French Béarnaise Sauce Recipe (2024)

Bring home the fancy, with this easy homemade béarnaise sauce made in 20 minutes or less to top any dish, like beef prime rib, lamb, or fish.

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This Recipe includes

Main ingredients:

French Béarnaise Sauce Recipe (1)Eggs
French Béarnaise Sauce Recipe (2)Butter
French Béarnaise Sauce Recipe (3)Small grey eschalot (shallot) onions
French Béarnaise Sauce Recipe (4)Dry white wine*
French Béarnaise Sauce Recipe (5)Lemon juice (*for version without alcohol)

Spices, herbs and flavoring ingredients:

French Béarnaise Sauce Recipe (6)White wine vinegar
French Béarnaise Sauce Recipe (7)Tarragon
French Béarnaise Sauce Recipe (8)(Optional) Parsley leaves
French Béarnaise Sauce Recipe (9)(Optional) Pinch of espelette or cayenne pepper
French Béarnaise Sauce Recipe (10)Salt and pepper

Why we love it

When people think of French food, a few things that instantly come to mind are: cheese, bread, wine, and French sauces. Succulent and rich, the sauces are what makes a good meal a great one.

One of the most popular sauces in France is the Béarnaise sauce. It’s a creamy emulsion of shallots, tarragon, and white wine vinegar transformed into a buttery sauce. As an accompaniment, it is thick and rich making it a perfect drizzle for steak, vegetables, or eggs.

You could buy it in a store, but if you would like to avoid artificial ingredients, I recommend trying to make it at home. It certainly is easy enough!

It is believed to have been created in 1837 by Head Chef Jean-Louis-François Collinet, at the Restaurant Pavillon Henri IV in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, a suburb of Paris. The restaurant is in the former residence of French King Henry IV, who was fromthe ancient sovereign principality of Béarn (Navarre) near the Spanish border, hence the name of the sauce in tribute.

The Béarnaise itself was served as the perfect accompaniment to grilled cuts of meat. But can also be used as a sauce for cooked asparagus or poached eggs, making it a versatile condiment to have on hand.

And the classic French béarnaise sauce recipe is not difficult, and only takes around 20 minutes are so. So let’s get to it shall we? Allons-y!

Cooking without alcohol

The traditional French béarnaise involves a few tablespoons of white wine, which theoretically gets cooked off on the stove, as it blends with the eggs. However, if you are preparing the béarnaise for children or people who don’t drink alcohol, you way want to substitute it with the same amount of lemon juice.

Difference between the Béarnaise and the Hollandaise Sauces

The hollandaise is one of the 5 French mother sauces, and the Béarnaise sauce is a derivative of the hollandaise. To compare,

  • Béaranaise: sauce made from egg yolk, butter, white wine vinegar, and herbs.
  • Hollandaise: sauce made from egg yolks, melted butter, and lemon juice.

Both the béarnaise and hollandaise sauces go with a variety of dishes including meat and fish, with the Béarnaise having a stronger and tangier flavor due to the shallots, herbs and vinegar. The Hollandaise, on the other hand, is more discreet and creamier in taste, using a reduction of lemon juice.

There are other similar sauces as well, that are all variations of the hollandaise and béarnaise sauces:

  • Tartare: sauce made from egg yolk, chopped pickles, capers and herbs such as tarragon and dill.
  • Aioli: sauce made from garlic, egg yolks, olive oil, lemon juice, and mustard.
  • Rouille: spicy sauce for a bouillabaisse. Made with egg yolks, olive oil, mustard, garlic, saffron, and cayenne pepper.

What to serve sauce béarnaise on?

The béarnaise sauce taste delicious with nice piece of red meat like lamb roast or prime rib that has been cooked on a stove, in the oven, or charbroiled. It also goes as well with other options like grilled fish and poached eggs and as a sauce with:

  • lyonnaise quenelles
  • baked potatoes
  • in a hamburger
  • quiche lorraine
French Béarnaise Sauce Recipe (11)

What drinks to serve with it?

