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Master the culinary technique for How to Poach Eggs and enjoy firm, bright egg whites and soft, velvety yolks every time. Learn which types of eggs are best for poaching, why a splash of vinegar matters, and how to drain your poached eggs before serving. Then, enjoy them alone, over toast, on a soup or salad, or as part of a platter of Eggs Benedict.
What is a Poached Egg?
A poached egg is an egg that has been delicately cooked outside of its shell in a simmering liquid. The technique typically results in eggs with a firm white and a soft yolk, but you can poach eggs to your desired doneness. As a classically-trained chef who spent 2 weeks in culinary school mastering eggs every which way, Iโm excited to share my tried-and-true techniques to master this breakfast classic.
There are a few secrets for successful egg poaching. If at all possible, use fresh eggs which have a thicker, firmer white than old eggs. Start by straining the white in a fine-mesh sieve to remove any watery excess. This step helps ensure a tight intact egg white. Swirling vinegar into the poaching liquid helps the whites coagulate quickly, too, so they are less likely to spread out in the water.
Finally, use a slotted spoon to drain your poached eggs on paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. That way, you donโt transfer water to your plate, whether youโre eating them alone or on your next Eggs Benedict.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredients for Poached Eggs Recipe
- Eggs: Because they have thicker and firmer egg whites, fresh eggs are best for poaching.
- Vinegar: The acid helps the egg white coagulate as quickly as possible. Lemon juice can be substituted for vinegar, but may change the taste of the eggs slightly. If you have it, opt for white distilled vinegar for poaching eggs.
- Salt and pepper: For seasoning the egg if desired.
- Water: The optimal poaching liquid for a simple poached egg. Add more flavor by poaching eggs in chicken broth, wine, or milk.
How to Make Perfect Poached Egg
- Into a mesh strainer, crack each egg one at a time to strain some of the excess egg white, about 20 to 30 seconds. Pour each egg into individual small bowls.
- Fill a Dutch oven or large pot halfway with water, about 6 cups, and bring to a boil. Add the vinegar. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer so the water is steaming and small bubbles barely break the surface. Gently drop one egg into the water at a time, leaving space between them.
- Cover pot, remove from heat, and let stand until whites closest to the yolk are just set and opaque, about 3 minutes (or 4 minutes for medium-cooked yolks or 6 minutes for hard-cooked yolks).
- If the whites are not set after 3 minutes, continue checking every 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, carefully lift each egg out and drain over the water. Pat dry with paper towels if desired season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.
Poached Egg Recipe Tips
- Yield: This method for how to poach eggs creates 4 eggs. Scale up or down as needed, cooking no more than 4 eggs at once in the same pot.
- Storage: Store poached eggs submerged in cold water covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in a pot of warm water for a few seconds until heated through.
- Make ahead: Undercook the eggs by about 1 minute, then place the poached eggs in an ice water bath to cool. Store eggs in cold water in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Heat them up in a little hot water, for 20 to 30 seconds or until warm.
- Holding:ย If youโre making multiple eggs to feed a group all at once (for something like my Pulled Pork Eggs Benedict), keep them in a covered pot of 150-degree water.
- Separate ramekins: It seems like a lot of unnecessary prep and clean up, but cracking the eggs in their own little cup before poaching the eggs makes the process smoother.
- Deep water: Donโt skimp on hot water; make sure the eggs have enough room to cook. Fill a large pot at least halfway full of water before bringing it to a boil.
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Poached Egg Recipe
Ingredientsย
- 4 eggs (see note 1)
- 6 cups water
- 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar (see note 2)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructionsย
- Into a mesh strainer, crack each egg one at a time to strain some of the excess egg white, about 20 to 30 seconds. Pour each egg into individual small bowls.
- Fill a Dutch oven or large pot halfway with water, about 6 cups, and bring to a boil. Add the vinegar. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer so the water is steaming and small bubbles barely break the surface.
- Gently drop one egg into the water at a time, leaving space between them. Cover pot, remove from heat, and let stand until whites closest to the yolk are just set and opaque, about 3 minutes (or 4 minutes for medium-cooked yolks or 6 minutes for hard-cooked yolks).
- If the whites are not set after 3 minutes, continue checking every 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, carefully lift each egg out and drain over the water. Pat dry with paper towels if desired season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.
Notes
- Eggs: Because they have thicker and firmer egg whites, fresh eggs are best for poaching.
- Vinegar: The acid helps the egg white coagulate as quickly as possible. Lemon juice can be substituted for vinegar, but may change the taste of the eggs slightly. If you have it, opt for white distilled vinegar for poaching eggs.
- Yield: This method for how to poach eggs creates 4 eggs. Scale up or down as needed, cooking no more than 4 eggs at once in the same pot.
- Storage: Store poached eggs submerged in cold water covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in a pot of warm water for a few seconds until heated through.
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