Skillet Poached Eggs

By Genevieve Ko

Published Dec. 22, 2021

Skillet Poached Eggs
Sang An for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.
Total Time
10 minutes
Rating
4(677)
Comments
Read comments

There’s a little trick here that makes poaching eggs easy and prevents them from spreading into flat, floppy disks: rolling the eggs in the boiling water in their shells before cracking them into the pan. This technique helps them maintain their shape when they’re cracked into the boiling water. Because the whites don’t spread, six eggs can fit in a skillet comfortably without running into one another, and you can serve a crowd with little effort. You can use this move to poach fewer eggs, too, of course. No matter how many you cook, you’ll end up with silky eggs for toast, a breakfast sandwich or as an accompaniment to bacon, sausage, waffles or pancakes.

Featured in: These Poached Eggs Aren’t Picture-Perfect. That’s What Makes Them Beautiful.

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Ingredients

Yield:2 to 6 servings
  • 2 to 6large eggs
  • 1teaspoon distilled white vinegar
  • Butter and toast, for serving
  • Ham and cheese, for serving (optional)
  • Salt and pepper, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

77 calories; 5 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 0 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 121 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Fill a large skillet, ideally one with straight, tall sides, with water to a depth of 1½ inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Using a slotted spoon, carefully place the whole, uncracked eggs in the water and roll them around for 15 to 20 seconds, so they’re evenly warm. Take them out of the skillet. Add the vinegar to the boiling water.

  2. Step 2

    Crack the eggs into the boiling water one at a time, spacing them apart (if they're too hot to the touch, wait a few seconds until they feel OK to handle). Adjust the heat to keep the water steadily and lightly boiling. Let the eggs poach until the whites are opaque and firm, and the yolks are set to your desired doneness, 3 to 6 minutes. Gently nudge the yolk with the spoon to check for doneness: Very runny yolks will wobble like a water balloon; standard runny yolks will feel soft but set; firm yolks will feel solid.

  3. Step 3

    Transfer to paper towels with the slotted spoon and gently pat dry. Butter toast and layer with ham and cheese, if using. Place poached eggs on top, season with salt and pepper, and top with another pat of butter, if you like.

Ratings

4 out of 5
677 user ratings
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Comments

Charles Michener

I have a poached egg (on an English muffin) almost every morning, prepared as suggested byGenevieve Ko, but with a slight difference. I put the un-cracked egg in a mug, then pour boiling water over it and let it sit fully submerged for 10-20 seconds before cracking it into a small measuring cup and slipping it into simmering (never boiling) water. The egg is coddled into shape and the mug is warmed for coffee.

Michael

I have never understood why people put vinegar in the water when poaching eggs -- unless they want the eggs to taste of vinegar. I've poached eggs for breakfast for decades. There are a few tricks: 1. Use very fresh eggs. 2. Use a wide, shallow pan. 3. Don't use too much water -- my measure is up to my second knuckle. 4. Turn off the heat and wait for the bubbles to subside before gently cracking the eggs directly into the water. 5. Cover the pan until done.

Chris B

My minor variation is that I use tarragon vinegar. It imparts a very faint but nice taste (barely a hint) to the eggs.

Elizabeth

Which kitchen utensil is best for removing wet-through mostly invisible paper products from the under surface of a poached egg?

Donna M

Great recipe. I use very fresh, room temp eggs like others. After several tries I now roll eggs around in boiling water for 45 seconds. Then 3 minutes poaching out of the shell for medium-cooked eggs, less for soft.

JB

Now that poached eggs are covered, I’d love to see a tutorial on coddled eggs. I was given two beautiful China egg coddlers years ago, but I’ve never successfully turned out a good egg.

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