Try our Eggs Benedict made with a foolproof vinegar-free poaching method with creamy hollandaise sauce and ham steaks on an English muffin!
Don’t be intimidated by Eggs Benedict – it’s the quintessential brunch recipe! We’re not swirling water in a pan with white vinegar to poach these eggs, we’re using an absolutely simple and easy way to poach eggs with just a pan of water. We’re also not using a double boiler to make the hollandaise, we’re using a blender! Along with this recipe we also love serving up French Toast, Easy Cinnamon Rolls (in 1 Hour!), and Easy French Toast Bake all week long!
Let’s talk about the ham for a second.
Classic eggs benedict recipes are made using Canadian bacon rounds (which by the way fit perfectly on top of English muffins). You can absolutely use Canadian bacon in this recipe but give the thick-cut ham steaks a chance! They really up the game of this recipe and take it from a normal experience to something awesome. Especially if you brown that ham steak in a pat of butter, I promise you’ll crave ham steak with more breakfasts in the future!
Table of contents
About our Eggs Benedict Recipe
People often ask, “How do you make hollandaise sauce with Eggs Benedict?” It seems like a totally out-of-reach dish because of the hollandaise and the egg poaching. That doesn’t have to be the case. An easy foolproof poaching method and hollandaise made completely in a blender and poached eggs made in a pot of simmering water that all you have to do is turn off!
We’re making luxurious creamy hollandaise in the blender. The hardest thing to remember about this hollandaise sauce is if you aren’t serving it right away you need to place saran wrap directly onto the bowl of hollandaise to prevent a dried layer of skin from forming on top of the hollandaise sauce.
Also, this isn’t typical but you can also use bacon instead of ham. There’s no brunch police out there preserving the authenticity of your eggs benedict!
Speaking of authenticity, the origins of Eggs Benedict go back to New York City in the Waldorf Hotel. Legend is that a guest asked for a toast topped with bacon, poached eggs, and a “hooker” of hollandaise sauce. The chef loved the dish but changed it for his menu by altering the toast and the bacon (see this dish is made for bacon!).
What’s the difference between Eggs Benedict and Eggs Florentine?
Eggs Benedict is made with ham, egg, English muffin, and hollandaise sauce while Eggs Florentine substitutes the ham for cooked spinach.
Why You Should Make Eggs Benedict at Home
Eggs Benedict is a beloved brunch staple that many of us order at our favorite breakfast spot or luxury hotel. However, making it at home has several advantages. First and foremost, preparing Eggs Benedict at home allows you to customize the ingredients to your taste. Fancy a specific type of ham or want to add a twist like smoked salmon? Go for it! Additionally, it’s often more cost-effective to whip up this dish in your own kitchen rather than regularly splurging on restaurant prices. Beyond the savings, there’s a sense of accomplishment in perfecting the techniques of poaching eggs and mastering the velvety Hollandaise sauce. Plus, nothing beats the freshness of a dish made from scratch, served in the comfort of your home, and tailored to your preferences. Making Eggs Benedict at home transforms a simple brunch into a special culinary experience.
Can Eggs Benedict be Made Ahead of Time?
Certainly! Making parts of the Eggs Benedict recipe ahead of time can simplify the process for when you’re ready to serve. Remember, while parts of the recipe can be prepped ahead, assembling fresh will give you the best results in terms of taste and presentation. Here’s how you can prepare in advance:
- Hollandaise Sauce: The Hollandaise sauce can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for a day. To reheat, place it in a bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk continuously until it’s warm. Avoid overheating as this might cause the sauce to separate.
- Poached Eggs: Poach the eggs as instructed and transfer them using a slotted spoon to an ice water bath. This will stop the cooking process and cool them quickly. Store the poached eggs in the cold water in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When you’re ready to serve, gently reheat the eggs in warm water for about a minute.
- Ham Steaks: The ham steaks can be seared ahead of time and then reheated just before assembly.
- English Muffins: The English muffins can be toasted in advance, though they’re best when freshly toasted.
Eggs Benedict Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter: This provides the creamy base for the Hollandaise sauce.
- 3 large egg yolks: Essential for achieving the velvety texture in Hollandaise sauce. It’s crucial to use fresh eggs for best results.
- 2 tablespoons water: Helps in emulsifying the sauce. Always use fresh, clean water.
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice: Adds a zesty brightness to the sauce. Freshly squeezed lemon juice is ideal for a punchier flavor, but in a pinch, bottled lemon juice can work.
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper: Gives a subtle kick to the Hollandaise. If you don’t have cayenne, a dash of hot sauce or a pinch of paprika can be used.
