Elevate your Sunday brunch with this Caramelized Spam Benedict recipe. This dish features a sweet soy caramel glazed spam, a soft poached egg topped with a spicy sriracha hollandaise that sits on top of a sweet toasted Hawaiian bun.
When it comes to weekend brunch, I take it very seriously. My go-to brunch order is ALWAYS an eggs Benedict. I always thought it was so fancy and something I couldn't make at home but I was so wrong. Poaching an egg and making hollandaise sauce is so much easier than I ever imagined.
With this recipe, I will show you how to make the perfect poached eggs where the whites are just firm enough on the outside to hold a runny, golden yolk in a perfectly round egg package. I will also provide all the tips and tricks you will need to get that beautiful rich and creamy hollandaise sauce that is neither clumpy nor too runny.
Combine this with a salty and sweet caramelized Spam topped with a spicy hollandaise twist and you'll have a glorious way to start your day. If you love this Caramelized Spam Benedict recipe, be sure to also check out our Miso Hollandaise or our Caramelized Spam and Eggs!
Table of Contents
🔍 What is Spam?
Spam is a mix of pork, salt, water, sugar, and sodium nitrite. Hormel Foods Corporation, a U.S.-based food conglomerate, produced the first can of Spam in 1937 in Minnesota. The letters S-P-A-M stands for "special processed American meat".
Spam gained popularity worldwide after its use during World War II and by 2003, Spam was sold in 41 countries on six continents and trademarked in over 100 countries.
If you enjoy Spam then you definitely need to try it in a classic Asian breakfast or in a savory Korean stew.
🌏 Spam in Asian Cooking
In the 1940s, the American military was deployed to the Pacific, and troops made their way to places like Guam, Japan, the Philippines and South Korea. Wherever American troops went, Spam followed.
Originally when Spam was used in Asian cuisine, it was out of necessity because of the lack of food due to the destruction of war. It was coined a "poor man's food."
However, Asian American chefs are contributing to elevating Spam into a gourmet culinary ingredient. By using Spam in their dishes, these Asian American chefs are embracing their histories and experiences with Spam.
Today in Asian cooking, Spam is a popular ingredient used in so many comfort food dishes. There is Kimchi and Spam fried rice, Spam in Korean stews, Spam and pepper stir fry, Spam musabi, Spam omelette, Spam grilled skewers, Spam fried rice, or Spam sandwich.
🔍 What is Hollandaise Sauce?
Hollandaise sauce is a rich, butter sauce that is freshened by the subtlest hint of lemon. It originated in France and has been found in French recipe books since the 19th century. Hollandaise sauce is considered as one of the five mother sauces in French cuisine.
Most often paired with eggs, the appeal of this special sauce lies in its perfectly silken texture, buttery flavor, and the fact that it is simply the best part of an eggs Benedict. Pair this delicious butter sauce with a caramelized Spam and it is *chef's kiss.
🛒 Ingredients
All the ingredients for this Caramelized Spam Benedict recipe can be found at your local grocery store.
- Spam: you can use the original Spam or the 25% less sodium Spam based on your sodium preferences. I used a 25% less Sodium spam and it had the perfect amount of salt. The caramelization steps create a delicious sweet and salty balance.
- Soy Sauce: use a regular low sodium soy sauce to not over power the Spam with too much sodium. I used a Japanese Kikkoman Soy Sauce for this recipe.
- Granulated Sugar: creates that beautiful glossy caramelized glaze texture over the spam.
- Large Eggs: Make sure to buy fresh eggs. The eggs are used to poach and the egg yolks are necessary for emulsion in the hollandaise sauce.
- White Vinegar: the vinegar is necessary to help the egg whites bind together in a small ball. You only need a few tablespoons of vinegar and the eggs will not taste like vinegar at all.
- Hawaiian Buns: the softness and sweetness in the Hawaiian buns perfectly balances out the spiciness in the hollandaise and the saltiness in the Spam.
- Green Onions or Chives: used as a garnish.
- Unsalted Butter: The butter thickens the hollandaise sauce and provides deep rich creamy flavor.
- Sriracha: I always use Huy Fong Foods Sriracha. The OG sriracha because there is no other hot sauce that truly matches this flavor.
- Lemon Juice: the acidity in the lemon juice cuts through the butter and egg yolks that bring a brighter flavor composition.
- Salt: the salt balances out the lemon juice and seasons the hollandaise.
- Milk: (optional) this is only necessary if the hollandaise sauce is too thick and needs to be thinned out.
🍽 Kitchen Tools Needed for this Recipe
- OXO Poached eggs cups. Honestly, I tried every method of poaching eggs without any fun gadget in the book and this by far has been the easiest and most full proof way to get perfect poached eggs every time. These Oxo silicone egg poacher cups trap the egg inside itself allowing the egg to transform itself into the perfect soft poached egg.
