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How to Make a Perfect Poached Egg

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Making the Perfect Poached Egg doesn't have to be hard when you use these simple tips and easy recipe. Poached eggs are great for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or anytime you need a delicious egg fix.

I don't know about you, but one of my all-time favorite breakfasts is poached eggs with hollandaise sauce. I first tried them when I ate breakfast at the Commoner restaurant at the Kimpton Hotel in Philadelphia last year.

how to perfectly poach an egg

Since then, I have not been able to get that delicious breakfast food off my mind, so I finally had to try to make it. They turned out perfectly — but it was because I learned the art of making perfectly poached eggs — which is where it starts for this dish.

how to perfectly poach an egg featured

Did you know that you can also make oven-baked poached eggs if you cannot master doing it the original way?

How to Make the Best Poached Eggs

The key to making this right is the swirl of the water in the pan. Using white distilled vinegar helps the egg hold together while swirling, and before you know it, you will have this gorgeous egg to place on top of a Sourdough English muffin and some bacon, sausage, or pork belly, and slathered in that beautiful yellow hollandaise sauce.

perfectly poached egg in water

This recipe is so simple and easy that you will be making this fancy brunch or breakfast meal for years to come. Beautiful food does not have to be hard to cook!

Be sure when you are making it that you do not just crack the egg into the pan. You want to place the egg in a ramekin so you can gently slide the egg into the water.

Perfectly poached egg

From there, it's all easy peasy, and before you know it, you will be serving this fantastic dish!

Check Out These Other Hearty Egg Dishes Below

How to Make Perfectly Poached Eggs

How to Make Perfectly Poached Eggs

Making perfectly poached eggs is simple with this recipe and tips.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 3 minutes
Total Time 3 minutes

Ingredients

  • enough water to come 1 inch up the side of a narrow, deep 2-quart sauce pan
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons white vinegar
  • 2 eggs

Instructions

  1. Add enough water to come 1 inch up the side of a narrow, deep 2-quart sauce pan. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 2 teaspoons white vinegar and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
  2. Meanwhile, crack 1 very fresh cold large egg into a custard cup or small ramekin. Use the handle of a spatula or spoon to quickly stir the water in one direction until it's all smoothly spinning around.
  3. Carefully drop the egg into the center of the whirlpool. The swirling water will help prevent the white from "feathering," or spreading out in the pan. Let it swirl in the water for about a minute and a half
  4. Turn off the heat, cover the pan and set your timer for 5 minutes. Don't peek, poke, or stir the egg in any way.
  5. Remove the egg with a slotted spoon and serve immediately.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 600Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 207mgSodium: 5320mgCarbohydrates: 79gFiber: 19gSugar: 52gProtein: 21g

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