A step-by-step post on how to make perfectly poached eggs every single time. Whether it’s served with toast and bacon or on a spring salad, this is my go-to method!
I have fond memories of my mom making me my first poached egg. Tender egg whites with a runny yolk. My absolute favorite!
I remember being shocked when she told me she adds vinegar in the water. Anyways, I instantly fell in love with poached eggs from the moment I took my first bite. I’ve never been a fan of a cooked-through or well done egg. I love a thick but runny yolk. Ya know, something I can dunk my burnt toast in.
To Make Poached Eggs You Will Need:
- eggs
- vinegar
- a wooden spoon
- a slotted spoon
It’s a good idea to get all your tools ready before you start poaching. I even have my bread in the toaster, because once I add in the egg… I start the toast.
Fill a small pot or pan with a couple of inches of water.
Add in a ‘glug’ of white vinegar. Don’t worry… you won’t taste it.
Crack your egg{s} into a small dish. This is just so that when you go to add it to the water you won’t risk breaking the yolk or worse, get eggshell in your water.
Bring the water to a small simmer. It’s where there are teeny bubbles on the bottom of the pan. If it comes to a boil simply reduce the heat so it calms down.
Stir the water creating a whirlpool-sort-of-thing.
And slowly slide the egg into the center.
Let it swirl around before stirring and folding the looser egg whites on to the egg. I personally find that farm eggs tend to have more of a loose egg white, so the whites sort of drift off into the water a lot more than with store bought eggs. But that’s just an observation… I am in no way an expert on this subject. Unlike how I am on eating the egg… now that is where I excel!
From the moment you slide the egg into the water, set a timer for 4 minutes. This is the magical time needed to make a perfect poached egg. After the timer beeps, use a slotted spoon to remove the egg. Let it hover over the pan so the hot water can slip through the cracks of the spoon and evaporate off of the egg.
Butter the toast and let’s eat!
I like my eggs with salt and lots of black pepper.
A few fresh thyme leaves. LOVE!
Cut into the yolk and dunk!
Seriously this is the best part of the j-o-b! The eating!
Enjoy! And if you give this Poached Eggs recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!
Perfect Poached Eggs
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
- kosher salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- fresh thyme leaves, optional
Instructions
- Bring a small pan or pot with water up to barely a simmer. You want tiny bubbles on the bottom of the pan (do not bring to a boil!). Add in the vinegar.
- Crack an egg into a small dish.
- With a spatula, make a circular motion in the water to mimic a whirl pool and carefully slide the egg into the center.
- From the moment you slide the egg into the water, set a timer for 4 minutes. This is the magical time needed to make a perfect poached egg.
- After the timer beeps, use a slotted spoon to remove the egg. Let it hover over the pan so the hot water can slip through the cracks of the spoon and evaporate off of the egg.
- Sprinkle with salt, pepper and fresh thyme alongside buttered toast.
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Poached eggs make for the best presentation. It’s a staple component for an eggs Benedict but I also had a carbonara dish that was topped with a poached egg. Once the yolk was broken, it created the mose delicious sauce that balanced the other flavors in the dish perfectly.
Hash Browns with Fried Eggs along with Sourdough toast.
Maybe I’ll finally be able to make poached eggs after this tutorial. Somehow they always come out a big mess although the thought of having eggs and toast for breakfast would get me out of bed a lot faster.
Right now my favorite breakfast is a big bowl of bircher muesli but really I wouldn’t say no to a stack of buttermilk pancakes with some maple syrup either.
My favorite breakfast food is egg, cheese, and avocado on buttered wheat toast – yum!
I’ve yet to poach an egg… and now I have your site to help!
I am an over-easy egg type gal! Soft yolk on wheat toast!
I LOVE different kinds of oatmeal for breakfast! Reminds me of my childhood…
My favorite breakfast dish is an egg taco.
French toast!
My fave breakfast dish is a frittata – so easy to make and can use whatever you have on hand.
My fave is your cinnamon morning muffins!!! 🙂
when I can’t fall asleep at night I think of breakfast foods – is that weird? I love breakfast so much! I love pancakes, waffles, fruit, muffins (corn especially), french toast, well cooked eggs. I dislike hot cereal of all kind!
Thanks for the chance to win!
My absolute favorite breakfast is nutty bread toasted and buttered with a fruit smoothie loaded with berries, a frozen banana, kefir and spinach. It’s hearty and sweet, plus no one even knows they have had a veggie!
I can’t wait until I am done being pregnant and I can have a nice runny egg yolk! Yum! Great tutorial.
