This foolproof Eggs Benedict recipe contains tips and an easy blender hollandaise sauce to breezily make the popular brunch dish at home!

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Along with crêpes, croissants, and pancakes, Eggs Benedict is undoubtedly a delicious, ubiquitous breakfast classic. I’d say Eggs Benedict should be named to the breakfast hall of fame! Runny eggs, rich sauce, salty ham, and the optional veggie on toasted bread: Eggs Benedict has everything you need to wake up your taste buds and start your day on a delicious note.

But, while Eggs Benedict might be the most requested breakfast dish in restaurants, it can be an intimidating dish to make at home. The culprit: hollandaise sauce. Hollandaise is considered to be one of the five “mother sauces” of French cuisine, and it is made with egg yolks, melted butter, and lemon juice.

One of the reasons that hollandaise sauce might have earned its finicky reputation is that the sauce comes together as an emulsion, that is, the ingredients need to be beaten together properly to fully blend in and create a silky-smooth sauce. If the hot, melted butter is poured too quickly into the yolks, the yolks can “cook” and curdle, creating a sauce with a grainy consistency.

Another reason that hollandaise can be considered a “difficult” sauce is that it’s tricky to keep warm and reheat. Indeed, reheating hollandaise sauce over a heat that’s too strong for the delicate sauce can, again, overheat the egg yolks and curdle the sauce. The best way to go when making homemade Hollandaise is to whip it right before serving, so you can immediately pour it warm over each serving plate. But making hollandaise sauce from scratch at the last minute can be stressful, especially if you’ve never made it before!

Luckily, for those shying away from making Eggs Benedict for any or all of these reasons, my recipe for both the hollandaise sauce and the Eggs Benedict assembly process is foolproof. First, I’ll show you how to make hollandaise sauce in a blender, which means it comes together in seconds. I’ll also provide tips on how to reheat the sauce properly—yes, you could even make your hollandaise sauce in advance. Imagine that!

Second, I guide you through the process of making poached eggs and I provide alternatives if you do not want to cook eggs that way. Finally, I teach you how to prepare all your components, so you can assemble Eggs Benedict in front of your guests without breaking a sweat.

Learning from all my tips and using my foolproof recipe, you’ll finally get to make foolproof Eggs Benedict at home, all while removing stress from the equation. Be warned that it can be a dangerous habit to acquire though: homemade Eggs Benedict is so delicious that you will probably want to make it a habit to start every weekend with the dish!

My Secret for Perfect, Foolproof Homemade Eggs Benedict

Prepare all the components and poach the eggs before you make the sauce. The sauce should be the last thing you do because it comes together in seconds. Doing so will allow you to serve the sauce hot and avoid having to reheat it. Since hollandaise sauce is so sensitive to heat, reheating it in a hurry means you could risk splitting or breaking it. It is possible to safely reheat hollandaise sauce though; see my tips to reheat hollandaise sauce below.

How to Poach Perfectly Runny Eggs

Bring a large saucepan of water to a gentle simmer. You should see tiny bubbles coming to the surface of the water, but the water should not come to a strong, rolling boil. Adjust the temperature throughout the cooking process to keep the water very hot but not boiling. Mix in the salt and vinegar.

Crack one egg in a small bowl (make sure not to break the yolk or you won’t be able to poach it) then gently slide the entire egg into the water. Quickly repeat the process to add all 4 eggs to the hot water. (Breaking the eggs in a small bowl before sliding them in the water creates rounder poached eggs and ensures that no broken shell gets in.) Cook the eggs for 3½ minutes for a runny yolk, or for up to 4½ minutes for a slightly set, jammy yolk.

Use a slotted spoon to fish the eggs out, one by one, and set them on a small plate. Transfer this small plate over the warm serving plates in the oven to keep warm.

Substituting Poached Eggs in Eggs Benedict

For a variety of reasons, you might now want to make and serve poached eggs in your Eggs Benedict. Here are substitution ideas for poached eggs in Eggs Benedict:

• Fried Eggs: Fried eggs are super quick and easy to make. Simply set a non-stick skillet over high heat, grease with a drizzle of oil, then crack eggs open over the hot surface. Season each egg with salt and pepper and cook until the egg white is set. Then remove them to a plate and transfer them to a low oven to keep warm until service.

• Over-Easy Eggs: Follow the fried egg directions. But, just before the egg white is fully set, use a spatula to flip over the eggs. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute more, depending on how set you want the egg yolks to be. Then remove them to a plate and transfer them to a low oven to keep warm until service.

• Scrambled Eggs: Some people just don’t like runny yolks and that’s okay! That definitely shouldn’t prevent them from enjoying Eggs Benedict. Simply crack, scramble, and season eggs in a bowl. Then pour them in a hot, greased non-stick skillet and cook, stirring with a spatula, until the eggs are cooked but still look a tiny bit wet. The eggs will finish cooking with the residual heat.