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt: Enhances the flavors. You can adjust the amount to taste, but kosher salt has larger crystals, which dissolve well in sauces.
- ⅛ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper: Adds a slight spice and depth. Freshly ground black pepper is best for a more pronounced flavor.
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (for poached eggs): This helps season the water and the eggs during poaching.
- 8 large eggs: The star of the dish! Always aim for the freshest eggs when poaching, as they hold their shape better.
- 4 English muffins: Provide a crispy and chewy base for the toppings.
- 2 tablespoons butter (for toasting): Enhances the flavor and texture of the muffins.
- 2 ham steaks: Salty and savory, these complement the creamy Hollandaise and runny egg. Alternatives include bacon, smoked salmon, or even spinach for a vegetarian Florentine version.
- Chives: Offer a fresh, oniony garnish. Green onions or parsley can be used if chives aren’t available.
Kitchen Tools & Equipment for Eggs Benedict
- Saucepan: Used to melt the butter for the Hollandaise sauce.
- Blender: Essential for achieving a creamy, emulsified Hollandaise sauce. If you don’t have a blender, a food processor or an immersion blender can be alternatives. If you’re going traditional, a whisk and a bowl over simmering water (double boiler method) can also be used.
- Pot (for poaching eggs): A deep pot is ideal for poaching eggs, ensuring they are submerged and cook evenly.
- Bowl: Used for cracking the eggs before poaching. This helps in ensuring that the yolk doesn’t break and allows for a gentler release into the water. Any clean bowl will do the trick.
- Skillet: Utilized for searing the ham steaks.
- Slotted Spoon: Helpful for retrieving the poached eggs from the water, ensuring that excess water is drained. If unavailable, a regular spoon can be used, just make sure to drain the water well.
- Toaster (or toaster oven): For toasting the English muffins to crispy perfection. If you don’t have a toaster, you can also toast the muffins in a hot oven or pan-fry them in a bit of butter until golden brown.
How to Make Eggs Benedict
Time needed: 20 minutes.
Whip up a gourmet breakfast in the comfort of your home with our delightful Eggs Benedict recipe. In just about 30 minutes, you’ll create a dish that serves four, combining toasted English muffins, savory ham steaks, and perfectly poached eggs draped in a velvety Hollandaise sauce.
- Hollandaise Sauce
Start by melting your unsalted butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When it starts foaming, it’s time to move on. Using a blender, mix together the egg yolks and water. As it’s whirling away, gradually introduce the hot butter through the shoot until the mixture becomes irresistibly creamy. Add the final touches with fresh lemon juice, a pinch of cayenne pepper, and dashes of kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper.
- Poaching the Eggs
Fill a pot with water up to the approximate height of an egg – about two inches of water. Season it with kosher salt and bring it to a gentle simmer. Remember, boiling is too harsh for our delicate eggs! Crack each egg into a separate bowl, then gently slide it into the simmering water. Once all your eggs are comfortably in, turn off the heat and let them sit with a lid on for two minutes. Retrieve them with a slotted spoon, revealing their flawlessly poached demeanor.
- Toast Muffins & Fry Ham
As your English muffins are getting crispy in the toaster, grab a skillet. Melt some butter and sear the quartered ham steaks until they develop a tantalizing golden-brown crust, which should take about two minutes.
- Assemble
Lay out your toasted English muffins as the base. On each half, place a juicy ham steak, followed by a delicate poached egg. Drench them generously with your homemade Hollandaise sauce. For a splash of color and an extra burst of flavor, sprinkle freshly chopped chives on top.
Nutritional Facts
Recipe Tips & Tricks for Eggs Benedict
- Perfecting the Poach: One of the most common issues chefs of all levels face is ensuring a perfectly poached egg. A pro tip is to create a gentle whirlpool in the simmering water before sliding in your egg. This helps the white wrap around the yolk neatly, giving you that restaurant-quality poached egg.
- Separation Situation: If your Hollandaise begins to separate, you can save it! Whisk in a tablespoon of hot water until it comes back together.
How to Store Eggs Benedict
Storing Leftover Eggs Benedict: For optimal freshness, deconstruct Eggs Benedict before storing. Place the poached eggs, ham steaks, and English muffins separately from the Hollandaise sauce in airtight containers. Refrigerate and consume within one to two days.
Reheating Eggs Benedict: To retain its original charm, gently reheat each component. Warm ham steaks and English muffins in the oven or skillet. Dip poached eggs in hot water briefly. Lightly heat the Hollandaise sauce, stirring continuously to prevent separation.
