Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict
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Salmon Benedict is the ultimate Sunday brunch recipe: it's healthy, elegant, and surprisingly simple to make! Rich smoked salmon melts into cream cheese, complemented by the briny burst of capers and sharpness of red onions. Pour some velvety lemon hollandaise over to tie everything together.
We've got tips to make ahead for a group. It's perfect for serving a crowd, whether you're hosting guests, celebrating Mother's Day, or simply indulging in a treat for yourself!
For less traditional but seriously delicious eggs benedicts, make this Mexican eggs benedict or coconut shrimp eggs benedict!
You're in for a treat! Smoked salmon steals the show in this classic brunch favorite. The rich, velvety texture of cream cheese serves as the perfect complement to the salmon, while the crunchy red onions, briny capers, and buttery hollandaise sauce all meld together ā it's the perfect dish to wake up to on a Sunday! This salmon benedict recipe is also perfect for serving to a group if you follow our easy make-ahead tips!
Ingredients notes
A salmon benedict is always delicious, but adding the right finishing touches elevates it to another level! Little items like capers and thin red onions make you seem like a maestro in the kitchen. This is what you need:
- Ingredients: English muffins, eggs, cream cheese, smoked salmon, capers, thinly sliced red onion, a pinch of black pepper
- Lemon hollandaise sauce: Egg yolks, water, butter, fresh lemon juice, and a pinch of sea salt combine to make a delicious sauce with a velvety consistency.
How to make salmon benedict
This recipe is more approachable than it first seems- poaching eggs and crafting hollandaise are two steps to this recipe that BOTH have a reputation for being complicated. Once you break it down, it's more straightforward than it seems ā before you know it, you'll be calling it easy! This is how it's done:
- Hollandaise: Add the egg yolks and water to a small saucepan, holding the pan two inches above your element on medium-high, whisking the yolks until they're frothy and warm. Add melted butter and whisk until it thickens, then add lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Don't put the pan on the heat at any time!
- Benedict base: Put a pot of water on high heat, then toast the english muffins while it's heating up. Slather down some cream cheese and then place the smoked salmon on top.
- Poach eggs: Get the water simmering gently, then crack eggs one at a time, letting them cook for four minutes. Remove them from the pot using a slotted spoon and place them on top of the salmon-topped muffins.
- Finish: Pour the hollandaise on top, adding a few slices of red onion, some capers, and a little black pepper or garnish with fresh chives. Add a handful of arugula on the side and get ready to impress!
How to make this a healthy smoked salmon eggs benedict recipe
Salmon benedict is already pretty healthy! Eggs and salmon are both full of nutrients and healthy fats. If you are dedicated to eating even healthier, it doesn't mean you have to miss out on a delicious brunch! Simply make a small change: just omit the english muffin, meaning you'll have nothing to spread the cream cheese on. Just throw down a handful of delicious, peppery arugula, drizzle some olive oil over it, and make some ānests' out of your smoked salmon. Set your eggs on top, and you'll hardly notice the difference!
How to poach eggs for a brunch party
If you have a crowd coming over and want to impress the socks off your guests, serve them up some salmon benedicts! No one wants to be stuck poaching eggs for a group ā even poaching them for a family of four might be intimidating. Rest assured, we have a little tip that makes it super simple ā¦ Just partially pre-poach your eggs so you can finish them all at the same time. It's actually super simple, and how restaurants turn out so many perfectly poached eggs at brunch ā here's the instructions:
- First, fill a large bowl with water and ice, keeping it to the side so you can immediately cool down any partially poached eggs, stopping the cooking process. Poach an egg for two minutes, remove it with a slotted spoon, then place it in the ice water. Repeat with all the remaining eggs you'll be serving.
- Once they're cold, you can stash them in the fridge in cold water for up to 5 days.
- When you're ready to impress with smoked salmon eggs benedict, just simmer some water, drop in your pre-poached eggs all at once for 2 minutes, and voila ā it's service time!
Tips for poaching eggs
Poaching eggs has a reputation of being a bit finnicky, however once you learn a few tips, it's actually really simple to do. You'll get the best result with the freshest eggs, as fresh eggs hold their shape better. Here are the steps we follow for perfectly poached eggs every time:
- Bring a pot of salted water to a gentle boil and crack your egg into a small cup, small bowl, or ramekin. This helps prevent the egg from dispersing if you crack it directly into the water. You can make a few eggs at a time, just be careful not to overcrowd your pot.
