Easy Eggs Benedict with Hollandaise

Eggs Benedict has a reputation as the brunch you order out because making it at home sounds like a juggling act. In truth it is four simple parts - a toasted muffin, warm ham, a poached egg and a spoonful of hollandaise - and each one is easy on its own. This version staggers the work so nothing frantic happens at the end, and the finished plate looks every bit as good as the cafe one - glossy sauce, runny yolk and all.

What makes this plate sing is contrast. The muffin is crisp at the edges and soft in the middle, the Canadian bacon brings a gentle savoury bite, and the hollandaise is rich and lemony, warm enough to coat the egg. Chopped chives and blistered cherry tomatoes cut through that richness beautifully. If you love a special weekend egg dish, our easy huevos rancheros are the bolder, spicier cousin to keep in rotation.

It is also a friendlier recipe than its reputation suggests. The tomatoes roast while you toast, the hollandaise holds happily in a warm spot, and the eggs can even be poached ahead - the calm method is in the notes below. Round out the table with easy classic French toast for anyone with a sweet tooth, pour the coffee, and brunch is handled.

Foolproof Hollandaise, Plus the Blender Shortcut

Keep three rules and hollandaise stops being scary. First, gentle heat: the yolks should warm and thicken, never cook, in a bowl over barely simmering water, clear of it. Second, add the melted butter in a slow thread at first, whisking constantly, so the sauce can absorb it; pour a little faster once it looks glossy. Third, season at the end and keep the sauce warm, not hot. For the blender shortcut, blend the yolks, lemon juice and salt for five seconds, then stream in very hot melted butter with the motor running; the heat thickens the sauce in about thirty seconds. If it splits and looks grainy or oily, whisk in a teaspoon of hot water, or whisk it a spoonful at a time into a fresh yolk - it almost always comes back.

Poaching Eggs Calmly, Even for a Crowd

Poaching feels tense only when you try to cook eight eggs the moment everyone sits down. Work in batches of four in barely simmering water - small lazy bubbles, never a rolling boil - and give each egg three minutes for set whites and a runny yolk. For a crowd, poach a touch under, at two and a half minutes, then lift the eggs straight into iced water; they keep in the fridge, still in the water, for up to a day. To serve, lower them back into hot, just-simmering water for thirty to forty-five seconds. They come out warm, tender and neat, with no last-minute panic.

Ingredients

• 4 English muffins, split into 8 halves (240 g)
• 8 slices Canadian bacon or ham (225 g)
• 8 large eggs, for poaching (400 g)
• 3 large egg yolks (54 g)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and warm (113 g)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened, for the muffins (14 g)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (15 ml)
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar, for the poaching water (5 ml)
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt (1.5 g)
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (0.3 g)
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes (300 g)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (15 ml)
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (1 g)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives (6 g)

Amounts are for the yield below. US customary measures first, grams in brackets for scale users.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Roast the cherry tomatoes. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Tip the cherry tomatoes onto a small rimmed baking tray, drizzle with the olive oil, and season with a pinch of the salt and the black pepper. Roast for 10 to 12 minutes, until the skins blister, split and gloss over. Keep warm.
2. Toast the muffins. While the tomatoes roast, split the English muffins with a fork for rough, craggy faces, then toast until deeply golden at the edges. Spread each warm half lightly with the softened butter. Arrange two halves, cut side up, on each of four warm plates.
3. Warm the Canadian bacon. Set a large skillet over medium heat and lay in the Canadian bacon or ham in a single layer. Cook for about 1 minute per side, until warmed through and lightly golden at the edges - you are only heating and colouring it, as the meat is already cooked. Keep warm in the pan, off the heat.
4. Make the hollandaise. Set a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, the bowl clear of the water. Whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice for 1 to 2 minutes, until pale and slightly thickened. Drizzle in the warm melted butter in a slow thread, whisking constantly, until the sauce turns glossy and coats a spoon. Whisk in the salt and cayenne, taste, and add more lemon if you like. Keep warm.
5. Poach the eggs. Bring a wide pan of water to the barest simmer and add the vinegar. Crack each egg into a small cup, swirl the water gently, and slide the eggs in, four at a time. Poach for 3 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks still soft. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on a clean tea towel.
6. Assemble the Benedicts. Lay a warm slice of Canadian bacon or ham on each buttered muffin half, folding it to sit neatly. Perch a drained poached egg on top of each slice. Spoon a generous blanket of warm hollandaise over every egg, letting a little spill down the sides.
7. Finish with chives and serve. Scatter chopped chives over the hollandaise, exactly as in the photograph, and add a small pile of the roasted cherry tomatoes to the side of each plate. Serve straight away, while the sauce is glossy, the yolks runny and the tomatoes juicy.