Freezing Eggs Benedict: Freezing isn’t ideal due to potential texture changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! While traditional Eggs Benedict uses ham, you can easily substitute it with smoked salmon, bacon, or even spinach for a vegetarian version.
No problem. You can whisk the ingredients by hand in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water.
A split Hollandaise can be saved! Start with a teaspoon of cold water in a clean bowl and slowly whisk in the split sauce until it emulsifies again. Make sure to add the sauce gradually and whisk consistently.
Yes, while poached eggs are traditional for Eggs Benedict, you can use soft-boiled or fried eggs. The key is to have a runny yolk for that classic creamy texture.
Making hollandaise sauce is as easy as adding water and egg yolks to a blender while slowly adding in melted butter. Once an emulsion is formed and the mixture is creamy you can add in the seasonings like lemon juice, cayenne, salt, and pepper. The butter adds a beautiful creamy texture and the cayenne just adds depth of flavor rather than any sort of spice.
The hollandaise is easy enough in any quantity that will fit in a blender. When it comes to poaching the eggs, use multiple pans that are simmering before even starting the sauce or toasting the muffins. Then when it is time to poach the eggs you can do 8 each in large skillets and just simply turn them off, turn on a 2-minute timer, and remove them quickly with a slotted spoon.
This will be your favorite breakfast. Well unless you’re all about bacon in which case a pile of bacon will always win.
Ingredients
Hollandaise Sauce
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice , fresh
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Poached Eggs
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 large eggs
To Finish
- 4 English muffins , sliced in half and toasted
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 ham steaks , quartered
- 1 tablespoon chives , chopped for garnish
Instructions
Hollandaise Sauce:
- Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat until it begins to foam then turn off the heat.
- In a blender add the egg yolks and water and while its mixing slowly pour the butter into the blender pour shoot until fully creamy and combined before adding in the lemon juice, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.
Poached Eggs:
- Add water to a pot (about egg height) along with salt and bring to a simmer on medium heat (you don't want the water boiling, it won't cook the eggs gently enough).
- Crack the eggs into a bowl or one at a time into small bowl and add them to the water gently one at a time before turning off the heat and adding the lid to the pan for 2 minutes before removing with a slotted spoon for a perfect poached egg.
To Finish:
- While the English muffins are toasting, sear the ham steaks in a skillet with the butter until browned (about 2 minutes).
- Layer with English Muffin, ham steak, egg, hollandaise and chopped chives for serving.
Nutrition
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Eggs Benedict Variations:
- Blanchard: Topped with béchamel sauce instead.
- Classic: Hollandaise, Canadian Bacon (or ham), poached egg, and English muffin.
- Chesapeake: Maryland crab cake made with blue crab instead of ham.
- Florentine: Made with cooked spinach instead of ham/Canadian bacon.
- Irish: Made with corned beef instead of ham.
- Mornay: Topped with mornay sauce instead.
- Steak: Uses steak instead of ham. Also sometimes uses béarnaise sauce instead.
- Salmon: (Also known as Eggs Royale) uses salmon or smoked salmon in place of ham.
- Southern: Made with pulled pork instead of ham and topped with a BBQ sauce hybrid hollandaise.
My first attempt at poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. They were a hit with the whole family, which rarely happens.
That’s amazing! I’m so glad you decided to give it a try.
I have attempted Hollandaise sauce multiple times and it’s never turned out this awesome. Recipe was very easy and I had everything in my pantry!
That’s fantastic! I’m so glad you decided to give this recipe a try.
Flavors are on point; however, my sauce (and I point out that I followed the recipe precisely) never thickened but remained runny. No mention in the recipe that the sauce is to be heated except by the melted butter. What went wrong?
Oh no! Adding the butter should’ve thickened it right up. The only tip I can think of is to make sure to add the butter in a smooth stream and not pour it all in right away if that makes sense. So glad you still enjoyed the flavors.
I have always made hollandaise sauce on the stove to cook the eggs. I like your approach, but do the yolks get hot enough to cook them? It looks delicious.
Thanks!!
Hollandaise sauce isn’t completely cooked all the way through but as long as you use pasteurized eggs you’ll be ok. I hope you decide to give it a try.
These would disappear in our house!
Haha, love it!
Holy cow this looks amazing. I want this for breakfast, lunch and dinner!
Thanks, Alli!
This is one of my favorite breakfasts! Looks so yummy!
I hope you enjoy it!
I’m a lover of all breakfasts that don’t involve me making them, so I’ll be sure to pass this recipe to my hubby for this weekend. Everything looks perfect and delicious 🙂
You sound like a very smart person!! I like the way you think.
I’ve never made hollandaise sauce, and I love eggs benedict! thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome, Cheryl!