Hi Laurie! Gorgeous pics, as always! This one made me a bit nostalgic, because my mom used to have a straw trivet exactly like yours 🙂 Good nostalgia, though!
My favorite breakfast dish? Eggs Benedict, hands down. I’m always on the look out for the best EBs wherever I travel 🙂 So far, crawfish-EBs and buttered grits at the Coffee Pot in New Orleans are winning 😀
Happy Breakfast!
My favorite breakfast is a fried egg with grits and crumbled bacon on top. I cut it all up and mix it together and eat it with toast. I have never poached an egg but think I will try after reading your post.
Huevos Rancheros…yum!
My absolute favorite breakfast is eggs benedict with smoked salmon – such a yummy treat!
It is a tie between eggs benedict and chocolate chip scones. Oh and of course anything with bacon!
Your photos are absolutely gorgeous and you make poaching an egg look so easy; maybe this weekend I’ll even get the courage to try it! I’m such a boring person when it comes to breakfast. My go-to is plain non-fat greek yogurt with some granola mixed in and a piece of fruit on the side.
My favorite is a veggie omelet.
Egg over easy, with buttered grilled english muffins.
My favorite breakfast is buttermilk steel cut oats (a la Alton Brown) with a poached egg on top. YUMMY!
I like homemade granola.
My favorite breakfast in the entire world is a 4-minute soft boiled egg with sourdough toast smothered in butter. Add a sprinkle of salt to the egg once it’s cracked and a hot cup of tea, and I am in breakfast heaven.
Ooo – thick French toast. Or waffles. Or 2 eggs over medium. I don’t discriminate when it comes to breakfast – I love it all!! 🙂
Breakfast tacos
You have hit on my favorite breakfast right there! But even better when the egg comes from a hen in your backyard. Perfect!
Breakfast is my favorite meal!!! Bacon, egg, and tomato on warm Italian bread sandwich. YUM!
I love eggs benedict, with homefries and salad! 🙂
I like your Breakfast Burritos! Thanks for the giveaway! 🙂 (I did my previous comment wrong! Delete it if you can! )
French Toast Casserole
I love French toast. Easy to do, tasty, and the kids love it.
I love pancakes for breakfast
My favorite breakfast dish is french toast with homemade cinnamon swirl bread, served with lots of bacon. Yum. Your poached egg looks delicious! I have never been able to get the hang of it.
I learned my favorite from my mother-in-law. She puts a fried egg with a runny yolk on top of crispy hashbrowns. YUM!!!!!!
Breakfast is the BEST meal of the day, so it is nearly impossible to pick ONE favorite breakfast dish. I guess it would be sausage and eggs with some kind of sweetness on the side such as cinnamon roll/caramel baked french toast/cinnamon roll pancakes…(you get the picture).
Cinnamon Roll French Toast with Turkey sausage and hot cup of coffee! Thanks for the fantastic giveaway!!!
Depends on the day….during the week my top choice would be oatmeal or chobani greek yogurt….when there is more time, I like a yummy scramble with eggs, hashbrowns, some sort of breakfast meat and of course cheese.
I love pancakes with maple syrup and a side of bacon!
Love your tutorial. Simple and easy!
I’m a HUGE breakfast fan and love any aspect of this meal, but I tend to show some favortism to French Toast.
Big fluffy pancakes with eggs over medium on the side! Yummy!
Homemade oatmeal with cranberries, walnuts, honey and cinnamon.
Red eye gravy and biscuits with fried eggs!
Eggnog stuffed French toast. I prepare the night before and then pop in the oven the next morning.
My favorite is an egg, cheese and tomato sandwich with mayo, salt & pepper on nearly burnt toast.
It is hard to choose but I think I would say fluffy buttermilk pancakes, sausage and a runny egg.
Right now, I’m obsessed with pumpkin oatmeal.
My favorite breakfast dish is huevos rancheros.
Eggs Benedict. Or – as they do it here in Oregon – Salmon Benedict.
My favorite breakfast is probably just fried eggs over easy, soft (not crispy!) bacon, hash browns (barely browned) and sourdough toast.
I guess I like my breakfast foods lightly cooked.
I definitely want to try making poached eggs. I love hashbrowns for breakfast, homemade yogurt with homemade granola, or oatmeal with dried fruit.
Biscuits and scrambled eggs
An egg over easy on toast. I eat it almost everyday and LOVE it!
My favorite is scrambled eggs. Yum!
Home fries with lots of veggies and a poached(!) egg on top.
My favorite breakfast would be pumpkin pancakes, poached eggs, and chicken sausages!