• Soft- or Hard-Boiled Eggs: You can also cook soft- or hard-boiled eggs in advance, then peel them, slice them in half, and use them in Eggs Benedict. To cook soft- or hard-boiled eggs, place eggs in a saucepan, then cover with water by 1 inch (2.5 cm). Add a teaspoon of salt, then set over high heat and bring to a vigorous boil. Remove from the heat, cover, and let rest for 6 to 7 minutes for soft-boiled eggs, and 11 minutes for fully set, hard-boiled eggs. Drain the eggs, rinse under cold water, and transfer to a bowl with ice water. Let cool completely. Refrigerate the eggs until needed.

• Skip the Eggs Completely: While it might sound strange to consider making Eggs Benedict without the eggs, there’s no law against it! As a substitute for eggs, you can fry seasoned, thick slices of extra-firm tofu until golden brown. You can also use extra ham or smoked salmon instead. See the Serving Ideas section below for additional inspiration to serve delicious Eggs Benedict, your way.

How to Make Blender Hollandaise Sauce

Making hollandaise sauce in a blender is so easy! Simply combine the egg yolks, water, lemon juice, and salt in the container of a stand blender, and blend until frothy. Melt the butter in the microwave or in a small saucepan over medium heat until bubbly (do not brown). With the blender running, pour in the hot butter in a very thin stream, blending until sauce is thick and emulsified. Voilà, you’re done!

You can also use a hand mixer to make hollandaise sauce. Simply mix the ingredients in the mixer’s tall cup, or in a large measuring cup, in the same order described above.

How to Fix Split or Curdled Hollandaise Sauce

Hollandaise sauce is split when the fat separates from the rest of the sauce, which means that the sauce has lost its emulsion. Hollandaise sauce curdles when it’s overheated, which means the egg yolks have cooked and solidified and the sauce has become grainy.

Here’s how to fix split Hollandaise sauce: adding one egg yolk to the sauce will bring it back together. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 egg yolk and 1 tbsp of cold water. Turn the blender back on at low speed. With the blender running, slowly pour the egg yolk/water mixture into the sauce. Mix for 10-15 seconds, and the sauce should be fixed. If you do not have extra egg yolks, you can try whisking in 1 to 2 tbsp (15 to 30 ml) of hot water or heavy cream to bring the sauce back together.

Unfortunately, you can’t fix curdled hollandaise sauce. A curdled or grainy texture means that the egg yolks have cooked, and there’s no coming back from this situation. I’m sorry, but you need to start the sauce from scratch :(

How to Reheat Hollandaise Sauce

Hollandaise sauce is very sensitive to heat, so you need to reheat it over very gentle heat. The best way to reheat hollandaise sauce is to put it in the top container of a double-boiler and bring 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water to a simmer (do not boil) in the bottom pot. Whisk constantly until the sauce is warm.

Because the power of microwaves varies so widely, I do not recommend reheating hollandaise sauce in the microwave. A few seconds too long can curdle your sauce, and you’ll have to start the sauce from scratch.

If you don’t have a double-boiler, you can simply simmer water in a small saucepan and reheat the sauce in a larger stainless steel mixing bowl that you have set over the saucepan.

It’s worth noting that hollandaise sauce does not need to be piping hot when served—in fact, warm is enough. If all the other components of the dish are hot, the sauce will be warmed further upon touching them, and the resulting dish will come together at a perfect temperature. If your hollandaise sauce splits or curdles during the reheating process, see my tips above to bring it back together.

More Serving Ideas for Eggs Benedict

My favorite way to serve these foolproof Eggs Benedict is on toasted whole wheat English muffin halves with prosciutto and steamed asparagus, but there are so many other ways to prepare the dish.

Here are more serving ideas for Eggs Benedict:

• Replace the asparagus with: steamed or sauteed greens (spinach, swiss chard, or kale), sliced avocado, oven-roasted cherry tomatoes, or sauteed mushrooms;

• Replace the prosciutto with: ham, cold- or hot-smoked salmon, steamed lobster or crab meat, sliced chicken, sauteed fresh sausage, or crispy bacon;

• Replace the English muffin with: Toasted slices of crusty bread, toasted baguette slices, toasted brioche, plain waffles (or waffles that incorporate savory ingredients, such as cheese and herbs—not sweet waffles), or biscuits;

• Garnish with: fresh herbs, chives, shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano, crushed red pepper, chopped capers, pesto, or romesco sauce.

Get creative! There’s no wrong way to serve my foolproof Eggs Benedict. Bon appétit!

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Foolproof Eggs Benedict with Blender Hollandaise Sauce

This foolproof Eggs Benedict recipe contains tips and an easy blender hollandaise sauce to breezily make the popular brunch dish at home!

