Perfect Poached Eggs

You can learn to make Perfect Poached Eggs every single time with this easy recipe. Master the art of the perfect poached egg and so you can put an egg on top of every

Once you learn the tricks, making perfect poached eggs is easy!

In my years of honing my cooking skills, the one I’m most proud of is my ability to make a perfect poached egg. Many people think that making a perfect poached egg like this is hard. It’s really not.

Once you know how to do it, you can do it you can make perfect poached eggs over and over again. I perfected my method for making perfect poached eggs so that I can share it here.

I share my step-by-step instructions for making perfect poached eggs every single time.

Looking to make perfect hard boiled eggs? Check out this post to learn how to long to hard boil eggs.

So, what is a poached egg?

A poached egg is an egg that you cook by cracking it directly into boiling water. A poached egg is finished cooking when the outer whites are cooked and stiff and the center yolk is runny.

You can add a poached egg to pretty much any dish!

The best part about poaches eggs is that they make pretty much any dish better. I could put a poached egg on just about anything that I eat. As you can tell from this post I especially like to put one on avocado toast.

Some of the other ways that I like to enjoy poached eggs are on top of a salad because the warm yolk acts like a dressing. Of course, I like them in the traditional way on eggs Benedict. And I love them on top of my cauliflower rice breakfast stir fry recipe.

Once you know how to make perfect poached eggs you can find countless ways to enjoy them.

What kitchen gear and ingredients will you need to perfect your poach?

Now that you know all of my favorite ways to enjoy these perfect poached eggs, let’s chat about what you will need to make them.

You will need a small pot, cold water, some vinegar, small bowls, eggs, a flat spatula, and a slotted spoon. If you do not plan on eating the eggs immediately you will want to prepare an ice bath to put them in.

If you want perfectly formed poached eggs without those extra white whisps, you will also want to grab a small fine mesh strainer. Before cooking the egg you will strain it through this strainer. This removes any excess whites.

This might seem like a lot of gear for a simple poached egg, but this is easier than you might think.

What kind of eggs are best for poached eggs?

Fresh eggs will give you the best result when trying to make a perfect poached egg. Using fresh eggs will result in a tight round poached egg.

If you only have older eggs, your poached eggs will still be great. Taking time to strain off the excess whites with a small strainer will help when using older eggs.

How do you make Perfect Poached Eggs?

To make perfect poached eggs, start by cracking eggs into individual small bowls or ramekins. Then strain each egg through a fine-mesh strainer.

This will remove any of the loose whites that cause excess whisps. After straining return each egg to their individual bowls.

Next, fill a small pot with cold water. Then, add 1 tbsp of vinegar to the pot of water. I have found that white or apple cider vinegar works best.

Then, cover the pot and bring the water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, swirl the water with a flat spatula into a spiral.

Pour eggs individually into the center of the spiral. This method works best with 1 egg at a time, but I have tried up to 4 eggs.

Then immediately turn off the heat, leave the pot on the burner and cover the pot. Cook the eggs for 3 minutes on a gas stove and 2 minutes and 30 seconds on an electric stove.

Remove the cooked eggs from the pot with a slotted spoon. Tap the eggs to test for doneness – the whites should be solid and yolk should be runny. If the whites aren’t fully set you can return the eggs to the water for a bit longer.

Enjoy the eggs immediately or place in an ice bath to stop cooking and enjoy the eggs later. Cooked poached eggs will keep in the fridge up to 7 days

You can find the full recipe and instructions below. If you make some perfect poached eggs, please let me know in the comments or on Instagram!

Recipe

Perfect Poached Eggs

★★★★★ 5 from 3 reviews

The ultimate recipe for perfect poached eggs!

Recipe By: Madeline

Prep: 5 minutesCook: 10 minutesTotal: 15 minutes

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Servings: 1 serving 1x

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Ingredients

• 1 egg (or up to 4!)
• 1 tbsp vinegar per pot of water

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Instructions

1. Individually crack eggs into individual small bowl so ramekins. Strain each egg through a fine mesh strainer – this will remove any of the loose white that cause excess whisps. After straining return each egg to their individual bowls
2. Fill a small pot with cold water. Add 1 tbsp of vinegar to the pot. Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil. Swirl the water with a flat spatula to create a spiral. Pour eggs individually into the center of the spiral – the method works best with 1 egg at time, but I have tried up to 4 eggs.
3. Once you have poured your egg into the pot, immediately cover the pot, turn off the heat, and leave the pot on the burner. Leave the eggs in the covered pot for 3 minutes if you are using a gas stove and 2 minutes and 30 seconds if you are using an electric stove.
4. Remove the eggs from the pot with a slotted spoon. Tap the eggs to test for doneness – the whites should be solid and yolk should be runny. If the whites aren’t fully set, you can return the eggs to the water for a bit longer. 
5. Enjoy the eggs immediately of place in an ice bath to stop cooking and enjoy the eggs later. Cooked poached eggs will keep in the fridge for up to 7 days

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.