Food & Cooking Recipes Breakfast & Brunch Recipes Easy Poached Eggs 4.0 (101) Mastering the brunch staple is simpler than you may think. Prep Time: 0 mins Cook Time: 10 mins Total Time: 10 mins Servings: 2 to 4 Yield: 3 to 4 Jump to recipe With our easy poached eggs recipe, you'll be able to make this brunch staple in no time at all. You don't need any special equipment, just a saucepan, slotted spoon, and a couple of small bowls. After a few minutes of gentle cooking, you'll be rewarded with tender whites and perfectly runny yolks ready to set atop buttered toast, eggs Benedict, avocado toast, and more. And don't stop at breakfast: Poached eggs add a filling dose of protein to anything from soups to salads to pasta, making them an excellent addition to lunches and dinners. We've also included instructions so you can poach the eggs ahead of time and reheat them just before serving which is super handy for entertaining or meal planning. How to Store Eggs to Keep Them Fresh and Safe, According to Experts Credit: Jake Sternquist Poaching vs. Coddling These two egg cooking techniques are similar. Both poaching and coddling involve gently cooking eggs in water to achieve soft, tender whites and runny yolks. The main difference, however, is that poaching calls for cooking them directly in water while coddling, on the other hand, requires cooking individual eggs in small ramekins set in a water bath. Coddled eggs are eaten directly out of the ramekins, while poached eggs can be set on top of other foods like toast or salads. 3 Tips for Perfectly Poached Eggs Use fresh eggs: If you can, use fresher eggs rather than ones that have been in your fridge for a couple weeks. As eggs age, the whites become less firm and structurally intact, resulting in poached eggs that are flat, rather than round, with yolks that are more likely to break upon cracking. Go low: When adding your eggs to the pot, bring the bowl or ramekin as close to the surface of the water as possible (while still keeping your fingers at safe-enough distance). The closer you can get to the water, the better chances you'll have of the egg holding its shape. You can also use a ladle to tip the eggs into the water if you prefer. Watch your temp: When poaching eggs, use water that has just reaching a slow simmer. It should not be hot enough to rapidly bubble—aim for medium, not high, heat). Water that's too hot will disrupt the gentle cooking of the eggs and cause them to break apart rather than hold their shape. If you have an instant-read thermometer, you can use it to check the temperature of your water before adding the eggs—it should be between 180 and 190 degrees Fahrenheit. How to Make Poached Eggs Ahead You can poach eggs up to three days before you plan to serve them. Immediately after cooking, transfer the eggs to a bowl filled with very cold water (ice water also works well). Let them cool for a few minutes, then transfer them to an airtight container filled with enough cold water to cover them by an inch or two and refrigerate. When you're ready to serve, fill a bowl with very hot tap water (it should be between 140 and 160 degrees). Gently lower the eggs into the hot water. Let them warm for a few minutes, then transfer to paper towels and blot them remove excess water before serving. Directions Credit: Jake Sternquist Heat water and crack eggs: In a 12-inch straight-sided skillet, heat 2 inches water over medium until bubbles cover the bottom and sides of pan. Crack each large egg into a separate small bowl (do not use eggs with broken yolks). Credit: Jake Sternquist Add eggs to pan: When a few bubbles have broken the surface of the water, gently pour each egg into the pan, leaving room between them. Credit: Jake Sternquist Poach eggs: Cook eggs, undisturbed, until white is just set and yolk is still runny, 3 to 4 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to gently release eggs from the bottom of pan, if necessary. If your egg white thins out in the pan, try swirling the water before adding the next egg. The moving water will help hold the egg's shape. You can also add a tablespoon of white vinegar to the water, which can help the whites firm up more quickly. Credit: Jake Sternquist Remove eggs and blot: Using a slotted spoon, remove eggs from water. If using immediately, blot the bottom of the spoon on a paper towel to remove excess water before serving. Credit: Jake Sternquist Quick Trick For a Picture-Perfect Poach Whether your eggs spread out too much in the pan or you're just looking for an extra-round, picture-perfect result, we've got a quick trick you can employ before serving: Use a slotted spoon to transfer eggs to a double layer of paper towels, then use kitchen scissors to trim off any wispy whites. Work quickly to keep the eggs from cooling too much, then serve as desired. How to Serve Poached Eggs For breakfast or brunch: Serve poached eggs on top of toast, an English muffin, or bagel Use them in a classic eggs Benedict or swap out the Canadian bacon for sautéed spinach, smoked salmon, or crab cakes Set each poached egg on top of a piece of avocado toast Add them to a bowl of creamy grits or try them in our breakfast miso soup For lunch or dinner: Use eggs to top a Caesar salad or frisée salad Serve them on top of steamed asparagus, hollandaise sauce optional Add them to a bowl of warm lentils, brothy beans, or creamed spinach Spoon each onto a bowl of ramen, congee, or pasta with pesto Use them to bulk up store-bought or homemade tomato soup (don't forget the bread for dipping) 5 More Classic Egg Recipes to Try Perfect Scrambled Eggs Classic Cheese Omelet Parmesan Fried Eggs With Bitter Greens Potato-Leek Frittata Ham and Egg Crepe Squares Updated by Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.