Irish Eggs Benedict

Put some Irish in your eggs benedict with a little corned beef and Irish cheddar cheese sauce! Irish Eggs Benedict is the perfect breakfast or brunch on the day after St. Patrick’s Day, or any day you are looking to spiff up your breakfast.

💚 Why we love this recipe

This is probably…no DEFINITELY our favorite way to use up leftover corned beef. It is SO addictively scrumptious that when we don’t have leftover corned beef we buy some at the deli counter just to have the wonder that is this version of the classic Eggs Benedict.

It is a speedy, hearty breakfast, brunch and/or dinner recipe, and if you add some Boxty potatoes and/or some carrots on the side, you are pretty much in Irsh heaven.

🤔 What Is Irish Eggs Benedict?

Traditional Eggs Benedict (which we also love around these parts) is a classic breakfast or brunch dish, made with an English muffin, topped with Canadian bacon, a poached egg, and hollandaise sauce.

So for the Irish version, I takesome leftover corned beef, shred it up and heat it in a little chicken broth, spoon it over an English muffin (I know, I know, and if you want to use soda bread instead that is fine…we just never have any left over), topped with a poached egg and a cheese sauce made from lovely Irish cheddar.

🧀 Ingredients you need

📝 Ingredient notes and substitutions

• Corned Beef: If you don’t have any leftovers of corned beef, ask for a half pound slice at your deli counter (and if they don’t have corned beef, pastrami will do).
• English Muffin: You can swap out soda bread or Irish brown bread if you prefer.
• Cheddar Cheese: We always look for Irish cheddar for this recipe, but any shredded cheddar will work.
• Eggs: Poached eggs are our favorite, but fried eggs or soft boiled eggs will also be just fine.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.

👩🏻‍🍳 Here’s how you make this recipe

STEP 1: Poach, soft boil or gently fry two eggs and set them aside.

STEP 2: Make the cheese sauce: Melt two tablespoons of butter in a small pot over medium high heat and whisk in 2 tablespoons of flour. Whisk in a cup of milk and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until it starts to thicken. Stir in a cup for shredded cheddar cheese until melted.

PRO TIP: Here is my sure fire method for making perfect poached eggs!

STEP 3: Place a toasted and torn up English muffin or piece of soda bread on a plate. (The reason for the tearing? I don’t like struggling to cut through an English muffin when I eat eggs benedict. If you don’t mind, you don’t have to tear it.)

STEP 4: Put a generous amount of shredded corned beef on top of the muffin. Top with a poached egg, and pour the cheese sauce over all. Garnish with parsley and serve at once.

It’s the perfect day-after use of that corned beef, and if you didn’t make your own corned beef, it’s well worth nabbing some leftovers from somebody who did.  (Hi mama!).

🤔 Recipe FAQs

Now please go try the Irish version of eggs Benedict, and one way or the other,  may your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow, and may trouble avoid you wherever you go.

🍽️Want to round out your meal?

We love some Colcannon (otherwise known as Irish mashed potatoes) or some Boxty (otherwise known as Irish potato pancakes) with our Irish Eggs Benedict.

And for dessert, how about a cream scone slathered with banana jam?

💚 Other Irish recipes we love

Looking for more Irish cooking inspiration? Here is our complete collection of Irish recipes!

💚 We want to know what you think!

If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section below the recipe card.

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Irish Eggs Benedict

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Put some Irish in your eggs Benedict with a little corned beef and Irish cheddar cheese sauce!

• Author: Kate Morgan Jackson
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: Serves 2 – can be increased as needed. 1x
• Category: Breakfast
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Irish

Ingredients

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• 2 eggs
• 1 cup of cooked corned beef, shredded and at room temperature or warmed
• 1 English muffin, toasted and torn into bite sized pieces (or a slice of soda bread!)
• Parsley for garnish

Cheese Sauce

• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup shredded cheddar (Irish cheddar if possible!)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour

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Instructions

1. Poach or soft boil the eggs and set aside.
2. Make the cheese sauce: Melt the butter in a small pot over medium high heat and whisk in the flour. Whisk in the milk and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until it starts to thicken. Stir in the cheese until melted.
3. Place the torn English muffin or soda bread on a plate. (The reason for the tearing? I don’t like struggling to cut through an English muffin when I eat eggs benedict. If you don’t mind, you don’t have to tear it.)
4. Put a generous amount of corned beef on top of the muffin. Top with poached egg, and pour the cheese sauce over all. Garnish with parsley and serve at once.