I really like this great little breakfast casserole my MIL bakes – made with yummy sausage, onion, bell pepper, egg, and cheese.
I always love a good poached egg… but usually only get those when we go out for breakfast – I’ve never really been able to make them very well. I’ll have to follow this tutorial and see if I can ;).
Although my favorite breakfast food is anything warm that I didn’t have to make…
Eggs benedict! Or an omelette jam packed with fresh veggies….
thanks for the tips on how to poach an egg, the step by step photos are very helpful
I love a good western omelet.
I love a soft-boiled egg with toast and fruit! I have not quite mastered the poached egg, but I will try it again this weekend. I think it’s because I let the water come to a full boil and it disturbs the egg.
Pancakes, waffles, or eggs benedict depending on my mood 🙂
During the winter (aka Citrus season), I eat a grapefruit for breakfast pretty much every day. Along with that grapefruit I eat two perfectly cooked hard boiled eggs. Did you know that eating the same thing for breakfast every day can actually reduce stress? I think it works 🙂
Love your blog – can’t wait to make Eggs Benedict so I can use your poaching method!
Two words: giant. waffles. i die!
Bacon and waffles!! Yum!!
You can’t go wrong with a homemade egg mcmuffin sandwich with runny yolk! My absolute favorite!
Huevos rancheros!! Love it!! 🙂
Scrambled eggs with turkey sausage
quinoa cakes with poached eggs, bacon and watercress
a girl after my own heart 🙂 my continual breakfast craving is poached eggs over grits, italian sausage and spicy tomato sauce
I love smoked salmon on fresh bread, with a touch of cream cheese!
I love all things breakfast. I could eat brinner (breakfast for dinner) every day. Eggs, crispy bacon, hash browns, oatmeal, cinnamon rolls, pancakes, waffles, French toast. I can’t decide. I’ll have it all. =)
My very favorite breakfast is scrambled eggs with chives, sauteed mushrooms and baby spinach, and pepper jack cheese. I then squish (that’s the technical cooking term) avocado into the eggs. That’s all with a side of bacon. Mmmm, so good!
Slow roasted granola with honey greek yogurt!
YUM.
Anything that requires super crisp home fries. I’m a fan of the shredded hash browns too but nothing beats a potato that is dangerously crisp on the outside and pillowy and soft on the inside. I need to get some home fries …..
My favorite breakfast is definitely oatmeal, I love how customizable it is and that it keeps me full to lunchtime!
I love a good pastry (cinnamon bun, chocolate croissant, etc.) 😀
Love pancakes with link sausage.
I love a good simple breakfast, bacon, eggs, toast. So good.
I am no good at poaching eggs but yours looks amazing. Maybe it’s because I use farm-fresh eggs…the whites always seem to disburse so much!
Fried eggs and turkey chorizo with queso fresco crumbles and a side of whole grain toast and salsa. Yummy!!!!
Hands down it’s Eggs Benedict!
Laurie…that is the most perfect poached egg EVER! And I thought my poached eggs looked good. My favorite breakfast food of all time is Sour Dough pancakes. Love your napkin!
I love french toast with a hearty, crusty loaf of bread. My father-in-law sets day old bread out overnight to soak w/a drop of vanilla extract, it’s amazing!
I usually have a sweet tooth when it comes to breakfast, but sometimes you just can’t beat a perfectly poached egg on toast. Bonus points if there’s mashed avocado involved.
I love anything with poached eggs, even if it’s just with crisp toast like yours!!
Sausage and Gravy Biscuits
Over easy eggs with sourdough bread!
my favorite breakfast item is eggs benedict! i loooove hollandaise sauce!
I am currently obsessed with “Eggs in a Hole.” Eggs over easy in the center of toast. Perfect food.
I love some fluffy pancakes and biscuits with sausage gravy….yummm!!
My favorite breakfast food is a classic bacon and cheese omelet. yum 🙂
My favorite breakfast is french toast. I love breakfast for supper, too, and I am a huge poached egg fan, too.
Crab & shrimp crustless quiche is a breakfast favorite in my house!
Our favorite is eggs benedict – traditional or with salmon !
I think my favorite breakfast dish is eggs and bacon in a toast sandwich, dipped in maple syrup while eating. 🙂
Breakfast has to be my most favorite meal of the day and on weekends i always make large ones! I am a huge fan of farm eggs, local is the best and i love to put them with made from scratch bisquits and gravy!!! LOVE. I am also a fan of Eggs Benedict. My most fav.
I love Belgian waffles.
Steel cut oats!
My fave breakfast is eggs cheese salsa black beans and hot sauce in a bowl
layered!!
