Sauce Béarnaise, French Tarragon Butter Sauce
This bearnaise sauce recipe whisks egg yolks over gentle heat with a tarragon and shallot reduction, then pours in warm butter until it turns thick, glossy and pale gold. One serving is about 75 g.
Béarnaise sauce was created in 1836 at Le Pavillon Henri IV, a restaurant in Saint-Germain-en-Laye outside Paris, by the chef Jean-Louis-François Collinet. He named it for Béarn, the region in south-west France where King Henri IV was born — the restaurant stood in the king's former hunting lodge. It is a child of hollandaise: the same warm butter-and-yolk emulsion, but sharpened with a reduction of white wine vinegar, shallots and tarragon instead of lemon. It became the classic partner for grilled steak, and it has stayed on bistro menus ever since.
Pairs well with: Grilled ribeye, pommes frites and a glass of red Burgundy
Provenance
France
French Mother-Sauce Classic
Nordic & European
Time Dedication
25m
10m prep • 15m cook
Batch Yield
4 Servings
411 kcal per serving
1 serving ≈ 75 g
Technical Skill
Advanced
Hard (Emulsion)
Meal Timing & Digestive Fit
Breakfast
Not Advised
Lunch
Hearty Midday Main
Dinner
Ideal Hearty Main
Snack & Tea
Inappropriate
French Mother-Sauce Classic
Photo: Alexander Guy, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Heritage Formulary
Estimated cost: Medium — about $2–3 per serving at home (USD)
A real béarnaise is thick enough to coat a spoon and pale gold — if it is runny, the yolks were not whisked long enough. Nutrition is estimated from USDA values.
Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique
Prep Stage: Butter, Yolks and Herbs
10 Mins • Mise en Place
Melt the butter gently in a small pan until just liquid, then keep it warm — not hot. Separate the yolks into a heatproof bowl, mince the shallot, strip and chop the tarragon and chervil, and set a pan of barely simmering water ready for the bain-marie.
Maestro Tip: The butter must be warm enough to pour, about 50°C (120°F) — if it sizzles when it hits the yolks, it is too hot.
4 Mins Medium heat, about 175°C (350°F)
Put the vinegar, wine, minced shallot and half the chopped tarragon in a small pan. Simmer over medium heat for 3–4 minutes until reduced to about 1 tablespoon of liquid, then strain it into the bowl with the yolks, pressing the shallot to get all the flavour out.
The reduction is where the flavour lives — do not skip it or the sauce will taste flat.
Done when: About 1 tablespoon of fragrant, amber liquid left in the pan.
3 Mins Gentle heat, about 60°C (140°F)
Set the bowl over the pan of barely simmering water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water. Whisk the yolks and reduction together for 2–3 minutes until the mixture turns pale, thick and ribbons off the whisk.
If the bowl gets too hot to touch, lift it off the steam for a few seconds — scrambled yolks cannot be saved.
Done when: Pale, thick and ribboning — the whisk leaves a trail that holds for a second.
5 Mins Off the heat
Take the bowl off the heat. Pour the warm melted butter in a thin, steady stream, whisking constantly, until the sauce turns thick, glossy and pale gold. If it gets too thick, whisk in a teaspoon of warm water.
Pour slowly and keep whisking — the butter must go in drop by drop at first, or the emulsion breaks.
Done when: Thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, glossy and pale gold.
2 Mins Warm
Stir in the rest of the chopped tarragon, the chervil, the salt and the white pepper. Taste and add a squeeze of lemon only if the sauce needs sharpening.
Taste before adding lemon — the vinegar in the reduction usually gives enough sharpness on its own.
Done when: Herbs flecked through, seasoned and balanced.
1 Min Serve warm
Spoon the sauce over grilled steak or fish straight away, or keep it warm in the bowl over the turned-off pan for up to 20 minutes. Never refrigerate and reheat it.
Béarnaise waits for the steak, not the other way round — time the steak so the sauce is made last.
Done when: Warm, thick and glossy, ready to spoon.
Finishing Touches & Plating
Taste for salt and a squeeze of lemon, stir in the chopped tarragon and chervil, and serve the sauce warm over grilled steak or fish.
Nutritional Physiology & Benefits
Energy
411
kcal / serving
Protein
3g
Complete AA
Carbs
2g
Complex
Fats
44g
Healthy
| Energy | 411 kcal |
| Protein | 3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 2 g |
| Fat | 44 g |
| Fibre | 0.1 g |
| Sugar | 0.1 g |
| Sodium | 109 mg |
| Energy | 548 kcal |
| Protein | 3.5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 2.1 g |
| Fat | 58.5 g |
| Fibre | 0.1 g |
| Sugar | 0.1 g |
| Sodium | 145 mg |
Nutrition values are estimated — calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients.
Vitamins & minerals: Provides choline and vitamin D from the egg yolks, and a little vitamin A and iron from the tarragon. Nutrition is estimated.
Energy-Dense Accompaniment
About 44 g of fat per serving from butter and yolks makes this a genuinely energy-dense sauce for a lean piece of meat.
Tarragon Flavour and Herbs
Fresh tarragon gives the sauce its signature aniseed note and a little vitamin A and iron from the herb.
Choline from the Yolks
Egg yolks are a natural source of choline and vitamin D, which the body uses in everyday cell and bone function.
Food Pairings
To optimize nutrient absorption and elevate the sensory depth, pair with these authentic accompaniments:
Sides
Pommes Frites
Crisp, salty frites are made for scooping up the sauce that runs off the steak.
Drinks
Red Burgundy
A light red Burgundy has the acidity to cut through the butter without overpowering the tarragon.
Vegetables
Green Salad
A sharp green salad with a mustard vinaigrette resets the palate between rich bites.
Full Menus
A French Bistro Dinner
Serve bearnaise with a grilled ribeye, frites and salad, and finish with crème brûlée — the classic bistro dinner.
Complete menu
Serve bearnaise sauce with a grilled ribeye, pommes frites and a green salad, and finish with a crème brûlée for a classic French bistro dinner.
Digestive Guardrails
To prevent digestive distress, sluggishness, or palate clash, avoid pairing the dish with these elements:
Adding the Butter Too Hot
Butter hotter than about 60°C (140°F) cooks the yolks and splits the sauce into greasy lumps, so pour it in warm, not sizzling. This is general food information, not medical advice.
Boiling or Reheating the Sauce
Béarnaise is an emulsion that breaks if it cools and is reheated, so make it just before serving and keep it warm — never boil it. This is general food information, not medical advice.
General information only, not medical advice — consult a doctor for personal dietary decisions.
Who Should Eat It
Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid
If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before changing your diet.
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