Eggs Benedict

5 from 1 vote

Eggs Benedict is a classic breakfast recipe that is traditionally served as a toasted English muffin, topped with Canadian bacon, a poached egg and hollandaise sauce. The name sounds fancy which might make this recipe seem overwhelming to make, but it is extremely easy to whip up in your own kitchen in under 30 minutes.

Prep Time20

Cook Time4

Total Time24

Course: Savory Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 461kcal

Author: Amy Nash

Ingredients

Hollandaise Sauce

1 batch [easy blender hollandaise sauce]

Poached Eggs

8 eggs
2-3 quarts water
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt

Assembly

4 english muffins split and toasted
8 slices of canadian bacon or leftover ham sausage patties, smoked salmon, or bacon
2 Tablespoons minced chives

Instructions

Prep

Make the hollandaise sauce and keep warm in a bowl of very hot water.

Poach the eggs

Break eggs into small individual cups, bowls or ramekins and set aside. Fill a large non-stick skillet about half full of water so that it is about 1 ½ inches deep.
Heat over medium heat to bring the water temperature up to 190 degrees F (use a thermometer to monitor and regulate the water temp). There will be bubbles on the bottom of the pan, but the water should not be boiling.
Add the vinegar and salt and use a slotted spoon to scrape the bubbles off the bottom of the pan. Set the bowls or ramekins into the water and gently tilt the eggs out one at a time so you don't break the eggs. Repeat with remaining eggs, working in batches of 3 to 4 eggs at a time, depending on how large your pan is.
Set a timer for 4 minutes and cook until the white is set but the yolk is still soft. Gently remove the eggs from the water using a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate lined with a clean dish towel or paper towels to drain. You can trim any lacy edges with the edge of your spoon, if desired. If you are poaching the eggs in advance, transfer them to an ice water bath to stop the cooking process and refrigerate for up to 12 hours. When ready to serve, return the eggs to a skillet or pot of hot water for 1 minute to warm them up again.

Assembly

Split and toast the english muffins. Lightly fry the canadian bacon or leftover ham in a pan to warm it up and top each english muffin with a piece of the meat.
Place a poached egg on top and pour hollandaise sauce over the egg. Sprinkle with chives then serve immediately.

Notes

Variations: While we love classic eggs benedict with canadian bacon, you could also make them using dungeness crabmeat, or for a vegetarian version, add sliced avocado, or steamed asparagus in place of the meat.
English Muffins: You can use storebought or make a batch of my homemade english muffins, which freeze really well too so you can always have some on hand.

Nutrition