If you are serving prime rib with béarnaise sauce, pair it with a dry red wine such as aSaint-Emilionor aPaulliacfromBordeaux. You can read more aboutFrench wineshere.

French Béarnaise Sauce Recipe (12)

How to store it?

Since it contains egg yolks, béarnaise sauce cannot be frozen as it will develop bacteria. (Some websites will tell you it is possible, but there is a long list of requirements in order to stop it from spoiling and to avoid getting sick. I prefer not to take the chance.)

Fresh is what will taste best, but you can however prepare it a day or so in advance and keep it in the fridge.

French Béarnaise Sauce Recipe (13)

French Béarnaise Sauce Recipe (14)

Béarnaise Sauce Recipe

Nassie Angadi

An easy béarnaise sauce that you will love.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Side dishes

Cuisine French

Servings 4

Calories 421 kcal

Equipment

  • Christopher Kimball’s Power Whisk

  • Le Creuset Cast Iron Saucepan with Lid

  • Individual Dipping sauce bowls (2 oz.)

Ingredients

  • 3 egg yolks
  • 200 g Butter
  • 2 small grey eschalot or shallot onions
  • 4 tablespoons of dry white wine *
  • 3 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons of fresh tarragon finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon of freshly grated pepper
  • Pinch of salt
  • Pinch of fine herbs eg. chervil or parsley (optional)
  • Pinch of espelette or cayenne pepper (optional)

Instructions

  • Peel and chop the shallots into fine pieces.

  • Wash and remove the leaves from the herbs. Chop the tarragon and chop the chervil.

  • Combine the the minced shallots and herbs in the vinegar and white wine in a small heavy-bottom saucepan.

  • Cook at a low temperature, until the liquid is reduced (around 7-10 minutes).

  • Melt the butter until it is runny in the microwave.

  • Remove from the saucepan from the heat and wait a few minutes.

  • Add the 2 yolks and whisk.

  • Return to low heat and mix constantly to air into the béarnaise. Be careful and keep at low temperature so that the egg yolks don't cook.

  • Add the melted butter and whisk vigorously.

  • Season to your liking with salt, pepper, and any herbs.

  • Serve immediately while warm.

Notes

* If you are preparing the béarnaise for children or people who don’t drink alcohol, you way want to substitute wine with the same amount of lemon juice.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 421kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 3gFat: 44gSaturated Fat: 27gPolyunsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 246mgSodium: 364mgFiber: 1g

Please note: We are not certified nutritionists and these estimates are approximate. Each individual’s dietary needs and restrictions are unique to the individual.

You are ultimately responsible for all decisions pertaining to your health. This website is written and produced for entertainment purposes only.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

French Béarnaise Sauce Recipe (15)

If you enjoyed that, check out our other classic French recipes that are easy to prepare. Bon appétit and à bientôt !

French Béarnaise Sauce Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients in a Béarnaise sauce? ›

Ingredients
  1. ¼cup white-wine vinegar.
  2. 1small shallot, peeled and minced.
  3. ½teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper.
  4. 1tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chopped tarragon leaves.
  5. 2egg yolks.
  6. 12tablespoons unsalted butter, melted.
  7. Kosher salt, to taste.
  8. Splash of lemon juice, optional.

What are the key flavor components of a sauce béarnaise? ›

Irresistibly creamy, buttery, and rich, Béarnaise combines an herby, slightly acidic reduction of white wine, vinegar, shallots, fresh tarragon, and lemon juice with hollandaise to make a luscious sauce for spooning over grilled steak, chicken, fish, or vegetables.

Has Maille stopped making Béarnaise sauce? ›

The Maille bearnaise sauce has been discontinued and this is a brilliant substitute.

How to make Béarnaise sauce thicker? ›

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.

