The Only Eggs Benedict Recipe You’ll Ever Need (Brunch Goals!)

Eggs Benedict is a brunch dish that feels luxurious yet comforting, combining velvety poached eggs, savory Canadian bacon, crisp toasted English muffins, and silky smooth hollandaise sauce. First served in the late 19th century at New York’s famous Waldorf Hotel, this elegant breakfast classic has remained a beloved staple across cafes and kitchens worldwide. It’s the ultimate “treat yourself” breakfast, perfect for special weekends, lazy brunches, or when you want to impress guests with minimal ingredients but maximum flavor.

While making Eggs Benedict may seem intimidating due to the poached eggs and delicate hollandaise sauce, it’s surprisingly achievable at home with a bit of technique and patience. The key lies in mastering each component individually and assembling them fresh and hot for that iconic café-style presentation. With this step-by-step recipe guide, you’ll learn how to create restaurant-quality Eggs Benedict in your own kitchen, elevating your breakfasts into a gourmet experience.

This recipe is endlessly adaptable. Replace Canadian bacon with smoked salmon for Eggs Royale, spinach for Eggs Florentine, or avocado and tomatoes for a vegetarian twist. Once you master the classic, your brunch menu options will be limitless, bringing joy to cozy Sunday mornings or celebratory breakfasts with family and friends.

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Best Time to Eat and What to Serve It With

Best time to eat:

Eggs Benedict is perfect for weekend brunches, special breakfast-in-bed occasions, or holiday mornings when you want a decadent yet balanced meal to start the day.

Perfect pairings:

Side: Serve with crispy hash browns, roasted breakfast potatoes, or a fresh fruit salad for a refreshing balance.

Drink: Pair with freshly brewed coffee, a mimosa, or a glass of chilled prosecco to complete the brunch vibe.

Dessert: End your brunch with a light option like Greek yogurt with honey and berries or homemade granola for texture and sweetness.

Eggs Benedict isn’t just a dish—it’s a brunch ritual that elevates your mornings into moments of culinary celebration, whether shared with guests or enjoyed quietly with your favorite coffee and a good book.

The truth is, most people—and even some restaurants—completely butcher Eggs Benedict. From using watery eggs to splitting the hollandaise or slapping it on limp bread, there are a million ways to mess it up. Worse, many so-called “shortcut” recipes skip the real hollandaise entirely in favor of mayo-based sauces or powdered mixes.

Then there’s the endless stream of over-the-top versions: fried chicken Benedict, doughnut Benedict, pulled pork Benedict. While creative spins can be fun, they often miss the point of what makes the original so iconic—its precision, simplicity, and harmony. Not every dish needs to be turned into a food trend.

The deeper issue? Hollandaise sauce, one of the five mother sauces of classical French cuisine, is often treated as optional or “too hard” by home cooks. But skipping it means skipping the very heart of the dish. Mastering it isn’t just about flavor—it’s about honoring a culinary legacy that brunch culture has almost forgotten.

How to Make Eggs Benedict

Eggs Benedict Recipe Ingredients

4 English muffins, split
8 slices of Canadian bacon or ham
8 large eggs
2 tablespoons white vinegar (for poaching eggs)
For the Hollandaise Sauce:
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt

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Step By Step How to Make Eggs Benedict

Prepare the Hollandaise Sauce

In a blender, combine the egg yolks, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and salt. Blend on low speed, slowly drizzling in the melted butter until the sauce thickens and doubles in volume. If it’s too thick, you can add a few drops of warm water. Keep the sauce warm, not hot, to prevent it from curdling.

Poach the Eggs

Bring a large saucepan of water to a simmer and add the vinegar. Crack an egg into a small bowl, then gently slide it into the simmering water. Repeat with remaining eggs. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes until the whites are set but the yolks remain runny. Remove eggs with a slotted spoon and set aside on a warm plate.

Cook the Canadian Bacon

In a skillet, lightly brown the Canadian bacon or ham slices on both sides. Toast the English muffin halves until they are lightly browned.

Assemble Eggs Benedict

Place two muffin halves on each plate. Top each half with a slice of Canadian bacon, a poached egg, and a generous spoonful of hollandaise sauce. Garnish with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper or chopped parsley if desired.

Tips To Make Eggs Benedict

Use the freshest eggs possible for poaching, as they hold their shape better in the water. The vinegar helps the egg whites coagulate more efficiently, giving you a neater poached egg.

