
• White Vinegar: Pour a little vinegar in your poaching water. It keeps those whites close to the yolk instead of spreading out. Regular white vinegar or the fancy wine kind both do the job nicely.
• Canadian Bacon: Look for these round slices at your butcher counter. Canadian bacon brings a light smokiness without being too heavy. Cut from pork loin, it stays tender and juicy when warmed up.
• English Muffins: Split these round breads open to find all those nooks and crannies. Once toasted, they catch the runny yolk and sauce in their tiny pockets. Some mornings, a buttery croissant or thick toast can step in.
• Butter: Grab unsalted butter for your sauce. Room temperature butter blends better than cold. Save a pat or two for your toasted muffins.
• Hollandaise Ingredients: Mix egg yolks with fresh squeezed lemon juice. Add salt to bring out flavors. Sprinkle cayenne pepper for a gentle warmth that wakes up your taste buds.
• Chives: Snip fresh chives into tiny green bits. They bring color to your plate and add a light onion taste that cuts through the rich sauce.

This recipe binds warm English muffins, perfectly cooked eggs, and smooth hollandaise sauce to start your morning with something special. Let me show you precisely what you'll need and how to put it all together.

What You Need:

For the Hollandaise Sauce:

• 3 large egg yolks
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or white pepper)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons water
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

For Building Your Breakfast:

• 8 cold eggs
• 4 English muffins
• Choose one: (8 slices bacon, 16 slices ham, or 8 ounces smoked salmon)

For the Garnish:

• 1 tablespoon chives
• 1 tablespoon parsley

Directions

The steps below will guide you through making each part of this breakfast. Take your time and follow along - each step builds on the last one.

Preparation

Step 1: Warming and Preparation

Set your oven to 120°F (50°C). This low temperature keeps everything hot without overcooking. Then cook bacon until it reaches your desired crispiness, then wrap it securely in foil to trap the heat - this keeps it perfectly warm in the oven.

Toast English muffins until they develop a light golden brown color, creating a sturdy base for your eggs. Keep them close by on a rack to prevent them from getting soggy.

Hollandaise Sauce

Step 1: Setting Up Your Mix

Fill a tall narrow container with fresh egg yolks - the container's height matters because it helps your stick blender or whisker create the perfect emulsion.

Add water and fresh lemon juice, followed by a pinch of cayenne pepper and salt. These seasonings build the sauce's foundation. Blend these ingredients briefly until they form a smooth, uniform mixture.

Step 2: Butter Preparation

Heat butter in a microwave-safe container until it reaches a completely liquid state. Watch closely to prevent the butter from popping or browning.

Transfer melted butter to a container with a precise pouring spout. Let it rest for exactly 15 seconds - during this time, the white milk solids naturally separate and sink to the bottom.

Step 3: Making the Sauce

Position your stick blender on high speed or if using a whisker, stir continuously. The next 45 seconds are crucial: pour the hot butter in the thinnest possible stream into your egg mixture. This slow addition prevents the sauce from breaking.

Avoid pouring the white solids that have collected at the bottom - these can make your sauce grainy. Once combined, run the whisker for 10 additional seconds, moving it up and down to ensure every bit is smooth.

Step 4: Getting the Right Texture

Assess your sauce's consistency by lifting a spoon and observing how it flows. If the sauce appears too thick, incorporate warm tap water gradually, one teaspoon at a time.

The ideal consistency should coat the back of a spoon while still flowing smoothly off its edge. Place finished sauce in a bowl and cover to maintain temperature. It stays warm for about 15 minutes.

Poached Eggs

Step 1: Preparing the Eggs

Position a small strainer over a bowl for each egg. Crack eggs individually into the strainer, allowing 30 seconds for the loose white to separate.

This step ensures your poached eggs stay compact and neat. Transfer each strained egg into separate teacups for easy handling. Prepare four eggs at once to maintain timing.

Step 2: Getting the Water Ready

Add a liter of water to a large pot with a tablespoon of vinegar. Heat until bubbles start forming but before reaching a full boil. The water surface should remain mostly still, with only small bubbles rising from the bottom. This temperature creates the perfect environment for eggs to cook evenly.

Step 3: Adding Eggs to Water

Lower each teacup close to the water surface and gently roll eggs into the pot. Complete this process quickly - all eggs should enter the water within 15 seconds. After 20 seconds of cooking, use two spoons to carefully flip each egg, starting with the first one you added.

Step 4: Timing and Finishing

Let eggs cook for exactly one minute before flipping them again. Cook for an additional 30 seconds. Test doneness by lifting one egg - the white should feel firm but still tender, while the yolk remains liquid. Transfer to paper towels briefly - just 15 seconds - to remove excess water.

Assemble and Serve

Step 1: Building Your Base

Arrange two warm English muffin halves on each plate. Add your selected protein - ham, bacon, or smoked salmon - distributing it evenly across the muffin surface. This layer creates a savory foundation that complements the eggs and sauce.

Step 2: Serve and Enjoy

Position poached eggs carefully on each muffin stack. Pour hollandaise sauce generously over the eggs, ensuring it cascades down the sides. Finish with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and chives for color and flavor. Serve immediately while all components maintain their ideal temperature.

Success with Eggs Benedict comes from understanding small details. These tips emerged from countless hours of testing in regular home kitchens. Each suggestion solves common problems that home cooks face.