- Blender. The speed of a blender will aid in the process of emulsion. I have a mini Vitamix that worked perfectly for this recipe. You can also use an immersion blender.
- Fine Mesh Sieve. This is the one tool that is a must to consistently produce the BEST poached egg. When you crack an egg you’ll notice that there’s a firmer white and a more watery white. That excess wateriness creates those egg white whispies. By adding the egg to a fine mesh sieve/strainer, you remove the watery egg white, leaving only the firmer white which will envelop the yolk.
- Fine Mesh Skimmer. I use a fine mesh skimmer to carefully take the poached eggs out of the boiling water. You can alternatively use a slotted spoon or fork but I find this is the best tool to prevent any possible breakage.
- Medium Non-Stick Skillet: the medium non-stick skillet is used to caramelize the Spam.
- Medium Saucepan: the medium sauce pan must be deep enough to hold enough water to cover the poached eggs.
📝 How to Make Caramelized Eggs Benedict
This Caramelized Spam Benedict recipe has three different layers meaning it has 3 separate simple steps. First, you will need to caramelize the spam, then poach the eggs and lastly blend the hollandaise sauce. That's it and you will have yourself the most flavorful and delicious breakfast.
Caramelize the Spam
- Cook the Spam. Slice the spam into ¼ inch slices. Using a medium pan on medium heat, cook the spam until browned and crispy on the edges tossing every 2 minutes. Around 4-5 minutes.
- Make sauce. Mix soy sauce and water into a small bowl. Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the spam and flip the spam to evenly coat. Then pour in the soy sauce mixture. Swirl the sauce and flip the spam to evenly distribute. Then let the spam simmer until nearly dissolved around 4-5 minutes. Flip the spam slices every few minutes.
Mix soy sauce and water Sprinkle with sugar Pour soy sauce mix Perfectly caramelized spam
Poach the Eggs
- Prepare the eggs. Crack the egg over a fine mesh sieve over a bowl. Swirl the egg in the sieve to remove all the watery liquid in the egg whites. Then, place the egg in a small bowl or ramekin. Set aside.
- Cook the eggs. In a medium/large saucepan, fill halfway with water and add the distilled white vinegar. Bring the water to a boil. Place the oxo egg poacher in and turn the heat down to medium low. Once the water is gently simmering, carefully drop the eggs into the poacher. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Dry the eggs. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and lay on a paper towel to absorb the excess water.
Sriracha Hollandaise
- Melt the butter. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Set aside to allow the butter to cool 45 seconds- 1 minute.
- Blend the ingredients together. Place egg yolks, lemon juice, sriracha and salt in the blender. Blend for a few seconds to combine.
- Slowly pour in the butter. With the blender on, slowly pour the butter in a thin stream into the eggs and continue blending for about 45 seconds. The sauce should be thick, creamy, smooth and orange.
- If the texture is too thick, blend in warm milk 1 teaspoon at a time. It should be thick but pourable so it will coat the eggs but not transparent.
Assembly
- Toast the Hawaiian buns. Slice and toast the Hawaiian buns in the oven at 350 F until lightly toasted. About 3-5 minutes.
- Assemble. Layer the caramelized Spam and poached eggs on top of the buns. Gently pour the sriracha hollandaise sauce over the egg. Sprinkle with some chopped chives or green onion and you will have the most satisfying Sriracha Spam Benedict. Enjoy!
⭐️ Tips For Caramelized Spam Benedict
- Caramelize the spam slowly. It’s very important that you brown the spam on a medium high heat first. It renders some fat and makes a very crispy crust. Then you will use some sugar and soy sauce mixed with water to braise and make that beautiful caramelized flavor over the Spam. You will end up with a dark brown caramelized surface that is glossy and delicious.
- Buy fresh eggs! Fresh eggs have firmer whites, and will hold their spherical shape better.
- Cook time for the eggs will vary. This depends on how runny you like your eggs. I like to stay on the runner side therefore, I pluck my eggs out of the water right at 3 minutes. If you want a less runny egg, I suggest you cook them for 4 minutes. You will be able to tell the doneness of the egg by how wobbly it is when you take the egg out of the water.
- SLOWLY pour in the hot butter. When I say slowly, I mean drip by drip one table spoon at a time. This prevents the eggs from turning into scrambled eggs in the beginning. You can increase the speed of the butter halfway through but be sure to blend the butter really slowly in the beginning. This process should take about 5 minutes.
- Keep the blender on when mixing butter. The constant mixing will break up the butter into tiny drops surrounded by the emulsifying agents (egg yolks). The constant mixing will prevent the butter from globbing together and will produce that creamy finish.
