Eggs, for example, can be cooked in many ways: fried, scrambled, poached, boiled.
None of these techniques require the use of a microwave, and are, instead, created while using frying pans, saucepans, and other cooking utensils.
However, these cooking methods can take some time, and sometimes create some mess in the kitchen. Not to mention, there are often a lot of dishes to clean up afterwards.
So, is it possible to boil eggs in the microwave?
The answer is yes. It’s actually quite easy to do, and you don’t even have to use any special equipment. All you need is a microwave oven, a bowl, some salt, and, of course, an egg. Or, as many eggs as you require!
You may have heard horror stories about exploding eggs while placing them in the microwave, and these stories are very real. However, provided you follow the correct steps, you should be fine!
So, let’s get into it.
Step 1: Clean Your Microwave
To begin with, you should make sure your microwave has been thoroughly cleaned before attempting this method. This means cleaning out all the nooks and crannies where food could accumulate.
You should always make sure your microwave is clean regardless, but in this case, there is the possibility that the egg could explode if the instructions are not followed properly.
If so, you don’t want extra mess to clean up, right?
Step 2: Prepare An Ice Bath
Find a large bowl, and fill it up with cold water and ice. You will be using this ice water to cool down the eggs after they’ve been placed inside the microwave.
This step is important because it helps prevent the eggs from cracking or breaking during the process. It also allows you to remove the shells more easily once the eggs are done.
If you’re worried about the ice melting, you can place the bowl in the freezer until needed. Just remember to bring it back to room temperature before continuing.
Step 3: Fill Your Bowl
For this next step, you will need to use a bowl that is microwave-safe. Once you have found one, gather your ingredients:
Salt (1/2 tbsp)
Egg
Place the egg (or eggs) in your microwavable bowl, and fill it with hot water until it covers the egg by around half an inch. It is essential that the eggs are completely covered by hot water!
Next, add the salt.
The reason for adding salt is to prevent the egg from exploding. The salt helps to absorb moisture from the egg, which prevents the shell from cracking.
If you don’t have any salt, you could instead poke small holes into the bottom of the egg: this will help release the steam inside.
Step 4: Cook The Eggs
Depending on how well you want your eggs to cook, you will need to measure the amount of time that the eggs are in the microwave.
If you prefer soft-boiled eggs with runny yolks, place the bowl in the microwave for 3 minutes at 50% power.
Once the time is up, remove the bowl from the microwave, but leave the eggs in the hot water for an additional 2-3 minutes. Then, place the eggs into the ice bath for 1 minute to cool down.
For medium boiled eggs, with a slightly hardened yolk, heat them for 4 minutes in the microwave. Once the time is up, remove from the microwave, and leave the eggs in the hot water for an extra 6 minutes.
Next, place the eggs into the ice bath for 2-3 minutes.
For hard-boiled eggs, heat for up to 5 minutes. Once this time has passed, remove the bowl from the microwave, but leave the eggs in the microwaveable bowl for up to 10 minutes.
This will ensure that the white and the yolks of the eggs have completely hardened. Following this time period, place the boiled eggs into the ice bath for 5 minutes.
Step 5: Store Safely Or Consume Immediately
If you would like to eat the eggs right away, or use them in another recipe, you may peel the eggs and use them as you usually would. Job done!
If you would rather store them away for another time, place them in a safe place to ensure that the shells do not crack before you would like to use them.
We recommend that you do not peel the eggs before storing them, as this will decrease their shelf life.
Either place them in an airtight ziplock bag, wrapped in a paper towel, or place them back inside the old egg container (if you haven’t thrown it away already). Place the eggs in the refrigerator to keep fresh.
Hard-boiled eggs should last up to a week in the refrigerator, whereas soft-boiled eggs only last around 2 days at most.
Is It Safe To Cook Eggs In A Microwave?
As we mentioned previously, there are many horror stories that come along with using a microwave.
The truth is, yes, eggs can explode if heated in a microwave. However, this will only happen if:
you do not add salt to the hot water before cooking
or,
you do not poke holes in the eggs beforehand.
You only need to complete one of these two tasks to ensure that the shells do not crack and explode everywhere during the cooking process, although it would not hurt to do both. The choice is yours.
When it comes to your health, there is no harm to eating a microwaved boiled egg! As long as the egg has cooked through, there should be no harmful side effects.
If you were to eat a raw egg, there is the possibility that you could contract salmonella. Providing you make sure that the egg is cooked before consuming, there should be no issues.
Final Thoughts
So, there we have it! A simple way to boil eggs in the microwave without having to deal with any nasty surprises, with less time than boiling them on the stove top.
We hope that you enjoyed our guide, and that it helped you out when preparing your next meal.
Hi, my name is Kunal Sharma, and I am a self-certified foodie. I love everything about food - from its preparation to cooking, raw ingredients to final dishes.
Some people relax by taking a walk outside or painting, but my release from the day is when I get to come home and cook for my wife and kids. Luckily they aren’t fussy eaters, because it’s a different meal every night!
If you are like me and can’t get enough of all things food related, then I invite you to come on a journey through my website.
