Perfect Poached Eggs {How to Poach an Egg}
Learn how to poach an egg perfectly. This easy recipe includes my best tips for making poached eggs with firm egg whites and runny yolks. Serve on avocado toast, with breakfast potatoes, and more!
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Poached Eggs
Until about 6 months ago, I had never tried making a poached egg. Crazy, right? Well, in an effort to round out my collection of egg recipes on the website, I decided it was time to master the poached egg.
Can you guess what happened in the process? Besides poaching dozens of eggs, I found a new favorite breakfast! Now, about once a week or so, I crave a poached egg on avocado toast. It’s a delicious, satisfying breakfast (or lunch!), especially served on a slice of crusty sourdough bread.
Poached eggs can be tricky to get right, but once you learn a few tips and tricks you’ll know how to poach an egg perfectly every time. So let’s get to it… here’s how to poach an egg!
How to Poach an Egg
First, fill a small or medium saucepan with 1 1/2 to 2 inches of water. Bring the pot to a boil on the stove.
Meanwhile, crack the egg into a small fine mesh strainer set over a small bowl. Gently swirl/tap the strainer to strain off the more watery part of the egg white. This step is optional, but it helps to prevent wispy whites on the poached egg. Notice in the photo above, the firmer egg white compared to the more watery egg white. By straining off the more watery egg white, you’ll get a more spherical poached egg.
Transfer the egg to a small ramekin or bowl.
Optional: add a tablespoon of white wine vinegar to the boiling water which may help prevent wisps of egg white around the poached egg. I often skip the vinegar because in my testing I found it didn’t make much difference.
Reduce the heat to low so that the water is no longer vigorously boiling. Use a slotted spoon to stir the water in a circular motion, creating a vortex in the center.
Gently slip the egg into the center of the vortex. I have found that the most important factor in creating a nice, spherical poached egg is to slip the egg into the water as gently as possible.
With the water at a very low simmer (you should see small bubbles on the bottom of the pot), cook the egg for 3 minutes. Then lift it up with the slotted spoon and press the yolk with your finger to test the firmness of the yolk. Depending on how runny you want the yolk, you may wish to take the egg out of the water now or you may wish to cook it for 30 seconds to 1 minute more. I usually cook mine for 3 1/2 minutes.
Use the slotted spoon to place the poached egg on a paper towel and gently pat dry. Then serve as desired.
Tips for Making Perfect Poached Eggs
- Most important: Be very gentle when slipping the egg into the water, in the center of the swirling vortex. Gently transferring the egg is key to making a nice spherical poached egg. Placing the egg into a small ramekin or bowl makes it easy to slip it into the water. Do not drop the egg in from high above the water.
- Create a vortex in the water in the pot by stirring in a circular motion with a spoon. Placing the egg into the center of the vortex helps to create a spherical egg white.
- I find it’s easiest to poach one egg at a time, since you can use the vortex method. If you want to cook more than one egg at once, skip the vortex.
- Keep the water at a very low simmer when poaching eggs. There should be bubbles on the bottom of the pot but no vigorous boiling.
- Fresh eggs are best. As eggs age, the white gets thinner and more watery, and this causes more wispy whites around the poached egg. If your eggs aren’t fresh, it’s especially important to strain off the more watery egg white.
- Cold from the fridge eggs work best.
Serving Suggestions
My favorite way to serve poached eggs is on lightly buttered toast or avocado toast with a sprinkle of salt and pepper or everything bagel seasoning. However, there are so many ways to serve them! Here are some ideas:
- Over a mixed greens salad.
- In eggs Benedict with hollandaise sauce.
- On top of a bowl of savory oatmeal. Try this Instant Pot steel cut oats recipe.
- Over roasted asparagus, breakfast potatoes or sweet potato hash.
- Add a poached egg to a grain bowl or veggie bowl with roasted vegetables and quinoa, brown rice or farro.
- Serve over mushroom quinoa or with sautéed mushrooms or sautéed spinach.
- Serve over corn or zucchini fritters.
- Add a protein boost to pesto pasta by serving a poached egg on top.
What’s your favorite way to serve poached eggs? Let me know in the comments below!
More Easy Egg Recipes
Eggs are one of my favorite vegetarian protein sources. They’re so versatile; you can serve them for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Here are a few more of my go-to egg recipes to try next.
Poached Eggs {How to Poach an Egg}
Ingredients
- 1 large egg*
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, optional
Instructions
- Fill a small or medium saucepan with 1 ½ – 2 inches of water. Bring the pot to a boil.
- Meanwhile, crack the egg into a small fine mesh strainer set over a bowl. (This step is optional, but helps to minimize the wispy egg whites on the poached egg.) Gently swirl/shake the strainer to drain off the more watery part of the egg white.
- Transfer the egg to a small ramekin or other small bowl.
- Once the water is boiling, add the white wine vinegar, if using. Then reduce the heat to low so that the water is no longer vigorously boiling. There should be some small bubbles on the bottom of the pot.
- Use a slotted spoon to stir the water in a circular motion, to create a vortex in the center. Gently slip the egg into the center of the vortex. (Placing the egg in the water as gently as possible is key to creating a nice, spherical poached egg.)
- Cook for 3 minutes (set a timer) with the water at a very low simmer. There should be bubbles on the bottom of the pot but no vigorous boiling. When the 3 minute timer goes off, use a slotted spoon to lift the egg out of the water and gently press the yolk with your finger to test if it is your desired doneness. If you prefer a firmer yolk, cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute more. Once done, use the slotted spoon to remove the poached egg from the pot and gently pat dry with a paper towel before serving as desired.
Notes
- You can cook more eggs, but it’s best to poach them one at a time.
