If you’re short on time, don’t have an egg poacher, or want to try a new technique for cooking your eggs, microwaving them may be your best bet. It’s quick and easy, and you won’t lose any nutrients or flavor.
So, the question remains, how to boil eggs in the microwave?
The process is pretty simple. Place your eggs in a microwave-safe bowl and add hot water about half an inch above your eggs. Next, add about 1 teaspoon of salt for every egg you’re boiling. Finally, cover with plastic wrap and microwave at 50% power for around 10 minutes.
In this post, we’ll outline some of the benefits of boiling eggs in a microwave before diving into detailed instructions on how to do it. We’ll also highlight common mistakes to avoid when cooking eggs in the microwave, as well as answer some of your frequently asked questions.
Let’s Start With Why You Should Microwave Eggs?
Although it may seem counterintuitive, boiling eggs in the microwave offer significant advantages over the traditional stove-top or boiling water method. Below are five reasons why you should always boil your eggs in a microwave
1. Easy To Peel
Peeling hard-boiled eggs cooked in a conventional stove-top is often tricky. The shells stick tenaciously, making peeling them quite inconvenient and frustrating. They also readily shatter, causing injury to your fingers. However, eggs boiled in the microwave are easier to peel since they are not overcooked or rubbery.
2. Retain Nutrients
Boiling an egg on a stove-top is arguably less healthy than other cooking methods. It involves direct contact with water, high heat and steam – all of which can leach nutrients out of your egg and into your water or pot.
In contrast, microwaves use electromagnetic waves to cook your eggs. They don’t emit steam or scald hot water, so you can preserve much more of your egg’s nutritional value while cooking them with little effort.
3. Saves Energy
Because microwaves use so little energy to heat water, they’re cheaper to operate than other cooking methods. Specifically, a medium-sized microwave oven will only use about 30% less power than your standard gas range or electric stove-top.
Those savings can add up over time if you boil eggs frequently and make your microwave a more economical choice overall.
4. Less Supervision
One of the less appealing aspects of boiling eggs on a typical stove is that it demands constant monitoring, or the eggs overcook and become rubbery. In contrast, microwaves require no supervision; once you’ve placed your eggs in a microwave-safe container, you can safely leave them to cook while you perform other taskS.
5. Easy Cleanup
Last but not least, microwaves are an absolute breeze to clean up. There are no cracks and crevices for eggs to get stuck in or residual oils to build up. This makes cleanup much faster and more convenient.
On the other hand, Stove-top methods will leave your pots and pans messy and burnt. As a result, you’ll need heavy-duty cleaning tools to remove baked-on food and grease.
How to Boil Eggs in the Microwave
Now that you have your microwave, you’re probably wondering how to boil an egg inside it. The process is simple and doesn’t require any special tools or knowledge. All you need are eggs, water, and time on your hands.
Step 1 – Start by Filling a Microwave-Safe Bowl with Hot Water
The hot water should be about an inch deep and cover more than half of your eggs once placed inside. Avoid choosing unstable containers, such as plastic cups or bowls with small bases. Instead, use a deep bowl or casserole dish made of microwave-safe glass or ceramic.
Step 2 – Add About One Teaspoon of Salt for Each Egg
For instance, if you’re boiling four eggs, you’ll need to add four teaspoons of salt to the water. Adding salt to your eggs prevents them from cracking and exploding while they cook.
Step 3 – Place the Microwave-Safe Bowl with Eggs and Water into the Microwave
Carefully place your bowl of water with eggs inside your microwave. Ensure that your microwave cavity is spacious enough to accommodate your bowl.
Step 4 – Microwave Your Eggs
Now that you’ve got your bowl of eggs inside the microwave, it’s time to let them cook. The amount of time you need to cook eggs in a microwave will vary depending on how hard or soft you want them to be. So, cook for 10 minutes on high if you like soft boiled eggs or 12 minutes if you prefer hard-boiled ones.
