Making Eggs Benedict is easier than you think—especially when you make the hollandaise sauce in a blender! This recipe is perfect for any special occasion. Just plan ahead!
In this recipe
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How to make Eggs Benedict
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When to serve Eggs Benedict
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What is Eggs Benedict?
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How to make perfect poached eggs
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Substitute for Canadian bacon
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Tips for A+ Sauce Hollandaise
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Make tips ahead
BE PICTURED IN; CHARACTERIZED IN:
Making Eggs Benedict requires careful orchestration.
No wonder I rarely eat Eggs Benedict unless I’m dining out, my brain is scrambled enough in the morning without having to juggle in the kitchen.
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Video! How to make Eggs Benedict
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Eggs Benedict
How to make Eggs Benedict
That said, if you know how to toast an English muffin, cook bacon, and poach eggs, the only item that isn’t part of your standard fare is hollandaise sauce, which is actually quite easy if you have a blender.
When to serve Eggs Benedict
There may be an occasion, such as Mother’s Day, that you want to make someone special, such as your mother, something special for breakfast or brunch. Eggs Benedict is as special as it gets. Believe me if you make these for me I will worship the ground you walk on.
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, halved, 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 on the first try. Or the second. If you’ve never made poached eggs before, they may take some practice. Try these tips for a better chance of getting it right.
- Start with the freshest eggs you can get. The older the eggs are, the more likely they are to disintegrate in the boiling water.
- Make sure the water is barely simmering (only a few bubbles appear every now and then). If the water is boiling vigorously (lots of fast moving bubbles), the egg is more likely to separate when it hits the water.
- Don’t forget to add the vinegar to the water.
- In a small bowl, crack the egg before adding it to the water. Then carefully slide the egg out of the bowl into the boiling water.
- Carefully time the poached egg. Four minutes should be just right.
- Drain the poached eggs well. Hot Tip: A stale piece of bread works even better than a paper towel.
Are you looking for another option? Try our quick and super easy Microwave Poached Eggs recipe.
Substitute for Canadian bacon
While Canadian bacon is the standard at Eggs Benedict, it’s okay to buck tradition with these alternatives.
- Browned crab cakes
- lobster
- bacon
- ham
- Smoked or salted salmon
- Taylor Ham (or Pork Roll)
- Steamed Asparagus
- Sauteed Spinach
Tips for A+ Sauce Hollandaise
Our Blender Sauce Hollandaise really is child’s play. But you must strictly follow the recipe. Follow these tips and you’ll be in great shape.
- Mix the yolks for a full 30 seconds. If you mix them for a shorter time, the sauce will be more liquid and the yolks will be slightly heated.
- Melt the butter carefully so it doesn’t get hot and splatter (this can cause the sauce to break).
- Add the butter in a slow, steady stream while the mixer is running. Adding the butter too quickly will prevent the sauce from emulsifying properly.
- If the sauce is emulsified but too thin for your liking, pour it into the saucepan you used to melt the butter and heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until it gains body.
- If your sauce is thin and greasy, it’s broken. Look for ways to save it here.
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Make tips ahead
Eggs Benedict has many moving parts. If you want to make some of the dish ahead of time, you can poach the eggs up to five days ahead of time. Here’s how.
- When you’re done poaching the eggs, plunge them into 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.
- Just before you’re ready to assemble Eggs Benedict, heat the pre-poached eggs in a bowl of hot — but not boiling — water for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove, drain on kitchen paper or a slice of bread and continue with the recipe.
Don’t prepare the hollandaise sauce ahead of time and don’t toast the English muffins ahead of time.
More breakfast ideas for special occasions
- Cloud Eggs (Egg Nests)
- French toast filled with honey ricotta
- How to make french crepes
- Ham and asparagus quiche
- Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
From the editors of Simply Recipes
How to make Eggs Benedict
Eggs Benedict is also great with smoked salmon slices in place of the bacon. If you’re in or near New Jersey, try Taylor Ham.
Don’t have a blender? Prepare our Hollandaise Sauce, which is easier than you think.
ingredients
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8th slices bacon or 4 slices of Canadian bacon
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4 big eggs
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2 teaspoon White or rice Vinegar
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2 english muffins
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butter
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2 tablespoon chopped parsleyfor garnish
hollandaise sauce
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10 tablespoon unsalted butter (if using salted butter, omit the added salt)
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3 big egg yolk
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1 tablespoon lemon juice
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1/2 teaspoon kosher Salt
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hyphen cayenne or Tabasco sauce
method
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Cook bacon:
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon strips or Canadian bacon slices. Slowly cook, turning occasionally, until bacon is browned on both sides and most of fat is drained if using bacon strips (about 10 minutes).
Remove the bacon from the pan with tongs or a fork and place on a paper towel to soak up the excess fat.
Don’t pour the bacon grease left in the pan down the drain! Either soak it up with paper towels when it’s cooled a little, or pour it into a jar to use later. (See Making Bacon Fat).
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Boil the Wilderwasser:
While the bacon is cooking, bring a large saucepan to a two-thirds boil with water, then add the vinegar. Bring the water to a boil again, then reduce the heat to just a simmer.
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Prepare Sauce Hollandaise:
Is this your first time making hollandaise sauce? Check out our Easy Blender Hollandaise Sauce for more details on how to make the sauce.
For the mixer hollandaise, gently melt 10 tablespoons unsalted butter.
Place 3 egg yolks, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt in a blender. Blend (count or time) on medium-medium speed for a full 30 seconds, until eggs lighten in color.
Turn the mixer to the lowest setting, slowly drizzle in the hot melted butter while continuing to blend. Taste for salt and acid, adding more salt or lemon juice to taste.
Transfer to a container you can use for pouring and set in a warm — but not hot — spot on or near the stove.
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poach eggs:
Working one egg at a time, you are essentially cracking an egg into a small bowl and slipping it into the barely simmering water. Once it starts to set, you can push in another egg until all four are cooked.
Turn off the heat, cover the pan and let it rest for 4 minutes. (Remember which egg went in first, you’ll want to take it out first.) When it’s time to remove the eggs, carefully lift them out with a slotted spoon.
Note that the timing of the eggs is a bit variable depending on the size of your pan, how much water, how many eggs, and how runny you like them. You may need to experiment a bit with your build to figure out what to do to get the eggs just how you like them.
If you need more instructions, here’s an easy method for poaching eggs.
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Toast the English Muffins:
Once all the eggs are in the wild water, start toasting your English muffins. If you can’t get all of the muffins toasted when the eggs are ready, carefully remove the eggs from the poaching water and place them in a bowl.
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Assemble the Eggs Benedict:
To assemble, butter one side of an English muffin. Top with 2 slices of bacon or 1 slice of Canadian bacon. If you like, you can trim the bacon to fit on top of the muffin.
Place a poached egg on the bacon and pour some hollandaise over it. Sprinkle some parsley on top and serve immediately.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 774 | calories |
| 59g | Fat |
| 38g | carbohydrates |
| 24g | protein |
