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Recipes » breakfast and brunch » eggs » How To Make A Perfect Poached Egg

How To Make A Perfect Poached Egg

By Kate Morgan Jackson

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Yes, you really can poach an egg, and it really IS easy, and this method works every single time.  I’m going walk you through it step by step. Here’s how to make a perfect poached egg. No fear!

How To Make A Perfect Poached Egg

I’ll just start by saying that I completely adore poached eggs.  Poached eggs on toast, poached eggs with creamy bacon grits, poached eggs over roasted asparagus…I could go on for days.  Until recently, however, the only way I got real poached eggs was to show up on my mom’s doorstep, make big pleading puppy dog eyes at her, and ask her to make me a poached egg.

I just couldn’t seem to make them myself…I tried all the tricks that involve white vinegar and making a little whirlpool in the boiling water, and we bought various poached egg equipment – no dice.  And then one day a miracle occurred, and I taught myself how to poach an egg.  Perfectly.  I poached approximately 100 more eggs, all perfectly, and I now feel confident about sharing my method with the world.  So ladies and gentleman, here we go.

First you need eggs.  You probably knew that.

eggs

Now crack your eggs into little glass bowls (and teacups will work just fine if you don’t have a million little glass bowls in your cabinet like I do.  What can I say…I love little glass bowls!)

raw eggs in dishes

This is going to let your egg slip neatly into the water, rather than having it scatter in all directions the way it would if you just cracked it directly in the water.  (I always like to know the REASONS for things!).

Yes, you really can poach an egg, and this post will walk you through it step by step. Here's how to make a perfect poached egg. No fear!Click to TweetNow bring a skillet of water to a nice simmer.  You want about 3 inches of water in that skillet.  If you don’t have a deep skillet, a pot will work fine too….I like a skillet because it’s easier to get the eggs in and out.

simmering water

Once you have those nice simmery bubbles in your water, slip the eggs in by gently pouring them out of the glass bowls.

poaching eggs

The outside edges of the egg white may swirl around a little, but the main part of the egg white will be just fine.  Trust me.

poaching eggs

You can nudge the egg white closer to the yolk with a wooden spoon if you want.  This step is optional, because one way or the other your poached egg is going to be nice and neat and fine.  But I like having something to do, so I do it.

poaching eggs

Now put a lid on the skillet and turn off the burner.  Yes, all the way off.  I’m not kidding. Off.  And move the pan to a cool burner, especially if you are using an electric stove.

poaching eggs

Let the eggs sit in the skillet with the lid on for exactly four minutes.  If you like your egg yolks super-duper runny you can make it three minutes, but personally I think four is just about perfect.  After four minutes, grab your handy slotted spoon or spider…

poaching eggs

..and scoop out your PERFECT poached eggs.  The wispy edges of the white will have mostly fallen away into the water, leaving you with poached egg perfection.

Now all that’s left is the eating.  And while I have an endless array of things I like to top with a poached egg (baked potato! Caesar salad!), there’s nothing quite so wonderfully comforting as a piece of warm buttered toast with a poached egg on top.

poached egg on toast

Let’s cut into that baby, shall we?

How To Make A Perfect Poached Egg

Oh my goodness.

How To Make A Perfect Poached Egg

Oh my goodness gracious.

Once you’ve done a few taste tests with eggs and toast, you can go on to make poached eggs with bacon grits...

poached eggs with creamy bacon grits

....Lemon avocado toast with poached egg…

lemon avocado toast with poached egg

 

Smoked salmon eggs benedict with (say it with me) poached eggs…

I’ll stop now.  I’m sure you want to go an poach an egg as soon as humanly possible. You can do it!

 

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How To Make A Perfect Poached Egg!


★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Kate Morgan Jackson
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 4 minutes
  • Total Time: 9 minutes
  • Yield: 1 or more perfectly poached eggs
  • Category: Staples
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Yes, you really can poach an egg, and this recipe will walk you through it step by step. Here’s how to make a perfect poached egg. No fear!


Ingredients

  • As many eggs as you would like to poach!