Step 5 – Remove the Bowl of Eggs from the Microwave and Drain Water
After you’ve finished microwaving your eggs, it’s time to remove them from your microwave. Then, drain all of the hot water out of your bowl.
Step 6 – Transfer the Eggs into a Bowl of Cold Water
After you’ve finished draining all that hot water, it’s time to move your eggs to a bowl full of cold water. This will stop them from cooking any further. Also, the egg yolks will be soft and runny instead of hard and dry.
Once they’re at room temperature, peel and eat/serve.
Mistakes to Avoid When Boiling Eggs Using Microwave
- Using Too Fresh Eggs: The fresher an egg is, the less sturdy its shell is, making it difficult to peel. Use eggs that are at least three weeks old for best results.
- Overcooking: Although microwaves are known for cooking food evenly and thoroughly, cooking your eggs in the microwave for too long will leave them rubbery.
- Not Using a Microwave-Safe Bowl: Boiling your eggs in an unsafe microwave bowl could release toxic chemicals into your food, posing a health risk.
- Not Adding Salt Beforehand: Adding salt before boiling eggs prevent your eggs from exploding while cooking.
Faqs About How To Boil Eggs In Microwave
Why should you never microwave a hard-boiled egg?
When superheated, hard-boiled egg will explode in your microwave. The result is a nasty mess that you’ll have to clean up.
Can you microwave a peeled hard-boiled egg?
Yes, you can microwave a peeled hard-boiled egg. It is best to microwave it for 30 seconds on high power and then 1 minute on low power. This will heat it through without damaging its texture.
How do you make a sunny side up egg in the microwave?
Ensure you have an egg and a microwave-safe plate to make a sunny side up egg. Add a 1/2 tablespoon of butter to a preheated plate. The added butter prevents the sticking of your yolk. Next, crack your egg into another plate. Then, pour your egg into the warm prepared container. Microwave for about 30 to 45 seconds, until the desired level of doneness is reached.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve with toast or alongside bacon, sausage or ham.
Why do boiled eggs explode in the microwave?
When an egg is hard-boiled, a pocket of air remains trapped inside. When placed in a microwave, that pocket of air heats up rapidly until it eventually explodes.
Why does salt prevent eggs from exploding in the microwave?
Because microwaves work by agitating water molecules, adding salt to eggs accomplishes two things: First, it keeps your eggs from exploding into a runny mess. Second, it increases conductivity by allowing microwave energy to penetrate more easily.
How long does it take to boil a perfect boiled egg?
The answer is dependent on the number of eggs and whether you want hard or soft-boiled eggs. Hard-boiled eggs are typically boiled for 8 minutes, while soft-boiled eggs are 5 minutes boiled. Note that these times can vary, so use a timer as a guide.
Can I microwave an egg in its shell?
No, eggs microwaved in their shells are far more likely to explode and cause a splatter than eggs cooked without their shells.
How do you make an egg explode in a microwave?
Eggs can explode when microwaved in their shells. This is due to superheating, which occurs when an egg heats up unevenly while cooking, causing pressure to build up and eventually triggering an explosion.
How do you reheat hard-boiled eggs without a shell?
Soak your hard-boiled eggs inside a bowl of hot water and let them sit for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. They should be warm enough to eat. Alternatively, you could nuke them for 15 seconds or so if you’re on the go.
Can you reboil eggs?
Yes, you can reboil eggs. However, you only need them cooking for less than 5 minutes, especially if they were previously hard or soft boiled.
Final Thoughts
Eggs are an essential part of everyday cooking. If a recipe calls for several eggs, the microwave is the quickest and easiest way to prepare these ingredients.
This method saves you time preparing your foods and eliminates the potential mess that comes from boiling eggs in a pot on the stove-top. The only concern to cooking eggs in the microwave is the risk of overcooking them, resulting in nutrient loss.
Otherwise, follow our easy guide, and you’ll be able to boil one or multiple eggs using your microwave in no time. Once cooked, scramble or slice up the egg with ease using a butter knife or kitchen shears. Enjoy!
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