Which of the following is essential when making bearnaise sauce? ›

To make Béarnaise Sauce, you need: white wine vinegar, white wine, butter (which we clarify – more on this below), egg yolks, tarragon, chervil and eschalots/shallots (the small sweet onions sometimes called French eschalots.)

What are the five French sauces? ›

The five French mother sauces are béchamel, velouté, espagnole, hollandaise, and tomato. Developed in the 19th century by French chef Auguste Escoffier, mother sauces serve as a starting point for a variety of delicious sauces used to complement countless dishes, including veggies, fish, meat, casseroles, and pastas.

What are the 3 basic ingredients in sauces? ›

Sauces are flavorful liquids used to enhance the taste and appearance of other foods. There are three basic kinds of ingredients in most sauces: a liquid, a thickening agent, and other flavoring and seasonings.

What are the 5 components of a sauce? ›

Sauces are the melding of ingredients, including stocks, wine, aromatics, herbs, and dairy, into a harmonious taste.

What makes bearnaise sauce break? ›

A broken sauce is generally caused by the separation of sauces into two components: a watery liquid and an oily film on top. This happens when there's too much fat or liquid in the mixture. This can happen when there are not enough emulsifiers (which help keep your ingredients together).

Why can't I buy bearnaise sauce? ›

Because sauces made from egg yolk and melted butter do not keep long enough to be stocked in a supermarket.

What is the shelf life of bearnaise sauce? ›

Shelf Life Total Ambient/Unopened 12 month(s) Store in a cool, dry place. Glutamate ✓ mg/kg ✓ Naturally occurring glutamates. No Added MSG. Knorr Béarnaise Sauce - a delicious and versatile ready-to-use sauce to complement meat, poultry, fish & vegetable dishes.

What is sauce béarnaise syndrome? ›

sauce béarnaise effect

a colloquial term referring to a conditioned taste aversion. If a person happens to become ill after tasting a new food, such as sauce béarnaise, they may subsequently dislike and avoid that food. Regardless of the actual cause of the illness, the sauce will be identified with it.

How do you keep bearnaise sauce from separating? ›

Work over consistent heat––sometimes a big jump in temperature can cause the emulsion to break and separate. While cooking, keeping the heat low and slow can keep your sauce happy and together! Add a little fat back––a classic emulsified sauce is typically a 1:1 ratio of fat to liquid!

How do you fix a broken Bernaise sauce? ›

Put egg yolk in a clean bowl. Whisk it then add the broken sauce drop by drop with continuing to whisk. If you don't have 3 hands or a way to hold the bowl still, you may want someone to help you. Whisk until the sauce is creamy and hom*ogeneous.

What's the difference between béarnaise and hollandaise sauce? ›

It's what happens next that sets them apart: Hollandaise gets its acidity from lemon juice (sometimes vinegar) and is usually seasoned with salt, white pepper, and cayenne pepper. Béarnaise, meanwhile, builds upon hollandaise with white wine vinegar, shallots, tarragon, and other fresh herbs.

What is a substitute for bearnaise sauce? ›

If you use mayonnaise instead, however, you don't have to worry about the egg and butter separating and can use just a regular saucepan. As NPR explains, tumeric colors the sauce so it looks like the real thing, and the mayo substitute tastes like a real béarnaise as well—just with less effort.

What does bearnaise sauce go well with? ›

Béarnaise sauce is commonly paired with grilled fish or steak, but it's just as delicious on roasted vegetables or eggs Benedict. Spoon this silky, herby sauce over roasted asparagus, steamed broccoli, or grilled mushrooms for a sophisticated dinner party side.

What herbs are used to Flavour bearnaise sauce? ›

A classic bearnaise sauce is flavoured with a concentrated reduction of white wine vinegar, white wine, eschalots, tarragon, chervil and peppercorns. The eschalots and herbs are finely chopped to extract the maximum flavour during the short cooking time.

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