Instant Pot Poached Egg Sandwich with Hollandaise and Spinach

Name: Instant Pot Poached Egg Sandwich with Hollandaise and Spinach
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1 cup (240 ml) water, for Instant Pot; 4 large eggs, room temperature; 6 oz (170 g) unsalted butter, cold, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces; 3 large egg yolks, room temperature; 2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lemon juice, freshly squeezed; 0.06 tsp (0.3 g) cayenne pepper, or to taste; fine sea salt or kosher salt, to taste; 4 oz (115 g) fresh spinach, roughly chopped if large leaves; 2 English muffins, split in half; 1 tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter, for sautéing; freshly ground black pepper, to taste

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A French-inspired breakfast sandwich featuring perfectly poached eggs made easily in the Instant Pot, topped with silky hollandaise sauce and sautéed spinach on a toasted English muffin. This elegant yet approachable dish comes together quickly and is perfect for a special weekday breakfast or brunch.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 15 min
Wait: 5 min
Total: 35 min
Makes: 2 open-faced sandwiches (or 4 half portions)

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Steps

Before you start

Have all hollandaise ingredients at room temperature to prevent the sauce from breaking.
Read through the recipe; you'll be cooking multiple components in parallel while the Instant Pot works.
Set out a 6-quart Instant Pot with trivet and 2–4 silicone egg molds or ramekins.
Preheat your toaster oven to 400°F (200°C), or have a standard toaster ready.

1
Set up Instant Pot for poaching
- Add 1 cup (240 ml) water to your 6-quart Instant Pot and place the steamer trivet on the bottom.
- Lightly spray 2–4 silicone egg molds or ramekins with cooking oil, then arrange them on the trivet in a single layer.
- If you don't have molds, you can crack eggs directly onto parchment paper or into ramekins on the trivet, though molds prevent sticking and make removal easier.
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Ready when: Water is in pot, trivet and molds are positioned and evenly spaced
Tip: Molds should not touch the pot sides or each other; this allows water to circulate for even, gentle cooking.
2
Crack eggs into molds
- Gently crack 2 large eggs into each mold, taking care not to break the yolks.
- Season lightly with salt and black pepper.
- Once all eggs are in place, close the Instant Pot lid firmly.
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Ready when: Eggs are in molds with intact yolks, positioned on trivet, lid is sealed
Tip: If a yolk breaks, set that egg aside and use a fresh one.
3
Start pressure cooking
- Set the Instant Pot to high pressure for 4 minutes.
- Turn the pressure valve to sealing position and press the pressure cook button.
- The pot will take approximately 10–12 minutes to build to full pressure, then cook at pressure for 4 minutes. **While the pot is building pressure and cooking, proceed immediately with steps 4–6 below to prepare the hollandaise sauce, sauté the spinach, and toast the muffins.
- These tasks will be completed before the natural release cycle is finished.**
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Ready when: Instant Pot hisses as pressure builds; float valve rises once full pressure is reached; timer beeps when 4 minutes at pressure is complete
Tip: Do not use quick release; natural release (in step 7) prevents eggs from overcooking from residual heat.
4
Whisk hollandaise sauce
- While the Instant Pot is building pressure, melt the 6 oz (170 g) cold butter in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Swirl gently until the butter is fully melted and foaming, about 2–3 minutes.
- Remove from heat immediately.
- In a separate small bowl, vigorously whisk the 3 room-temperature egg yolks with 1 tablespoon of water until pale and slightly frothy, 1–2 minutes.
- Very slowly drizzle the hot melted butter into the egg yolks while whisking constantly—add it in a thin stream at first to prevent the eggs from curdling.
- Once all butter is incorporated and the mixture is emulsified, whisk in the 2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lemon juice, pinch of cayenne pepper, and salt to taste.
- The finished sauce should be pale, silky-smooth, and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon without running.
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Ready when: Hollandaise is pale, thick, and coats the back of a spoon; butter is fully emulsified
Tip: Add butter very slowly at first (the first 1–2 tablespoons should take 30 seconds). If the sauce breaks or curdles, whisk in 1 tablespoon of cold water very gently and continue whisking until smooth.
5
Wilt fresh spinach
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tbsp (14 g) butter.
- Once foaming, add the 4 oz (115 g) fresh spinach and season with a small pinch of salt and black pepper.
- Stir frequently with a wooden spoon until the spinach is completely wilted, tender, and uniformly dark green, about 2–3 minutes.
- Transfer to a plate and set aside.
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Ready when: Spinach is wilted, tender, and dark green; no liquid pools in the skillet
Tip: Spinach shrinks dramatically as it cooks; even a large handful wilts down to a modest portion. Don't overcrowd the pan.
6
Toast English muffinsOven 400°F / 205°C
- While the other components finish, place the 4 English muffin halves (from 2 whole muffins, split) into a toaster oven set to 400°F (200°C) for 1–2 minutes until golden brown and crisp on the surface.
- If using a standard toaster, use the medium setting and toast for 1–2 cycles.
- Remove and set aside on a plate.
- Do not toast too far in advance; you want them warm and crisp when you assemble.
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Ready when: Muffins are golden brown and crisp on both sides
Tip: Toast at the very last moment before assembly to prevent them from becoming soggy when the hollandaise is spooned on top.
7
Release pressure and remove eggs
- Once the Instant Pot timer beeps (signaling the end of 4 minutes at pressure), allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes without opening the pot.
- Then carefully turn the pressure valve to venting to release any remaining steam.
- Using tongs or a spoon, carefully lift the hot molds from the pot and place them on a cutting board.
- Let them cool for 30 seconds.
- Run a thin knife around the inside edge of each mold and gently slide the poached eggs onto a clean plate.
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Ready when: Eggs slide easily from molds; egg whites are set and opaque, yolks still jiggle slightly when moved
Tip: If an egg sticks stubbornly, run a warm (not boiling) knife around the edge, or dip the mold briefly in hot water to release it.
8
Assemble the sandwiches
- Place the 4 toasted English muffin halves on serving plates.
- Top each muffin half with a small handful of the wilted spinach.
- Carefully arrange a poached egg on top of the spinach.
- Spoon 2–3 tablespoons of warm hollandaise sauce over each egg, covering the white completely and letting a bit cascade down the sides.
- Serve immediately.
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Tip: Assemble and serve immediately. Hollandaise will cool, separate, and thicken if left sitting, and the muffins will absorb moisture and lose crispness.

