The Best Eggs Benedict Recipe (with 5-Minute Hollandaise Sauce)
With my foolproof techniques, you'll be serving up the Best Eggs Benedict right in your own kitchen with no stress. Golden, buttery English muffins, perfectly poached eggs (without boiling), and a velvety hollandaise come together in minutes with this restaurant-quality brunch classic that feels effortlessly elegant.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 356kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
Hollandaise sauce
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice from half a medium lemon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon dijon mustard
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted and very hot
Poached eggs
- 3 inches water
- 6 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
For the Eggs Benedict
- 6 English muffins
- 4 slices ham
- Chives optional for garnish
Instructions
Prep
- Start by melting your butter and keeping it at a very low simmer so it stays hot.
- Heat up your meat of choice if desired. I find thinly sliced deli ham warms up quickly when you top it with the egg, so I don't bother to heat it.
- Toast your English muffins and spread with a little butter, if you like.
- Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to a pan that has been filled with at least 3 inches of water and bring to a simmer over high heat.
Make hollandaise sauce
- In a small saucepan heat your butter. Add egg yolks, lemon juice, dijon mustard, and kosher salt to your blender. Blend on high until fully mixed, about 10 seconds.
- While blender is running, slowly drizzle the butter through the opening in the top. Run on high for 15 to 30 seconds. Taste and season with more salt and cayenne (or chipotle).
Make poached eggs
- Gently tip the eggs into the hot water, one at a time, leaving enough room between the eggs that the whites don't touch. Cover and set timer for 3 ½ minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove eggs from the water in the order that you added them to the water. Test for doneness by gently poking the white.
Assemble Eggs Benedict
- Drape each buttered English muffin half with a little bit of thinly sliced ham and top with a poached egg.
- Drizzle warm hollandaise sauce over the top of each.
- Add chives, salt, and pepper, or a little pinch more of cayenne. Dig in!
Video
Notes
Thicken or thin your sauce
Blend for a few extra seconds to help thicken the sauce. Blend in a small amount (a couple of tablespoons) of hot water for a thinner consistency. For all of my tips and tricks, refer to the full hollandaise sauce recipe post. Broken sauce
If your hollandaise sauce looks thin or separated, try whisking in a teaspoon of warm water or an extra egg yolk. Keeping your butter hot and blending it in slowly helps create a smooth, creamy and stable sauce. Make-Ahead Eggs Benedict for a Crowd
Prep the hollandaise ahead, adding a little bit of hot water and blending again just before serving. Poach eggs ahead of time, and reheat them in warm water just before assembling everything on a tray and pouring over with hollandaise.
Blend for a few extra seconds to help thicken the sauce. Blend in a small amount (a couple of tablespoons) of hot water for a thinner consistency. For all of my tips and tricks, refer to the full hollandaise sauce recipe post. Broken sauce
If your hollandaise sauce looks thin or separated, try whisking in a teaspoon of warm water or an extra egg yolk. Keeping your butter hot and blending it in slowly helps create a smooth, creamy and stable sauce. Make-Ahead Eggs Benedict for a Crowd
Prep the hollandaise ahead, adding a little bit of hot water and blending again just before serving. Poach eggs ahead of time, and reheat them in warm water just before assembling everything on a tray and pouring over with hollandaise.
Nutrition
Calories: 356kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 299mg | Sodium: 649mg | Potassium: 171mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 834IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 1mg