Nutrition estimate

Nutrition figures are estimates calculated from standard ingredient data for the yield stated. Your actual values will vary with brands, substitutions and portion sizes — treat them as a guide, not a guarantee.

Storage & reheating

Eggs Benedict is best assembled and eaten straight away, and the parts store better apart. Keep leftover hollandaise in a covered jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 days and reheat it very gently over warm water, whisking in a teaspoon of hot water to loosen it; poached eggs keep in cold water in the fridge for up to 1 day and reheat for 30 seconds in hot water. Roasted tomatoes keep for up to 3 days refrigerated. Nutrition values are estimates and vary with brands and substitutions; estimates vary.

Easy Eggs Benedict with Hollandaise

Recipe by Ahsan ul Haq, FryDaily editor · Published 21 October 2026

Cafe brunch at home: runny poached eggs and silky hollandaise over ham and toasted muffins, with sweet blistered tomatoes alongside.

Yield: 4 servings  ·  Scale: 1x2x3x

Prep20 minutes

Cook15 minutes

Total35 minutes

Servings4 servings

Calories640 kcal

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Ingredients

• 4 English muffins, split into 8 halves (240 g)
• 8 slices Canadian bacon or ham (225 g)
• 8 large eggs, for poaching (400 g)
• 3 large egg yolks (54 g)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and warm (113 g)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened, for the muffins (14 g)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (15 ml)
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar, for the poaching water (5 ml)
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt (1.5 g)
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (0.3 g)
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes (300 g)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (15 ml)
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (1 g)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives (6 g)

Tick ingredients off as you prep, and tap a step below to mark it done as you cook. Scaling adjusts the listed amounts - seasoning to taste stays your call.

Instructions

1. Roast the cherry tomatoes. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Tip the cherry tomatoes onto a small rimmed baking tray, drizzle with the olive oil, and season with a pinch of the salt and the black pepper. Roast for 10 to 12 minutes, until the skins blister, split and gloss over. Keep warm.
2. Toast the muffins. While the tomatoes roast, split the English muffins with a fork for rough, craggy faces, then toast until deeply golden at the edges. Spread each warm half lightly with the softened butter. Arrange two halves, cut side up, on each of four warm plates.
3. Warm the Canadian bacon. Set a large skillet over medium heat and lay in the Canadian bacon or ham in a single layer. Cook for about 1 minute per side, until warmed through and lightly golden at the edges - you are only heating and colouring it, as the meat is already cooked. Keep warm in the pan, off the heat.
4. Make the hollandaise. Set a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, the bowl clear of the water. Whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice for 1 to 2 minutes, until pale and slightly thickened. Drizzle in the warm melted butter in a slow thread, whisking constantly, until the sauce turns glossy and coats a spoon. Whisk in the salt and cayenne, taste, and add more lemon if you like. Keep warm.
5. Poach the eggs. Bring a wide pan of water to the barest simmer and add the vinegar. Crack each egg into a small cup, swirl the water gently, and slide the eggs in, four at a time. Poach for 3 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks still soft. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on a clean tea towel.
6. Assemble the Benedicts. Lay a warm slice of Canadian bacon or ham on each buttered muffin half, folding it to sit neatly. Perch a drained poached egg on top of each slice. Spoon a generous blanket of warm hollandaise over every egg, letting a little spill down the sides.
7. Finish with chives and serve. Scatter chopped chives over the hollandaise, exactly as in the photograph, and add a small pile of the roasted cherry tomatoes to the side of each plate. Serve straight away, while the sauce is glossy, the yolks runny and the tomatoes juicy.

Calories: 640 kcalProtein: 30 gCarbohydrates: 32 gFat: 42 gSaturated fat: 20 gSodium: 980 mgFiber: 3 gSugar: 5 g

Recipe by Ahsan ul Haq · FryDaily. Printing? This card is designed to print cleanly on its own.

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