1. Cold Eggs Are Easier to Handle

Take eggs directly from the refrigerator before cracking them. Cold yolks stay firm and separate cleanly from the whites without breaking. Room temperature eggs spread out more and often mix together.

The cold temperature keeps the yolk intact during the separation process. Using cold eggs saves time because they require less cleanup from broken yolks.

2. Choose Your Pot Size Wisely

Select a deep pot that holds at least 4 inches of water. Each egg needs three inches of space around it while cooking. Crowded eggs bump together and lose their round shape.

The extra space lets water circulate freely around each egg. Using the right pot size improves the final appearance of your poached eggs.

3. Watch Your Water Temperature

Begin with boiling water, then reduce heat until tiny bubbles appear. These small bubbles should rise steadily but not disturb the surface. Water that moves too much breaks apart the egg whites.

Maintaining the correct temperature ensures properly cooked eggs. The steady temperature creates eggs with firm whites and runny yolks.

4. Blend Egg Yolks Thoroughly

Mix egg yolks in the blender for exactly thirty seconds before adding other ingredients. This creates a strong foundation for your hollandaise sauce. Extended blending makes the sauce more stable.

The mixing action prepares yolks for accepting butter without breaking. Complete blending prevents lumps in your final sauce.

5. Handle Hot Butter Carefully

Heat butter on low until completely melted without bubbling. Allow the melted butter to sit for one minute before using. Very hot butter causes the sauce to separate instantly. The right temperature helps create a silky sauce texture. Properly cooled butter blends smoothly with egg yolks.

6. Pour Butter Like Rain

Add melted butter in a very thin, continuous stream while blending. This slow addition allows proper emulsification of the sauce. Quick pouring creates an oily, separated mixture.

The steady stream helps butter and eggs combine properly. This method produces thick, creamy hollandaise every time.

7. Fix Thin Sauce

Transfer loose sauce into your warm butter container. Heat gently while whisking continuously until thickened. Watch carefully to prevent overheating the sauce. Moving the sauce helps it thicken evenly. Constant stirring stops the sauce from curdling.

8. Save Separated Sauce

Start fresh with one new egg yolk in your clean blender. Add the separated sauce slowly while blending on high speed. This method rebuilds the sauce structure completely. The fresh egg yolk acts as a new base for the sauce. Careful blending brings the sauce back to proper consistency.

Eggs Benedict keeps well for two days in your fridge when stored properly. The key is keeping the hollandaise sauce separate from other ingredients. Since the sauce contains raw eggs, it needs special handling to prevent bacteria growth.

You can prepare parts of Eggs Benedict ahead of time. Here's how to handle each component:

Poached Eggs Prep and Storage:

After poaching your eggs perfectly, plunge them straight into a bowl of ice water. This stops them from cooking further. Lift them out carefully with a slotted spoon and sort them in one layer in an airtight container.

They'll stay fresh in your fridge for up to five days. When breakfast time comes, heat a bowl of water until it's hot but not boiling. Drop your cold eggs in for 2-3 minutes. Let them drain on paper towels or a bread slice before building your breakfast.

Hollandaise Sauce Storage:

Pour your finished sauce into an airtight container for the fridge. While it stays good for two days, warming it up needs patience. Place your sealed sauce container in a large bowl of very warm tap water.

Let it sit for 20 minutes, then stir well. You might need fresh warm water and another rest to get the right temperature. If your sauce seems thick, stir in small amounts of hot tap water until it flows smoothly.

Reheating Complete Eggs Benedict:

When you're ready to enjoy leftover Eggs Benedict, start with the simple parts. Toast your English muffins until they're warm and crisp. Heat your bacon or ham gently.

For the poached eggs, bring water to a gentle simmer, then drop them in for just one minute. The hollandaise sauce needs gentle warming - either in short microwave bursts or over a double boiler, stirring often to keep it smooth.

Remember: While you can store Eggs Benedict components for up to two days, the sooner you enjoy them, the better they'll taste. Always check that your stored ingredients smell fresh before using them.

A breakfast plate comes alive when special side dishes join the classic eggs Benedict. Adding these five side dishes creates a breakfast that people remember.

• Crunchy Spring Salad with Dill Dressing: The salad starts with three different types of lettuce leaves. Sliced cucumbers add extra crunch in every bite. Red radishes bring a slight spicy kick to the mix. The homemade dill dressing uses fresh herbs from the garden.

• Smokey Baked Hash Browns: Cubes of potato turn golden in a hot oven. The outside edges become crispy after thirty minutes of baking. Inside each cube stays soft and fluffy. These hash browns take time to bake but need little attention while cooking.

• Home Fries: Red potatoes cut into chunks form the base of this dish. Bell peppers in different colors add spots of brightness. Each piece of potato turns brown and crispy in the pan. The finished home fries support the eggs Benedict without stealing attention.

• Roasted Asparagus: Fresh asparagus spears need only oil, salt, and pepper. The oven turns them bright green in twelve minutes. The hollandaise sauce finds a perfect partner in these vegetables. Asparagus brings color and nutrients to the plate. This side dish proves simple ingredients make excellent results.

• Easy Sautéed Spinach: Fresh spinach leaves fill the pan at the start. Olive oil helps the leaves become soft. Fresh garlic adds bursts of flavor throughout. Lemon juice squeezed on top makes all the tastes come together. The finished spinach catches drips of hollandaise sauce. This quick-cooking side dish takes only minutes to prepare.