Good to know

Tips

For the smoothest hollandaise, ensure all ingredients—especially the egg yolks and melted butter—are at room temperature. Cold ingredients can cause the sauce to break.
If you don't have silicone molds, you can crack eggs directly into ramekins or onto a piece of parchment paper on the trivet, though molds make removal easier and prevent sticking.
This recipe features soft-cooked yolks that are not heated to the FDA's safe temperature of 160°F. For those at higher risk (pregnant, very young, or immunocompromised), hard-cook the yolks by cooking under pressure for 6–7 minutes instead of 4.
Poached eggs in the Instant Pot are foolproof once you have the timing down. You can scale to 6, 8, or 12 eggs by adding 30 seconds of cooking time for each additional 2 eggs.

Make ahead

Hollandaise can be made up to 2 hours ahead and kept warm in a warm water bath (place the sauce in a small bowl over a pot of barely simmering water, bowl not touching water). Reheat very gently, whisking occasionally. Spinach can be wilted up to 1 hour ahead and reheated gently in a skillet over medium heat.

Storage & reheating

This dish is best served immediately. Leftovers are not practical, as the hollandaise will separate and thicken, the muffins will become soggy, and the eggs will become cold. If you must store components, keep hollandaise, spinach, and eggs separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. Reheat gently before assembling.

Substitutions

English muffins → Artisan bread slices, sliced sourdough, or brioche. Toast the bread in the same way. The flavor will be richer and less traditional, but equally delicious.
fresh spinach → Sautéed Swiss chard, arugula, or prosciutto. Cooked greens add similar richness. Prosciutto can replace spinach entirely for a variation on the classic Eggs Benedict.
unsalted butter → Clarified butter (ghee) or brown butter. Clarified butter produces a lighter sauce; brown butter adds a nuttier flavor. Use the same weight.
large eggs → Hard-boiled eggs, cooked until just set, then sliced. Warm sliced hard-boiled eggs gently in hollandaise. The texture and richness differ, but the dish is completely safe and still delicious.