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International

Poached Eggs

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

Eggs gently cooked out of their shells in barely simmering water, giving tender set whites and a soft, flowing yolk — ideal on toast or greens.

Poached Eggs is an International egg dish, ready in about 13 minutes and made with egg and white vinegar. It serves 2 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking
Close-up of a delicious breakfast with poached eggs, asparagus, and cherry tomatoes on a ceramic plate.
Photo: Dora Cocea / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
3 min
Cook
10 min
Total
13 min
Serves
2
Level
Easy
Calories
144

Ingredients

2 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Bring a deep saucepan (opens in a new tab) of water to a bare simmer — small bubbles on the bottom, the surface just trembling — and add the vinegar.

    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Crack an egg (opens in a new tab) into a fine sieve over the sink and let the thin, watery white drain off for a few seconds, then tip the egg into a small cup.

    Draining the loose white prevents wispy strands.

    Liquid being strained through a sieve
    How it looks · Photo: Katerina Holmes on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Lower the cup to the water and slide the egg in. Repeat with the remaining eggs (opens in a new tab), spacing them out. Poach 3 minutes for runny yolks, 4–5 for firmer.

    • 4 min
    • medium-low heat

    Food safety: Cook eggs until the whites are fully set (and yolks firm) for young children, pregnant people, older adults or anyone vulnerable.

  4. Step 4

    Lift out with a slotted spoon (opens in a new tab), blot the base on kitchen paper, season and serve on the toasted bread.

About this dish

Origin
Not attributed to one place · Origin uncertainAn everyday home-cooking preparation made in many countries; it has no single documented origin.Also popular in United Kingdom, United States, Australia, France
Dish
Breakfast · Brunch · Egg dishes
Cooking method
Poached
Taste
savoury, mild, rich
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-protein
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · High-protein
Without the optional extras: Whole-food focused, Paleo-style, No gluten ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Everyday · Budget-friendly
Cook more with
Egg · White vinegar
Techniques
Simmering · Poaching

Allergens

  • May contain: Milkfrom wholemeal bread
  • Contains: Eggsfrom egg
  • Contains, can be adapted: Wheatfrom wholemeal bread
  • Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom wholemeal bread
  • May contain: Soyfrom wholemeal bread
  • May contain: Sesamefrom wholemeal bread

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

144 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 100 g · recipe makes 2

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 36%
  • Carbohydrate 3%
  • Fat 61%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g
Energy144 kcal144 kcal
Protein12.6 g12.6 g
Carbohydrate0.9 g0.9 g
Net carbohydrate0.8 g0.8 g
Sugars0.4 g0.4 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre0.1 g0.1 g
Fat9.5 g9.5 g
Saturated fat3.1 g3.1 g
Trans fat0 g0 g
Cholesterol372 mg372 mg
Sodium448 mg448 mg
Salt equivalent1.1 g1.1 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
142 mg
Calcium
133 mg
Iron
1.8 mg
Magnesium
28 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
160 µg
Vitamin C
0 mg
Vitamin D
2 µg
Vitamin B12
0.9 µg
Folate (DFE)
47 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: wholemeal bread.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Poached eggs can be made ahead: chill them in iced water, then reheat for 1 minute in hot water.

Common mistakes

  • Water at a rolling boil tears the whites apart.

Serve with

  • On toast with avocado or spinach, or on top of a grain bowl or soup.

Storage

  • Best eaten immediately; poached eggs held in iced water keep for a day in the fridge.

Reheating

  • Warm in hot (not boiling) water for about 1 minute.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 2, 4

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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