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Home ► Recipes ► American

Best Eggs Benedict

Updated: 04.02.24 | Marc Matsumoto | 22 Comments

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With luscious poached eggs perched on a bed of creamy avocado, savory ham, and crusty English muffins before being blanketed in a silky smooth hollandaise sauce, these Eggs Benedict are the perfect idea for a lazy Sunday brunch.
Recipe
The best Eggs Benedict recipe, with ham, avocado and a poached egg blanketed with a silky smooth Hollandaise sauce. The perfect idea for a brunch party.

I like my breakfasts savory, rather than sweet. Eating a syrup-drenched pancake for my first meal just doesn’t have the same appeal as a plate of bacon and eggs, or a proper English fry up. But even amongst the plethora of savory Western breakfast choices, this Eggs Benedict recipe is my very favorite. (I have lots of creative breakfast ideas, sweet and savory, here).

When prepared properly, each dreamy bite is like noshing on a small mouthful of heaven. From the moment you sink a fork into the poached egg, and the pastel hues give way to the luscious orange egg yolk, to the final swipe of crusty English muffin through a pool of hollandaise, Eggs Benedict provides a parade of colors, flavors, textures and tastes that are a literal feast for your senses. Before you know it, you’re staring down at an empty white dish with a few golden streaks of yolk, punctuated by a scattering of crumbs.

Although it's not difficult to make, pulling off the perfect Eggs Benedict requires does require some precision and attention to detail, which why I'm including links to separate instructions so I can give each piece its due explanation.

Making the best Eggs Benedict is easy with this step-by-step recipe.

First, check out my tutorial on poaching the perfect egg. Next comes the Hollandaise sauce, which is often the most daunting component. Luckily, I have a Hollandaise sauce recipe that updates the classic method with modern tools and ingredients to make it easy and fool-proof.

After conquering the poached fresh eggs and the hollandaise sauce, the rest may seem like a piece of cake, but each component requires the same care and attention. The English muffin should be separated with the tines of a fork rather than sliced with a knife. This forms a craggy surface on each muffin half that allows it to take color and crisp at its peaks while remaining soft and chewy in the valleys.

For the protein, I like to use a thick cut ham(though slices of Canadian bacon will also work), which I gently simmer for a few seconds in the water used to poach the eggs. This not only avoids dirtying another pan, but it also keeps the ham tender and moist. Finally, I like to add a layer of avocado in my Eggs Benedict, which creates a beautiful contrast of color while complimenting the creamy yolk and hollandaise sauce.

The best Eggs Bendict recipe ever with ham, avocado a poached egg and Hollandaise. The perfect idea for a brunch party.

The most important part of making Eggs Benedict is the timing. In an ideal world, all the components should be done right around the same time. I usually put a pot of water on while I get all of the components prepped (bread toasted, avocado sliced, hollandaise ingredients ready, etc.). Then, as soon as I lower the eggs into the water, I make the hollandaise sauce. The eggs should be done around the same time as the sauce. The only piece left is to heat the ham, which can be done as you assemble. If you need to, you can make the hollandaise sauce first and then keep it warm by setting the saucepan in a bowl of warm water.

More Breakfast and Brunch Ideas

  • Onsen Tamago(Japanese Hot Spring Egg)
  • Tosilog(Filipino Breakfast)
  • Corn Potage
  • Tocino(Filipino Bacon)
  • Pain Perdu(French Toast)
  • Egg in a Biscuit
  • How to Scramble an Egg
  • Okonomiyaki(Savory Japanese Pancake)

📖 Recipe

How to make a perfect Eggs Benedict, with ham, avocado and a poached egg slathered with a citrusy Hollandaise sauce.

Best Eggs Benedict

Not enough ratings yet
Print Pin
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
Yield 2 people

Units

Ingredients 

  • 1 batch perfect Hollandaise sauce
  • 2 English muffins
  • 4 slices thick-cut ham
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 avocado sliced thin
  • chives for garnish

Instructions

  • Make a batch of Perfect Hollandaise Sauce.
  • Poach the eggs.
  • Poke the tines of a fork into the sides of the English muffins, working your way all the way around the muffin to split them in half. Toast until lightly browned.
    Split the English Muffins in half with a fork
  • Heat the ham by briefly dipping it in the hot water you used to poach your eggs.
  • To assemble your Eggs Benedict, top a slice of toasted English muffin with a slice of warmed ham.
    The next component of Eggs Benedict is a thick-cut slice of ham.
  • Fan out some avocado on top of the ham. 
    Avocado is optional, but will make your Eggs Benedict richer and more colorful.
  • Top with a poached egg.
    A soft poached egg is a must for a perfect Eggs Benedict.
  • Finish your Eggs Benedict by pouring a generous blanket of Hollandaise sauce over each egg. Sprinkle with chives and serve immediately.
    A blanket of Hollandaise sauce finishes off our Eggs Benedict.
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Nutrition Facts

