Foolproof Béarnaise Sauce
A foolproof technique to make a classic French béarnaise sauce using hot butter and a hand blender. This elegant sauce for steaks and fish can be made in five minutes.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Active time
- 5 min
- Yield
- Makes about 1 3/4 cups
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Equipment
- 5 required
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Ingredients and Constraints
Ingredients
- OptionalPreparation: Leaves Finely Minced
- Preparation: Leaves Finely Minced
- Preparation: Roughly Chopped
Ingredient watchpoints3 watchpoints
Short requirements and tradeoffs to check while gathering ingredients; detailed source notes stay expandable.
Chervil
3 sprigs chervil, leaves finely minced, stems reserved separately (optional; if not using add an extra sprig of tarragon)
The source row includes a form, size, temperature, or preparation detail.
Details and source
Source: Foolproof Béarnaise Sauce
Tarragon
3 sprigs tarragon, leaves finely minced, stems reserved separately
The source row includes a form, size, temperature, or preparation detail.
Details and source
Source: Foolproof Béarnaise Sauce
Black Peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
The source row includes a form, size, temperature, or preparation detail.
Details and source
Source: Foolproof Béarnaise Sauce
Additional ingredient notes
Required setup
Equipment
Source video
Source video
Method Timeline
Prep
ActivePrep
5 min
Source Recipe JSON-LD prepTime.
Cook
ActiveCook
25 min
Source Recipe JSON-LD cookTime.
Finish
ActiveFinish
Not listed
Final serving step and finishing actions from the source directions.
Step 1
Combine wine, vinegar, herb stems, shallot, and black peppercorns in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and lower heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until reduced to about 1 1/2 tablespoons of liquid, about 15 minutes. Carefully strain liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a small bowl, pressing on the solids with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible.
Warning:
Carefully strain liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a small bowl, pressing on the solids with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible.
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Image detailsA pot of sliced shallots, tarragon, wine, vinegar, and peppercorns.Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt · Foolproof Béarnaise SauceDev reference Checks1
TimingInfoTimingabout 15 minutes
Target: 15 minute
Expected state: Cook until reduced to about 1 1/2 tablespoons of liquid, about 15 minutes.
Inputs and tools11
Uses
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1 small shallot, roughly chopped
- 3 sprigs chervil, leaves finely minced, stems reserved separately (optional; if not using add an extra sprig of tarragon)
- 3 sprigs tarragon, leaves finely minced, stems reserved separately
- 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
Equipment
Techniques
Why and source
This step has reviewed source-backed guidance.
- Source: Foolproof Béarnaise Sauce
Step 2
Combine wine reduction, egg yolks, and a pinch of salt in the bottom of a cup that barely fits the head of an immersion blender. Melt butter in a small saucepan over high heat, swirling constantly, until foaming subsides. Transfer butter to a 1-cup liquid measuring cup.
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Image detailsPouring infused vinegar through a strainer into a jar with egg yolks to make easy Béarnaise sauce.Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt · Foolproof Béarnaise SauceDev reference Inputs and tools5
Uses
- 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- Kosher salt
- 2 egg yolks
Equipment
Step 3
Place head of immersion blender into the bottom of the cup with the wine reduction and turn it on. With the blender constantly running, slowly pour hot butter into cup. It should emulsify with the egg yolk and wine reduction. Continue pouring until all butter is added. Sauce should be thick and creamy (see notes). Season to taste with salt. Whisk in chopped tarragon and chervil, if using. Serve immediately, or transfer to a small lidded pot and keep in a warm place for up to 1 hour before serving. Béarnaise cannot be cooled and reheated.
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Image detailsPouring hot butter into a measuring cup with an immersion blender.Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt · Foolproof Béarnaise SauceDev reference Visual cue
It should emulsify with the egg yolk and wine reduction
Checks2
Visual cueInfoVisualIt should emulsify with the egg yolk and wine reduction
Expected state: It should emulsify with the egg yolk and wine reduction
ServiceMain recipeSource service instruction
Place head of immersion blender into the bottom of the cup with the wine reduction and turn it on. With the blender constantly running, slowly pour hot butter into cup. It should emulsify with the egg yolk and wine reduction. Continue pouring until all butter is added. Sauce should be thick and creamy (see notes). Season to taste with salt. Whisk in chopped tarragon and chervil, if using. Serve immediately, or transfer to a small lidded pot and keep in a warm place for up to 1 hour before serving. Béarnaise cannot be cooled and reheated.
Inputs and tools8
Uses
- 3 sprigs tarragon, leaves finely minced, stems reserved separately
- 3 sprigs chervil, leaves finely minced, stems reserved separately (optional; if not using add an extra sprig of tarragon)
- Kosher salt
- 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter
Equipment
Techniques
Why and source
This step has reviewed source-backed guidance.
- Source: Foolproof Béarnaise Sauce
Learn More
Extra cooking notes, tests, and source details kept out of the step-by-step method.
Testing notes
Useful tests and side-by-side notes after the method is clear.
What Is Béarnaise?
Béarnaise is a fat-in-water emulsion—in this case, butter emulsified into a reduction of white wine and vinegar flavored with shallots, tarragon, and chervil, all bound and thickened with egg yolks.
It's technically a derivative of hollandaise sauce, one of the five French mother sauces. Heat it up too much and it turns into scrambled eggs.
The Key to Making a Foolproof Béarnaise
The key is to completely forgo the double boiler, instead heating up the butter and using its residual heat to cook the egg yolks.
Recipe structure
Components and intermediate outputs created by the method.
Main recipe
Recipe card ingredients and steps.
Makes about 1 3/4 cups
Extra useful notes
Short source-backed recommendations and facts that do not need a step.
If your béarnaise is thin and runny, transfer to a large bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water.
If your béarnaise is thin and runny, transfer to a large bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water. Whisk constantly and vigorously until sauce is thickened.
More source notes
Useful article notes that do not need to interrupt the cooking method.
Notes
If your béarnaise is thin and runny, transfer to a large bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water.
Whisk constantly and vigorously until sauce is thickened.
Recipe Utilities
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Source and Origin
Origin declaration
Adapted from source
Imported from the Serious Eats page for dev review.
Copy risk: Unchecked
Foolproof Béarnaise Sauce
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