Lovin me an egg in a nest!! My faves and so fun to eat!
My favourite breakfast is bak kut teh with chinese tea. Bak kut teh, literally translates as “meat bone tea”, is a popular chinese pork soup in many regions of Asia.
I love breakfast food, especially salty with lots of cheese! I love eggs, toast, and bacon or sausage…all combined or separate 🙂
Oh, honey, I could eat breakfast for every meal. I would have a hard time deciding between pancakes and crepes. Oh, and a gooey, cheeses, eggy, breakfast Sammy.
My favorite breakfast dish is eggs, turkey bacon, and a couple pieces of gluten-free toast with peanut butter.
Marion Cunningham Twice cooked eggs.
Poach eggs ’til just set, maybe 2 to 3 minutes. Gently remove from water and drain, let cool. Very gently dredge them in flour, then egg wash and then fresh bread crumbs. And then, saute them in butter ’til golden brown on both sides. Serve them and people will worship you.
I love anything with bacon in it – and it is a bonus if it incorporates my love for salty and sweet.
French Toast with a poached egg
I do love poached eggs but serve mine with a kale/butternut squash “hash” on the bottom and top with the poached egg. Always nice to add some bacon and tomato slices too.
I love waffles with fresh whipped cream and roasted garlic and cheddar grits and and nice crispy bacon! Thats the breakfast that makes me a happy girl!
Waffles and bacon makes my day.
First off – THANK YOU for this post! Great tips on how to make the perfect poached egg!
Now on to the good stuff… breakfast! 🙂 I’d have to say my favorite breakfast would have to be Maple Bacon English Muffins (yes the maple and bacon pieces are in the muffins themselves) topped off with fresh baby spinach, a perfectly poached egg with lots of yolk inside and topped with a drizzle or 4 of maple bacon syrup. This is such an amazing breakfast and sure to last you all the way through to lunch!
Merry Christmas and Best Kitchen Wishes!
Love an omelet with tomatoes and toast!
Thanks for this post I needed it. I LOVE eggs….the perfect food!
Toss up between Eggs Benedict or a country ham, egg and cheese biscuit.
The one I had in NYC- Greek yogurt, fruit, a pot of tea and pastries for two on a cold winter morning after antiquing 🙂
My husband is the breakfast chef! I love love love eggs benedict!
My favorite breakfast is pecan pancakes and turkey sausage.
True southern girl – scramble eggs with cheese, bacon, country sausage, cheese grits and buttermilk biscuit.
A pancake, over easy eggs, thick slice of homemade toast slathered with homemade jelly and a great cup of coffee. Drool!
I love buckwheat pancakes!
I love to over easy an egg, heat up some ham or bacon add some cheese and serve on a toasted English muffin. Oh, and jalapenos! Thank you for the giveaway I love Pine Cone Hill. I would put this to good use. Happy Holidays to you and your family.
Freshest eggs give you the sturdiest egg whites, so doesn’t matter who you get the goods from as long as they were recently donated by generous hens. Typically that means go to the farmer for the freshest eggs, or like me, go to the coop out back. I love to make eggs benedict, wow’s my family and friends, and with a little practice it is very simple. I also save any leftover hollandaise in the fridge and just use it like mayo on my sandwiches.
Breakfast is by far the best meal of the day! My favorite homemade breakfast item is challah french toast with a delicious vanilla-y and/or amaretto-y batter! Add some coffee, bacon, and fresh fruit and I am the happiest girl in the world!
fried eggs,ham & grits. Couple of ice cubes in the skillet with the eggs, a lid, 2minutes ,poached egg sort of.
Oatmeal. Every way shape and form! I would say pancakes… because they’re probably my real favorite. But I actually prefer them for dinner!
Love your blog and have made many of your recipes! My favorite breakfast food is a toss up between making homemade blueberry pancakes or a breakfast burrito with scrambled eggs, bacon, fried potatoes, cheese & salsa!
I love an egg over easy or an egg in a hole. I have never poached but will give that a try.
I am such an egg girl…LOL! Soft boiled, over medium, scrambled, frittata,,,,you name it! Looks yummy!
I love Huevos Rancheros!
Cinnamon rolls and anything with bacon, especially a breakfast burrito!
I like poached eggs too,although I gently place the egg on my buttered toast,and poke it with a fork,covering the whole toast in that yumminess.I dunk in any extras…
Curry laksa! In the authentic Asian way.
I love waffles = but with savory not sweet accompaniments.
I like pancakes or cheese omelets
Most days I pretty much go for the standard bacon, eggs, toast and hasbrowns
My favorite is biscuits and sausage gravy.