Calories • 557kcalCarbohydrates • 35gProtein • 29gFat • 33gSaturated Fat • 8gCholesterol • 362mgSodium • 1063mgPotassium • 843mgFiber • 8gVitamin A • 620IUVitamin C • 10.1mgCalcium • 91mgIron • 3.1mg

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  1. Sam says

    January 02, 2024 at 1:00 pm

    I don’t understand how this can be a whole “recipe” when the most important part of any eggs Benedict is the actual making of a hollandaise sauce.
    But thank you for explaining how to deal with an English muffin

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      January 03, 2024 at 9:27 am

      Hi Sam, you can click the link to get my hollandaise sauce recipe. It's a versatile sauce that can be used in a variety of dishes which is why I have it as a separate recipe.

      Reply
  2. Marc Matsumoto says

    February 02, 2016 at 10:04 am

    Hi Orangeorphan, since the english muffins are sliced in half this makes 4 eggs benedict. That's why there are 4 eggs and 4 slices of ham.

    Reply
  3. orangeorphan says

    January 29, 2016 at 8:20 pm

    Why does it call ofr four eggs? One for each muffin and then one for the yolk. What is the last egg for?

    Reply
  4. gabzox says

    November 03, 2015 at 9:29 pm

    yes it does. And lots of it.

    Reply
  5. Marc Matsumoto says

    June 22, 2015 at 11:38 pm

    Use pasteurized eggs.

    Reply
  6. Stan V says

    June 22, 2015 at 5:43 pm

    Just wondering how you get around using raw eggs with this technique? Not a good idea at all, n'est pas?

    Reply
  7. Heather Z says

    March 01, 2015 at 2:57 pm

    There's a blender Hollandaise sauce recipe that is super delicious and super easy. It's genius really. You place the egg yolks, lemon zest and juice, salt, and any optional herbs in a blender, then you whir it up for a minute, then you drizzle in the hot melted butter while the blender is running. Voila! Awesomely easy Hollandaise! I like my ham thick cut too...mmmm!

    Reply
  8. Patricia says

    June 17, 2013 at 7:19 am

    I thought this recipe is one of dairy free recipes but it does has butter?

    Reply
  9. cvaldonedo says

    June 14, 2013 at 12:06 pm

    I have never tried eggs benedict before.. 🙁

    It looks complicated, but I'll try it this weekend

    Reply
  10. Marilia says

    April 19, 2013 at 3:36 am

    Gosh! I can totally relate to that. I definitely prefer savory
    food over sweet food especially for my breakfast. And my favorite breakfast is Eggs
    Benedict too! It looks absolutely delicious.

    Reply
  11. Marc Matsumoto says

    April 17, 2013 at 1:12 am

    It's the perfect breakfast isn't it? That's the color of eggs in most parts of the world (these were from Japan). I've heard the color comes from feeding chickens red peppers.

    Reply
  12. marla (Family Fresh Cooking) says

    April 16, 2013 at 7:54 pm

    Bring it!! Gorgeous eggs.

    Reply
  13. Kelly Siew says

    April 16, 2013 at 1:23 pm

    Sigh this is foodporn at its best!

    Reply
  14. Kelly Siew says

    April 16, 2013 at 9:23 am

    Sigh this is foodporn at its best!

    Reply
  15. Marc Matsumoto says

    April 15, 2013 at 8:32 am

    Hahaha, I do make a pretty mean loco moco. I start with some garlic fried rice topped with these patties: https://norecipes.com/blog/hamburg-steak-hambagu/ . Covered in a dark gravy made from beef stock and demi-glace. Then I top it off a with a sunny side up that's crispy around the edges and bottom. Perhaps I'll post some day.

    Reply
  16. kathleenditommaso says

    April 15, 2013 at 12:03 am

    I'd like your take on loco moco (PBS are you listening?)

    Reply
  17. Ruthy says

    April 14, 2013 at 8:05 pm

    Oh man, nothing starts a day off better than Eggs Benedict. The eggs you used look fantastic- such bright orange yolks!

    Reply
  18. kathleenditommaso says

    April 14, 2013 at 3:36 pm

    Waking up on a Sunday morning to this post & no ham or english muffins in the house. Arrrrggghhh!!!

    Reply
  19. kathleenditommaso says

    April 14, 2013 at 11:36 am

    Waking up on a Sunday morning to this post & no ham or english muffins in the house. Arrrrggghhh!!!

    Reply
  20. Marilia says

    April 14, 2013 at 11:11 am

    A good vacuum thermos works great for holding hollandaise sauce at temperature.
    Great post as always.

    Reply
  21. Marilia says

    April 14, 2013 at 6:42 am

    Those are some pretty picture-perfect eggs!

    Reply
Marc Matsumoto

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