Instructions

  1. Fill a deep skillet or a pot with about 3 inches of water and bring to a simmer.
  2. Break each egg into a small glass bowl or a teacup. Make sure the yolk is intact.
  3. Slip each egg gently into the simmering water. Don’t worry if the whites seem to flare out in the water…if you like, you can nudge the edges back towards the yolk with a wooden spoon, but even if you don’t things will still be fine. :)
  4. Cover the skillet with a lid, turn off the heat, move the pan to a cool burner (very important!) and let the eggs sit in the water for 4 minutes (3 minutes if you like your yolks REALLY runny).
  5. Scoop out the poached eggs with a slotted spoon, letting the water drip off. You’ve made perfect poached eggs!
1 egg720.2 g71 mg4.8 g1.6 g0 g0.4 g0 g6.3 g186 mg

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Kate Morgan Jackson

Hi there!  I’m Kate, and I’m a recipe writer, food photographer and devoted bacon lover.  I started Framed Cooks in 2009, and my mission is to create and share family-friendly recipes that make cooking both easy and fun…yes, I said FUN!  My kitchen is my happy place, and I want yours to be that place too.  And if you make this recipe, I would love you to tag @FramedCooks on Instagram so I can see the deliciousness!as seen in logos

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Published on June 23, 2013

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  1. Rachel says

    June 23, 2013 at 10:30 am

    This is similar to what I do, except I use a teacup. I also put a folded piece of paper towel under egg after removing it from pan to make sure no water is there to wet the toast. I then slide it off utensil onto toast. Love poached eggs with lots of black pepper.

    Reply
    • Kate says

      June 23, 2013 at 5:00 pm

      Great suggestions and thanks – I will try the paper towel next time. :)

      Reply
      • Joyce says

        January 15, 2014 at 7:21 pm

        I have a friend who uses parchment paper to let the water run off. It’s not as absorbent as paper towel, but it won’t stick to the eggs. either.

        Reply
        • Kate says

          January 16, 2014 at 11:07 am

          LOVE this idea – I’m trying it!

          Reply
    • Joyce says

      January 15, 2014 at 7:21 pm

      I have a friend who uses parchment paper to let the water run off. It’s not as absorbent as paper towel, but it won’t stick to the eggs. either.

      Reply
  2. Joanne says

    June 23, 2013 at 12:40 pm

    Maybe i’ve just been lucky (probably) but I’ve never really had any poached egg issues the way that some have!

    Reply
    • Kate says

      June 23, 2013 at 5:00 pm

      You clearly have a poached egg gift! :)

      Reply
  3. Blewits says

    June 23, 2013 at 9:40 pm

    I love you for this! THANK YOU! I never get poached eggs unless I’m at a restaurant and they are one of my favorite foods on the planet.

    Reply
    • Kate says

      June 24, 2013 at 7:58 pm

      Me too!! And my pleasure – I firmly believe we should all be able to eat poached eggs whenever we want to, especially in our own kitchens. :)

      Reply
  4. Lisa says

    June 24, 2013 at 8:49 am

    I’m lucky in that we raise chickens so our eggs are very fresh. A fresh egg white is much thicker than an older egg white, so they hold together better when you poach them. My all-time favorite way to eat eggs is Eggs Benedict, so I am going to try your method next time. Thanks for sharing this! Sharing also on my Facebook page.
    Lisa
    Fresh Eggs Daily
    http://www.fresh-eggs-daily.com

    Reply
    • Kate says

      June 24, 2013 at 7:59 pm

      Chickens! I am so envious! Happy delectable eggs benedict to you. :)

      Reply
      • Rachael says

        April 11, 2020 at 1:03 pm

        Thank you for this! My first time poaching an egg and it turned out perfect!

        ★★★★★

        Reply
        • Kate Morgan Jackson says

          April 13, 2020 at 9:28 am

          Rachael! I’m so glad – isn’t a perfect poached egg the best thing? :)

          Reply
    • Diane says

      June 25, 2013 at 2:05 pm

      @Lisa, I recently ordered Eggs Benedict at the Slide Inn in Portland, Oregon. They came with sautéd spinach. Oh my, they were so good.

