Easy Poached Eggs

How to make perfect poached eggs! I learned this foolproof method for how to poach an egg years ago and never looked back. It’s so easy, anyone can do it!

Poached eggs are one of those things I think people are scared to make at home. But I promise, you can absolutely make them at home. Once you try this easy method, you might find yourself making poached eggs on repeat!

Our poached egg recipe is perfect for breakfast or dinner. (If I’m honest, I probably use this recipe more often for dinner.) I love piling them onto Eggs Benedict, spooning them over creamy homemade hollandaise, adding them to avocado toast, and even adding them to grits or pasta. My son loves them, too. He requests them with toast soldiers (and I can’t really blame him).

Key Ingredients

• Eggs: Use good-quality eggs, and if you can find them, choose those with a bright yellow yolk. I prefer free-range eggs, but go with your favorite brand.
• Vinegar: A little vinegar in the poaching liquid helps firm up the egg whites. You don’t taste it, but I always add a little splash. White vinegar or rice wine vinegar are my go-tos.
• Salt: I like a pinch of salt in the poaching liquid and always sprinkle a little salt on top of my poached eggs once they come out of the water.

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

How to Poach an Egg

Tip 1: Use a wide pot. I like a moderately deep, wide pot when poaching eggs. It gives me enough room to poach multiple, and it is deep enough that the eggs don’t touch the bottom of the pot.

Tip 2: Prepare the poaching water. Fill your pot with water at least 4 inches deep and bring to a gentle simmer. Add a generous pinch of salt and a little bit of vinegar. The salt seasons the eggs, and the vinegar helps the egg whites stay together as they poach. Vinegar is optional, but I use it when poaching eggs. (We only use 1 tablespoon, which really isn’t enough to flavor the eggs.)

Tip 3: Don’t crack your eggs directly into the pot. Instead, break each egg into a clean ramekin or cup as the water heats up. This ensures you can add the eggs quickly and without a lot of mess.

Tip 4: The water should be barely simmering. Before adding your eggs, check the water in your pot and adjust the heat so it is just barely simmering. I like to see little bubbles at the bottom of the pan, with a few actually making their way to the top to burst.

Tip 5: Use the bowl to gently slide each egg out. Carefully submerge the small bowl/ramekin with the egg in the water so you can gently slide it out. This way, you aren’t dropping the egg into the water. Instead, it slides out. Quickly follow with the remaining eggs.

Tip 6: Set a timer. Set a timer for 3 minutes for runny yolks or closer to 4 for eggs with firmer whites and a soft, not runny center. After 20 to 30 seconds, use a slotted spoon to gently turn each egg over.

Tip 7: Remove with a slotted spoon. Use a slotted spoon to lift the eggs out of the water. Let them sit on paper towels for 20 seconds to firm up and blot away excess water. Season with salt and pepper, and enjoy!

Troubleshooting

If, even with the vinegar, you have trouble with wispy white bits around your eggs as they poach, use this simple trick: Before poaching, crack your egg into a fine-mesh strainer held over a bowl. The thinnest, runniest part of the white will go through the strainer, leaving the thicker white behind, which sets nicely when poached. Your poaching water will be cleaner, and your eggs will have a more well-defined shape.

More Egg Recipes

• Scrambled Eggs
• Vegetable Frittata
• Hard Boiled Eggs