It’s easy to make an eggs benedict recipe at home! A toasted English muffin is topped with a slice Canadian bacon and a poached egg then covered with a simple hollandaise sauce.
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Easy Eggs Benedict with Hollandaise Sauce
Until I learned how easy it was to make an eggs benedict recipe at home, it was something I only looked forward to ordering at a restaurant.
I’ve discovered that despite a few moving parts like making poached eggs and a rich hollandaise sauce, eggs benny is easy to make for a delicious breakfast idea or special weekend brunch dish!
Why This Recipe Works
- Flavorful: It’s got crispy, salty, smoky, and creamy elements that make every egg benedict bite irresistible.
- Simple and customizable. Eggs benny takes less than 30 minutes, plus you can customize how you like, use salmon, add asparagus, spinach or avocado.
Egg Benedict Ingredients
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- English muffins: You’ll need 2 muffins, cut in half to make 4 servings. I love to use my homemade English muffins for a special touch!
- Canadian bacon: This is sometimes referred to as back bacon because of where it is cut from the pig. It comes cured and precooked and it just needs heating up. You can also use ham or bacon.
- Cold eggs: This recipe yields 4 poached eggs that have slightly runny centers.
- Hollandaise sauce: For this easy hollandaise sauce, you will need egg yolks, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, a pinch of cayenne and unsalted melted butter. Save the whites for an egg white omelette tomorrow!
Substitution and Variations
Feel free to mix and match any of the options below to make a different style of this easy eggs benedict recipe every time!
- Different protein: Regular bacon is the next best thing. Swap it completely for a different protein like breakfast sausage, smoked salmon, turkey bacon, deli ham, or honey baked ham.
- Make it vegetarian: You can even turn it into eggs Florentine and swap the protein for sauteed spinach.
- Casserole style: Still don’t have enough time to make it? Make this eggs benedict casserole instead!
- Fancy: Avocado, tomato, and roasted asparagus are also great additions.
- Any style of eggs: Poached eggs are a classic tradition but fluffy scrambled eggs, over easy, a sunny side up egg, or a fried eggs would all be great!
- Garnish: Garnish with fresh herbs like dill or parsley.
How to Make Eggs Benedict
- Make easiest ever hollandaise sauce. For the blender Hollandaise sauce, combine egg yolks, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and cayenne pepper and pulse in blender for 5 seconds. Continue running the blender on medium-high and drizzle in hot butter.
- Poach eggs. Bring 3 inches of water to a light boil over medium-high heat. Reduce it to low and when it’s at a light simmer then stir in vinegar. Crack an egg, one at a time into a small bowl or ramekin. Tilt the edge of the ramekin and dip it slightly into the simmering water then gently slide egg out.
- Add all remaining eggs. Do this with the remaining eggs and immediately remove the pan from the heat. Cover it with a lid and let it sit for 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove eggs one at a time and set them on a plate.
- Heat the Canadian bacon. Using a skillet over medium heat Canadian bacon until warmed through. It’s already cooked so no need to worry about that.
- Toast English muffins. This can be done to your liking. I prefer mine lightly toasted for this eggs benedict recipe.
- Assemble eggs benedict. On 4 serving plates, place the toasted English muffin halves open side up. Butter them if you’d like. Top each one with a slice of bacon, a poached egg, and as much or as little hollandaise as you can handle! Top with garnish, flake sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Melt the butter ahead of time for the hollandaise in the microwave or on the stovetop. As long as it’s hot when you need it.
- Egg yolks need to be at room temperature for the sauce, but whole eggs need to be cold for poaching.
- Fresh eggs work best. They don’t fall apart in simmering water as easily as older eggs might.
- Use a timer and set it for 4 minutes. This is an exact science that has been tested. If you use room-temperature eggs, the 4-minute cook time will be off.
Recipe FAQs
Eggs benedict, also known as benedict eggs, or eggs benny, is a classic American breakfast or brunch recipe. Traditionally it’s made open-faced with one half of a toasted English muffin topped with a slice of pan-seared Canadian bacon and a poached egg smothered in a delicious hollandaise sauce. It’s finished with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper or paprika and fresh chives.
For softer yolks, aim for letting the eggs sit for 2-3 minutes instead. For harder yolks, give them a couple of extra minutes, about 5-6.