🥡 Storage Instructions
You can store this Caramelized Spam Benedict recipe separately. These eggs are best eaten immediately. But you can store the poached eggs that have not been topped in hollandaise sauce in an ice water bath and stored in the fridge for 4-5 days. When you’d like to eat them, just add some hot water to a small bowl or cup and add the poached egg until it’s warmed up (about 20-30 seconds).
You can store the caramelized spam in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
You can store the hollandaise sauce in an airtight container for up to 2 days. To re-heat the hollandaise sauce, place the sauce in a heat-proof bowl and microwave in 5-second increments until just warm whisking in between increments.
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👩🏻🍳 Recipe
Caramelized Spam Benedict
Ingredients
Caramelized Spam
- 6 oz ½ can Spam, or Less Sodium Spam
- 2 ½ teaspoon soy Sauce
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
To Serve
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
- Hawaiian Buns toasted
- Chives or green onions sliced for garnish
Instructions
- Caramelize the SpamCook the Spam. Slice the Spam into ¼ inch slices. Using a medium pan on medium heat, cook the spam until browned and crispy on the edges tossing every 2 minutes. Around 4-5 minutes.
- Make sauce. Mix soy sauce and water into a small bowl. Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the spam and flip the spam to evenly coat. Then pour in the soy sauce mixture. Swirl the sauce and flip the spam to evenly distribute. Then let the spam simmer until nearly dissolved around 4-5 minutes. Flip the spam slices every few minutes.
- Poach the EggsPrepare the eggs. Crack the egg over a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl. Swirl the egg in the sieve until all the watery liquid in the egg whites has been removed. Then, place the egg in a small bowl or ramekin.
- Cook the eggs. In a medium/large saucepan, fill halfway with water and add the distilled white vinegar. Bring the water to a boil. Crack the eggs individually in small bowls. Place the oxo egg poacher in and carefully drop the eggs into the poacher. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Dry the eggs. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and lay them on a paper towel to absorb the excess water.
- Sriracha HollandaiseMelt the butter. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Set aside to allow the butter to cool 45 seconds- 1 minute.
- Blend the ingredients together. Place egg yolks, lemon juice, sriracha, and salt in the blender. Blend for a few seconds to combine.
- Slowly pour in the butter. With the blender on, slowly pour the butter in a thin stream into the eggs and continue blending for about 45 seconds. The sauce should be thick, creamy, smooth, and orange.
- If the texture is too thick, blend in warm milk 1 teaspoon at a time. It should be thick but pourable so it will coat the eggs but not transparent.
- AssemblyToast the Hawaiian buns. Slice and toast the Hawaiian buns in the oven at 350 F until lightly toasted. About 3-5 minutes.
- Assemble. Layer the caramelized Spam and poached eggs on top of the buns. Gently pour the hollandaise sauce over the egg. Sprinkle with some chopped chives or green onion and enjoy!
Notes
- Caramelize the spam slowly. It’s very important that you brown the spam on medium-high heat first. It renders some fat and makes a very crispy crust. Then you will use some sugar and soy sauce mixed with water to braise and make that beautiful caramelized flavor over the Spam. You will end up with a dark brown caramelized surface that is glossy and delicious.
- Buy fresh eggs! Fresh eggs have firmer whites and will hold their spherical shape better.
- Cook time for the eggs will vary. This depends on how runny you like your eggs to be poached. I like to stay on the runner side therefore, I pluck my eggs out of the water right at 3 minutes. If you want a less runny egg, I suggest you cook them for 4 minutes. You will be able to tell the doneness of the egg by how wobbly it is when you take the egg out of the water.
- SLOWLY pour in the hot butter. When I say slowly, I mean drip by drip one tablespoon at a time. This prevents the eggs from turning into scrambled eggs in the beginning. You can increase the speed of the butter halfway through but be sure to blend the butter really slowly in the beginning. This process should take about 5 minutes.
- Keep the blender on when mixing butter. The constant mixing will break up the butter into tiny drops that will be surrounded by the emulsifying agents (egg yolks). The constant mixing will prevent the butter from globbing together and will produce that creamy finish.
- Storage Instructions: These eggs are best eaten immediately. But you can store the poached eggs that have not been topped in hollandaise sauce in an ice water bath and stored in the fridge for 4-5 days. When you’d like to eat them, just add some hot water to a small bowl or cup and add the poached egg until it’s warmed up (about 20-30 seconds). You can store the spam in an airtight container for up to 1 week. You can store the hollandaise sauce in an airtight container for up to 2 days. To re-heat the hollandaise sauce, place the sauce in a heat-proof bowl and microwave in 5-second increments until just warm whisking in between increments.
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