Hollandaise sauce can curdle if overheated. Keep it warm over a pan of barely simmering water or in a thermos. Assemble Eggs Benedict right before serving to ensure every component stays at its best texture and temperature.

How Many Calories Have Eggs Benedict

A single serving of Eggs Benedict (one full English muffin with two eggs, two slices of Canadian bacon, and sauce) typically contains about 750 calories.

Origin and History

Eggs Benedict is one of those dishes that has come to define the concept of a perfect brunch. Its story begins in late 19th-century New York City, where multiple accounts credit its creation to upscale hotels and inventive chefs. One popular version attributes the dish to Delmonico’s, one of the city’s oldest restaurants, where a wealthy patron supposedly requested a unique breakfast dish that would go on to become a classic.

Another origin story involves Waldorf Astoria New York, where a hungover guest named Lemuel Benedict ordered toast, poached eggs, bacon, and hollandaise sauce to cure his headache. The hotel staff loved the idea so much they adapted it, swapping toast for English muffins and bacon for Canadian bacon.

No matter which story is true, Eggs Benedict quickly became a brunch staple. Its combination of soft poached eggs, creamy hollandaise sauce, and buttery English muffins turned it from a humble breakfast plate into a symbol of elegance and indulgence.

Despite its popularity, Eggs Benedict is often viewed as intimidating to make at home. Many believe hollandaise sauce is too difficult to master, but the truth is, with the right technique, it’s surprisingly approachable. The fear of “messing it up” often keeps people from trying this classic dish themselves.

Another debate centers on what qualifies as a “true” Eggs Benedict. Purists insist it must be made with Canadian bacon, poached eggs, English muffins, and hollandaise sauce. But modern variations include smoked salmon, avocado, spinach, crab cakes, or even plant-based alternatives, sparking ongoing discussion about how far the classic can be adapted.

Finally, some argue that Eggs Benedict is too heavy or indulgent to enjoy regularly. Yet many chefs and home cooks have created lighter versions without losing the essence of the dish. The balance between tradition and innovation continues to keep Eggs Benedict exciting and relevant.

How Long You Take to Prepare

Eggs Benedict looks luxurious but doesn’t require hours to make. On average, it takes about 30 to 40 minutes to prepare from start to finish, making it a realistic option for weekend brunches at home. Most of the time is spent carefully poaching eggs and perfecting the hollandaise sauce.

Hollandaise sauce itself can be made in just a few minutes using traditional whisking methods or with a blender for a simpler approach. Poaching eggs takes less than five minutes, and toasting English muffins can be done simultaneously to save time.

The key to a smooth prep is organization. By having all ingredients ready before starting—known as mise en place—you can easily bring the dish together without stress. Once you learn the rhythm, Eggs Benedict becomes a surprisingly achievable recipe.

Serving Suggestions

Classic Eggs Benedict is served open-faced: a toasted English muffin topped with Canadian bacon, a perfectly poached egg, and a generous drizzle of hollandaise sauce. A sprinkle of paprika or chopped chives on top adds a subtle touch of color and flavor.

For a fresher twist, try swapping Canadian bacon for smoked salmon, sautéed spinach, or avocado slices. This not only introduces new flavors but can also make the dish lighter and more customizable for different preferences.

Pairing is key to elevating the experience. A side of roasted potatoes or a simple green salad works beautifully, while a mimosa or freshly brewed coffee completes the perfect brunch setting. The dish is indulgent yet elegant, making it ideal for entertaining guests or treating yourself to a special morning.

Final Thoughts

Making Eggs Benedict at home may sound like a restaurant-only feat, but once you master the simple techniques—perfectly poached eggs, silky hollandaise, crisped Canadian bacon—it becomes a brunch ritual you’ll never want to outsource again. It’s elegant, impressive, and deeply satisfying.

This recipe is about getting the basics exactly right, then letting you riff from there. Whether you’re serving it on a toasted English muffin, a brioche bun, or even with smoked salmon or spinach, the key is balance. Every bite should be creamy, rich, and just a little bit indulgent.

Brunch is more than just a meal—it’s a vibe. And when you can bring restaurant-quality Eggs Benedict to your own kitchen, it turns an ordinary morning into something worth slowing down for. You don’t need a fancy café—you just need a little patience, a good whisk, and this recipe.