- Stir the simmering water in a circular motion to create a vortex.
- When the water is swirling, gently add the eggs.
- Cook for about 3 minutes. They will be firm on the outside and runny on the inside.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the egg (or eggs) and place them on a plate.
Some people also add a splash of white vinegar to the pot ā this is optional, but it helps coagulate the egg whites.
What to serve with salmon benedict
Smoked salmon benedict is impressive enough on it's own that you can serve it next to a handful of arugula or a spring mix salad and call it a day! If you're feeling fancy, whip up a breakfast salad! You can also add some grilled tomatoes, garlic butter asparagus, or sliced avocado to the plate. Enjoy with an Irish cream latte or a green breakfast smoothie ā or go straight for a mimosa!
Recipe FAQs
Can I make a dill hollandaise?
Adding finely chopped fresh dill to your hollandaise at the end of cooking will brighten things up, adding a fresh herbaceous note that goes so well with the lemon.
How do I reheat the lemon hollandaise sauce?
To warm the sauce, avoid using the microwave. Instead, transfer the sauce to a heat-resistant glass bowl or container, then immerse it in a bowl of hot water. Allow it to rest, stirring intermittently, until thoroughly heated. This way you'll gently reheat the sauce and avoid cooking the egg yolk, altering the flavor and texture.
I have one vegetarian guest attending ā is there an alternative I can make for them?
You can either omit the salmon, or make carrot lox. To do this, use a peeler to make a thin ribbon of carrot and marinade it in a bowl with olive oil, soy sauce, liquid smoke, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Bake the carrot lox in the oven for 30-40 minutes and serve in place of the salmon. It will taste great!
More egg brunch recipes
Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 2 English muffins (cut in half)
- 4 tablespoons cream cheese
- 3 ounces smoked salmon (salmon lox)
- 2 teaspoons capers
- Thinly sliced red onion
- A pinch of black pepper
Lemon Hollandaise Sauce
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- A pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Begin by preparing the hollandaise sauce. Add the egg yolks and water to a small frying pan. Holding the pan 2 inches above an element on medium-high and whisk the eggs until they are frothy and warm. Add the butter to the pan (do not place the pan on the element!) and whisk until the hollandaise is thick. Whisk in the lemon juice and a pinch of salt and set the pan aside.2 large egg yolks, 2 tablespoons water, 2 tablespoons butter, 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, A pinch of sea salt
- Place a medium-sized pot of water on the stove on high heat.
- Lightly toast the English muffins either in a toaster or by frying them in a little butter on their cut sides. Place them on plates and then spread the cream cheese on top. Divide the smoked salmon between them.2 English muffins, 4 tablespoons cream cheese, 3 ounces smoked salmon
- When the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat so that it gently simmers. Crack the eggs in one at a time and let them cook for 4 minutes. Remove them from the pot using a slotted spoon and place one egg on top of each English muffin.4 large eggs
- Pour the hollandaise sauce over the eggs and top with a few slices of red onion, some capers, and a little black pepper.2 teaspoons capers, Thinly sliced red onion, A pinch of black pepper
- If you're serving this with arugula, toss a few handfuls of baby arugula with a drizzle of olive oil and place the salad beside the eggs benedict.
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
For more inspiration, check out all of our breakfast recipes!
This recipe is part of our Mother's Day Bruch Recipes series.
Just made it today. Love it! It was really delicious and easy to make. My hollandaise sauce came out perfect. I added 1 tbs of fine grated Pecorino Romano to the sauce and the taste became much bolder and fuller. Didn’t have cream cheese so I use butter and it was fine. Thank you for sharing.
It looks delicious and I’ve had eggs benedict with salmon before(awesome), but I’m not sure I’d claim it is healthy.
Eggs and salmon are both very healthy, and we think that a little bit of butter is perfectly acceptable, too. š
There has to be a better way to make the hollandaise. This was so awkward
If you find it difficult to hold the pot over the element you can set it over a pot of simmering water.