Absolutely! If hollandaise sauce isn’t your thing, you can use bearnaise sauce, or even a mornay sauce instead. You can also skip any of the sauces and top it with guacamole or salsa instead!
For serving this at brunch, you can keep it nice and light with sliced avocado and tomato and some breakfast potatoes. A berry fruit salad is also welcome! Whip up some French toast, or hash browns.The options are endless.
Make Ahead
Keep in mind, when it’s made ahead, the consistency and texture of the assembled eggs benedict won’t be the same as when it’s enjoyed freshly made.
- Make ahead: If you are eager to prepare this eggs benedict recipe in advance, you can make the hollandaise sauce a couple of days in advance as well as poach the eggs at the same time. Keep both refrigerated separately.
- Reheat: Reheat the eggs in boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute, and gently reheat the sauce in the microwave or double boiler.
Want more yummy breakfast recipes? Don’t miss my easy frittata, buttermilk pancakes, perfect hard boiled eggs and 1 hour cinnamon rolls.
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Eggs Benedict Recipe
Video
Ingredients
Hollandaise Sauce
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice , plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- ½ cup unsalted butter , melted and hot, plus more if needed for thinner consistency
Poached Eggs
- 4 large eggs , cold
- 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
Assemble
- 2 English muffins , sliced in half
- 4 slices Canadian bacon
Optional garnish: Butter, Parsley, Chives, Dill, or Flake sea salt with freshly cracked pepper
Instructions
Hollandaise Sauce
- In a blender, blend the egg yolks, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and cayenne pepper 5 seconds, or until combined.
- With the blender running on medium high, slowly drizzle in the hot butter until the sauce is emulsified and no butter remains. Season to taste.
Poached Eggs
- Fill a medium saucepan about 3-inches deep. Bring to a light boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low. When the water is at a light simmer, stir in the vinegar. The water is ready when there are tiny bubbles rising from the bottom but the surface doesn't have any movement.
- Crack each egg into a small bowl or ramekin. Carefully dipping the edge of a ramekin into the water, gently slide the egg out. Add remaining eggs. Immediately remove pan from heat and cover with a lid.
- Let sit for 4 minutes (set your timer). Using a slotted spoon, immediately remove the eggs one at a time and dab on a paper towel to remove excess water. Set on a plate.
Assemble
- In a small skillet, heat the Canadian bacon over medium heat until warmed through.
- In a toaster, toast the English muffins.
- On 4 serving plates, place the English muffin halves. Butter the toast if desired. Top each with Canadian bacon, a poached egg, and a drizzle of hollandaise sauce. Top with garnish, flake sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, if desired.
Notes
- Hot butter: Your butter needs to be HOT, not just melted. The recipe will not emulsify if the butter isn’t hot.
- Cold Eggs: To keep the time at exactly 4 minutes to poach, it is important to use eggs that are all the same temperature.
- Vinegar Substitutions: You can use apple cider vinegar, but don’t use any vinegar like balsamic that can discolor the eggs.
- Electric vs. Gas Stove: If using an electric stovetop that retains heat, remove the pot as soon as you turn off the heat so it doesn’t continue simmering. You can simply turn off the burner, cover, and let it rest on a gas stove.
- Microwave: Place the hollandaise sauce in a glass bowl, and microwave in 15 second increments. Repeat this process until your sauce is fully warmed up.
- Stove top: Heat in a pan over low heat. Add in a smidge of melted butter and water to re-emulsify and give it a smooth texture.
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: 30 Minute Meals, American, Breakfast, Easter, Nut-Free, Savory Breakfast, Stovetop
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
We had this for weekend breakfast and it was perfectly cooked! Thanks for the easy recipe!
It’s delicious! Creamy, tangy, with a hint of spice. Perfect drizzled over eggs Benedict or as a dip for veggies. So satisfying!
Can you believe I have never made this before? And it’s my husband’s favorite!! I surprised him with it for his birthday and it was delicious!
I love that! I’m so glad you two enjoyed the recipe :)
Tried this recipe using regular bacon and it was a success! My family enjoyed the eggs benedict, so wonderful and delicious!
Sounds delicious with bacon! So glad the eggs benedict recipe was a success!
We make this eggs benedict all the time on the weekends. It’s so easy to make and the sauce is delicious!
Love eggs benedict!! I am going to make these this weekend for sure!! The sauce is amazing!!