Prep Time:20 mins

Cook Time:10 mins

Total Time:30 mins

Servings 2 servings

Author Marie Asselin, FoodNouveau.com

Ingredients

To assemble the eggs benedict

• 8 thick asparagus stalks, tough ends removed and split lengthwise (or 16 thin asparagus stalks)
• 4 slices prosciutto, pancetta, or ham
• 2 English muffins, split

For the poached eggs

• 4 large eggs
• 1 tbsp kosher salt or fine sea salt
• 1 tbsp white vinegar

For the blender hollandaise sauce

• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 tbsp warm water
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt or fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)

To serve

• Minced chives (optional)
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Here’s my foolproof secret to successful eggs benedict: Prepare all the components and poach the eggs before you make the sauce.

  The sauce should be the last thing you make because it comes together in seconds. Doing so will allow you to serve the sauce hot and avoid having to reheat it. Since hollandaise sauce is so sensitive to heat, reheating it means you risk splitting or breaking it. It is possible to safely reheat hollandaise sauce though; see notes at the end of the recipe.

Prepare the assembly ingredients:

• Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place it in the oven. Stack two serving plates on one side of the baking sheet to warm them up.
• Fill a large bowl with ice water. Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil, then add the asparagus and blanch for 1 minute. Transfer the asparagus to the ice water to stop the cooking and cool. Remove and pat dry. Place on the baking sheet in the oven.
• If using prosciutto or pancetta, set a  non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the slices of prosciutto or pancetta and cook about 30 seconds per side, or until lightly browned and crisp. Transfer to the baking sheet in the oven.

  If using ham, simply place it on the baking sheet in the oven.
• Toast the English muffins and transfer them to the baking sheet in the oven.

Make the poached eggs:

• Bring a large saucepan of water to a gentle simmer. You should see tiny bubbles coming to the surface of the water, but the water should not come to a strong, rolling boil.

  Adjust the temperature throughout the cooking process to keep the water very hot but not boiling.

  Mix in the salt and vinegar.
• Crack one egg in a small bowl (make sure not to break the yolk or you won’t be able to poach it) then gently slide the entire egg into the water. Quickly repeat the process to add all 4 eggs to the hot water. (Breaking the eggs in a small bowl before sliding them in the water creates rounder poached eggs and ensures no broken shell gets in.) Cook the eggs for 3½ minutes for a runny yolk, or for up to 4½ minutes for a slightly set, jammy yolk.
• Use a slotted spoon to fish the eggs out one by one and set them on a small plate. Transfer this small plate over the warm serving plates in the oven to keep warm.

Make the blender hollandaise sauce:

• In a stand blender, combine the egg yolks, water, lemon juice, and salt; blend until frothy. (You can also do this using a hand mixer—simply mix the ingredients in the mixer’s cup, or in a tall measuring cup.) Melt the butter in the microwave or in a small saucepan over medium heat until bubbly (do not brown). With the blender running, pour in the hot butter in a very thin stream, blending until sauce is thick and emulsified.

What to do if your blender hollandaise sauce breaks

• (i.e. If the fat separates from the rest of the sauce or it starts to look curdled)

  Adding one egg yolk to the sauce will bring it back together! Here’s how to do it: in a small bowl, whisk together 1 egg yolk and 1 tablespoon cold water. Turn the blender back on at low speed. With the blender running, slowly pour the egg yolk/water mixture into the sauce. Mix for 10-15 seconds and the sauce should be fixed.

Immediately assemble the eggs benedict:

• Take the baking sheet with all your prepped ingredients and the warm plates out of the oven. Set the serving plates side by side on a working surface. Over each plate, set two English muffin halves, cut side up. Spread one spoonful of blender hollandaise sauce over each muffin half, cover with the slices of prosciutto, pancetta, or ham, then divide the asparagus stalks over the meat. Top with the poached eggs and generously cover with hollandaise sauce. Garnish with chives and freshly ground black pepper and serve right away.

Notes

HOW TO REHEAT HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

Hollandaise sauce is a sauce that can split easily. If you need to reheat hollandaise sauce, you need to do so using very gentle heat. You can either reheat it in a double-boiler while whisking constantly (make sure the water is simmering, not boiling hard) or in the microwave by 5-second bursts at low power, whisking between each burst.

Hollandaise sauce does not need to be piping hot when serving—in fact, warm is enough. If all the other components of the dish are hot, the sauce will be warmed upon touching them and the resulting dish will be served at a perfect temperature. If the hollandaise sauce splits during the reheating process, see the tip in the recipe above to bring it back together.

Did you make this?

Tell me how you liked it! Leave a comment or take a picture and tag it with @foodnouveau on Instagram.

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