      Reply
  5. Miss Maura 9999 Charlotte, NC says

    June 24, 2013 at 9:17 am

    OMG this is SOOOOOO much easier than the way I learned it at The Restaurant School a hundred years ago!! I also love poached eggs but have never made them at home. Who wants that vinegar-y flavor in with it, bleeccccchhhhh. Shared this on my FB page as well. And your photographs are *outstanding.* Thanks once again, Kate. Now if I could just convert you over to whole grain pastas………

    Reply
    • Kate says

      June 24, 2013 at 7:59 pm

      Thank you so much, and I totally agree on the vinegar. I’ll work on that whole grain pasta part. :)

      Reply
  6. Susan says

    June 24, 2013 at 4:06 pm

    I’ve never made a poached egg in 50 years, since I bought my Sunbeam Egg Cooker, right out of college. It’s always worked it’s magic but I have fears of it dying before I do! I’m saving your method just in case! People have mentioned adding it to their FB, but I don’t know how to do that. Any help?

    Reply
    • Susan says

      June 24, 2013 at 4:07 pm

      I mean I’ve never made one other than in my cooker….oops!

      Reply
      • Kate says

        June 24, 2013 at 8:01 pm

        HI Susan! Give this method a try and see if you even need to keep your Sunbeam Cooker! Meantime you can share this on Facebook (thank you!) by clicking the Facebook icon right under the post. :)

        Reply
  7. Nessa says

    June 24, 2013 at 6:52 pm

    I’m not really an egg person, but that picture looks good….

    Reply
    • Kate says

      June 24, 2013 at 8:01 pm

      Oh, give poached eggs a try – they will turn you into an egg person! :)

      Reply
  8. Genie Gratto says

    June 24, 2013 at 8:24 pm

    Wow — this looks so much easier than all the techniques I’ve tried (and I agree — the vinegary taste is not my favorite in one of those other techniques) — I’m definitely going to give this a whirl soon!

    Reply
    • Kate says

      June 24, 2013 at 9:07 pm

      Thanks Genie – let me know how it goes! :)

      Reply
  9. ruthie says

    June 30, 2013 at 5:49 am

    You know, when I was a tot, we had a bitty little egg poacher. I drove my mom crazy wanting poached eggs, just so I could play with that cute little pot with its little saucers to hold the eggs. It was foolproof.

    But as I grew older, I kind of liked the way “hand poached” eggs looked, a little ragged, yolks not perfectly centered. And they do go great on so many things. I’m going to try your method because you certainly have the experience! Maybe I should hope it doesn’t work for me, or I’ll be eating way too many poached eggs. ;)

    As always, thanks, Kate!

    Reply
    • Kate says

      June 30, 2013 at 8:58 am

      I feel the same way about hand-poached eggs – I have those floating poach pods that steam them…but it’s just not the SAME. :)

      Reply
  10. Nutmeg Nanny says

    July 8, 2013 at 11:02 pm

    Oh yum! I love poached eggs :) great how-to!

    Reply
    • Kate says

      July 9, 2013 at 9:31 am

      Thanks so much – I adore poached eggs! :)

      Reply
  11. Dawn says

    July 12, 2013 at 3:10 pm

    This is maybe a dumb question. With an electric cooktop, when turning off the heat, should I take the pan off the burner as well?

    I’ve tried many of your recipes and haven’t been disappointed yet! Thanks!!

    Reply
    • Kate says

      July 13, 2013 at 11:30 am

      Not dumb at all! :) Yes, take the pan off the burner so you don’t get any residual heat. So happy you are liking my recipes! :)

      Reply
  12. Jen says

    July 24, 2013 at 7:05 am

    This worked beautifully! As a kid, my mom had a special egg poaching pan with little removable triangle-shaped pans for each egg and I don’t think the egg ever touched water. I thought that was the only way to do it. I didn’t know you could just crack the egg into water until I met my husband and since then I’ve been trying to refine my technique. This definitely worked the best and is pretty idiot proof! Delicious way to start the day!