Eggs Benedict Dubliner style – poached eggs, corned beef, creamy leeks, rye toast, paprika aïoli
My favorte breakfast food is eggs Benedict. I only eat it when I go our for breakfast so it is a real treat!
Hey thank you for these great tips on that incredible, edible EGG!!! I can’t wait to do this very thing on Saturday morning! Yum!
I just want belgian waffles for breakfast every morning. With a side of oranges or strawberries so I don’t feel so unhealthy about it.
During the week I eat OIAJ, on weekends I like to make eggs and pancakes! You have given me the courage to try poaching, thanks!
I LOVE waffles… made by my husband of course.
eggs benedict….yummy
I really like omelets and hashbrowns with rye toast!
Picking just one favorite breakfast dish is like trying to pick my favorite child. Nearly impossible and changes daily. But poached eggs are high on the list any day!
Pancakes are probably my favorite.
Blueberry oatmeal waffles. Yum!
My favorite breakfast dish is butter-topped pancakes with a side of bacon and hard-scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese. And real maple syrup — not the high-fructose stuff.
Thanks for the awesome giveaway!
Gooey cinnamon rolls are my favorite!!
I have never poached and egg, and my hubby was asking for one the other day – perfect timing!
well….eggs benedict…yum….
Fried eggs and bacon—and burnt toast! I love burnt toast too!
Eggs benedict are by far my favorite with spinach and mushrooms and tomatoes.
I love homemade waffles with real maple syrup and some good crispy bacon, Heaven I a say!!
A hot muffin or cinnamon roll and coffee!
Home made waffles with strawberries and whipped cream!!!!!
omelette with fried potatoes and coffee…of course!
My favorite breakfast is, hands down, biscuits and gravy. I also love some garlic cheddar grits with sausage. Can you tell I grew up in the south?
I love French toast and sausage patties smothered in maple syrup. MMM. I’d also take scrambled eggs and sausage mixed into a big bowl of grits.
Chorizo & egg breakfast tacos!! LOVE. With Cholula hot sauce, a dab of sour cream & some fresh cilantro on top. Mmmmm…
Fresh cinnamon or caramel rolls.
My favorite breakfast would have to be what my grandmother always makes: bacon, fluffy scrambled eggs, biscuits, and grits. So simple yet so perfect and delicious!
Eggs and hot peppers
My favorite breakfast food is a tie between potato pancakes and buckwheat waffles.
French toast with real maple syrup…mmm.
bagel sandwich with brie cheese and a sweet fig jelly !
Biscuits and sausage gravy. YUM!!
I love a soft boiled egg and homemade toast.
Baked oatmeal is a current favorite.
Banana nut pancakes with real maple syrup!
Fried gilled cheese wi mayo-awesome!
My favorite breakfast: Your cinnamon morning muffins!! Makes all the morning rush and hassles better 🙂
Favorite everyday breakfast: whole wheat English muffin with a fried egg on one half and a piece of cheese on the other half, and lots of coffee.
Favorite everyday breakfast: greek yogurt and granola with fresh fruit, hot tea as well
My favorite breakfast is baked oatmeal with blueberries and almonds!
Crispy hashbrown potatoes cooked in a cast iron skillet next to a fried egg. Mix the runny yolk all up in the potatoes – viola!
egg white omelet with burnt onions, burnt hash browns, and lots of coffee!
My alltime favorite breakfast dish is country gravy!
Eggs over easy or now poached, bacon crisp, home fries and rye toast
Pancakes- from scratch pancakes!!
My favorite breakfast dish to make is your banana bread. So happy to finally have a go to recipe for it. My husband loves it 🙂
Fritatta – with left over vegies – any thing i can find in the ref.
I love fried eggs over easy, bacon and toast!
For breakfast I love fried eggs on toast with a splash of hot sauce or Sriracha. In fact, I also love this dish for dinner!
I adore Eggs Benedict.
I love all types of casseroles for breakfast like a good egg and sausage casserole.
My favorite breakfast food is waffles with butter and real maple syrup!
You just made my fav breakfast! How did you know? Just add a couple slices of bacon, perfect. 🙂
awesome step-by-step photos!
my fav breakfast dish is quite gluttonous, i must say. sunny-side up eggs, bacon, sausage, beans, toast, bottomless mug of coffee, and orange juice.
My favorite is good old fashioned eggs and bacon….I like my eggs scrambled with a little cheese on top. Side of tomato and avocado.
Southwestern omelette. Needs to have salsa, avocado, and sour cream.