    Reply
    • Kate says

      July 25, 2013 at 7:41 am

      It’s like magic, right? Now I look for any excuse to make a poached egg. :)

      Reply
  13. Joyce says

    January 15, 2014 at 7:28 pm

    Every single morning, my parents would have two (2) poached eggs on toast. Rain or shine, day after day after day. It’s a tradition with me. But my mother’s poached eggs were always those wild crazy one’s, with the white scattered and scooped up to put on the toast.

    I’ll try this tomorrow morning…with mashed avocado, and bacon, on toast….as per your recipe today.

    Thanks for the ‘new’ method!

    Reply
    • Kate says

      January 16, 2014 at 9:57 am

      My pleasure! There’s nothing quite like a day that starts out with a poached egg. :)

      Reply
  14. Marianne says

    August 23, 2014 at 8:33 pm

    Wow! I just made my first poached egg! Perfect! Thank you so much!
    PS- I love your witty writing style!

    Reply
    • Kate says

      August 25, 2014 at 3:49 pm

      Hurray for poaching eggs! And thank you – so sweet of you to say! :)

      Reply
  15. Susan says

    May 4, 2015 at 10:01 am

    Love your method of poached eggs. I love your dish that your eggs are in, can you tell me were I can purchase one

    .

    Reply
    • Kate says

      May 4, 2015 at 10:07 am

      Thank you! I got that bowl at Anthropologie – I just looked at their website and I don’t see it, but they might have it at the store – fingers crossed!

      Reply
  16. Chari says

    September 15, 2015 at 8:49 pm

    Just returned egg poacher triangles attached together that can be lifted out of the water with a fork. Didn’t work for me. Just tried your method and it worked beautifully. As I read on, I discovered that I should take the pan off the burner as I have a cook top. My eggs were good but just a little too done. Thank you very much. Bon apetit!

    Reply
    • Kate says

      September 16, 2015 at 7:51 am

      Welcome to the wonderful world of poached eggs! So glad this worked for you. :)

      Reply
  17. Josie says

    November 17, 2015 at 10:53 am

    This method works perfectly! I am on my way to poached egg heaven, thank you Kate!

    Reply
    • Kate says

      November 17, 2015 at 9:16 pm

      I’m so glad! And poached eggs ARE heaven! :)

      Reply
  18. Kevin says

    May 17, 2018 at 6:46 am

    Your picture shows one egg being done at a time. Would there be a problem is I poached more than one egg, or should I stick to the single egg method? Never poached eggs successfully before, so I’m eager to try this method.

    Reply
    • Kate says

      May 17, 2018 at 3:21 pm

      Hi Kevin! Yes, you can absolutely do multiple eggs. I try to space them out a little in the water so they don’t stick together, but you can easily fit at least four into a standard deep skillet. Happy egg poaching!!

      Reply
  19. kathleen A dahlquist-gray says

    October 25, 2018 at 1:29 pm

    Poached eggs are a thing with me. I just love them. I see you going through stuff here that I don’t do anymore. What I do that is different from your method are a couple things… In the water I use about a tsp of olive oil or a tsp of butter. I also use about a tblsp of apple cider vinegar. The vinegar keeps the egg together to cook if the boil is too rolling and the oil keeps the egg from sticking to the pan if you aren’t using a seasoned cast iron skillet. This comes straight from my granny. I use a slotted utensil to pick up the egg and not the water.

    Reply
    • Kate says

      October 25, 2018 at 2:23 pm

      Hi Kathleen – always good to meet another poached egg lover! Thanks for sharing your granny’s tips – I will definitely try them out! :)

      Reply
      • John Metzer says

        October 26, 2018 at 6:52 pm

        Instead of frying my daily duck egg tomorrow morning, I will try poaching.. Looking forward to it!

        ★★★★★

        Reply
        • Kate says

          October 28, 2018 at 3:34 pm

          Poached duck egg! I bet it was scrumptious! :)

          Reply

Hi, I’m Kate! I’m a recipe writer, food photographer and devoted bacon lover. I’m so glad you’re here!

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