Breakfast is all about convenience. There’s nothing better than a quick and easy meal that leaves you feeling full and ready for whatever lies ahead. Fried eggs are such a dish: they’re ready-to-eat perfection, full of protein, vitamins, and minerals.
If you love fried eggs but hate cleaning a greasy skillet, using a microwave is an easier way for you to prepare them.
So one may want to know how to make fried eggs in the microwave?
To begin, pick a microwave-safe bowl and grease it with melted butter or oil. Then, crack two eggs into your bowl and pierce the egg yolks with a fork. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover with plastic wrap and heat for 60 seconds at 50% power. Once complete, take off your plastic wrap and enjoy.
In this post, we’ve put together a simple step-by-step guide on cooking eggs in the microwave. We’ve also included tips that will make you an expert in your own right and answer some common questions about frying eggs in the microwave.
About Fried Eggs
Fried eggs are a classic breakfast dish that is quick and easy to make. You can serve them with toast, over rice, or as part of an omelet. They’re also a great addition to any lunch or dinner meal, providing protein and healthy fats.
Fried eggs can be made in four different ways.
- Over well: Over-well eggs are fried until they’re completely cooked through. The egg is flipped then left to cook for additional few minutes.
- Over medium: This style of fried egg is flipped halfway through cooking and left to cook for a few minutes. The yolk is still runny, but it’s not as liquid as an over-easy egg.
- Over easy: In this kind of egg, you fry it on both sides, but on the second side, you don’t cook for a long time. As a result, the yolk remains runny.
- Sunny-side up: The sunny side up egg is fried without being flipped, with the yolk pointing up.
Benefits of Frying Eggs in the Microwave over Traditional Methods
Cooking eggs has never been simpler. We’ve compiled some of our favorite reasons why you should be cooking your eggs in a microwave instead of boiling them or frying them up on your stovetop.
1. It’s Fast to Cook
If you’re pressed for time, there is no better way to cook your eggs than with a microwave. You can have delicious, nutritious eggs cooked to perfection in less than 60 seconds.
Microwaves cook by using radio waves to agitate water molecules and other molecules inside the food. The agitation causes friction that creates heat and cooks food quickly without drying it or burning it.
2. Save Energy
Microwaves use significantly less energy than traditional cooking methods like boiling and frying. A microwave uses about 30% of the electricity required to fry an egg on a stovetop.
This is because microwaves don’t require any preheating and are more effective at penetrating foods.
3. Cleanup-free
Cooking eggs in the microwave saves time and eliminates the need for clean-up.
A stovetop, for instance, necessitates the cleaning of pots, pans, and lids after each use. When you cook eggs in a microwave, all you need to do is wipe down your appliance.
4. More Nutrient-Rich
Microwaving eggs preserves their nutrients while still delivering great taste. The low temperatures in microwaves mean that vitamins and minerals aren’t destroyed during cooking. In contrast, frying eggs over stovetops result in significant nutrient loss due to high temperatures.
5. Easy To Make
Frying an egg isn’t as simple as one might think. First, you need to know how long to fry each side of an egg to come out perfectly cooked every time.
Then, you need to use just enough oil so that the egg doesn’t stick but not too much where it will taste greasy. Finally, you must be careful when flipping your egg over so that it doesn’t break apart when landing back into its pan.
Cooking eggs in a microwave takes all of these steps out of the equation. All you need to do is crack an egg into a bowl, add salt and pepper if desired, cover with plastic wrap, and pop it in your microwave.
How Long Does It Take To Microwave Fried Eggs
The time it takes to cook fried eggs in a microwave depends on your microwave, but generally, it’s less than a minute. However, several factors can impact the cooking time.
Here we’ll cover these factors so you can achieve your perfect fried egg every time.
1. Microwave Wattage
The wattage of your microwave is one of the most important factors affecting cooking time. Generally, microwaves with higher wattages cook food faster than those with lower wattages.
Fry your eggs at 50% power for best results, regardless of your microwave’s wattage. Alternatively, check your owner’s manual and adjust time accordingly.
2. Number of Eggs
The number of eggs you microwave at a time will impact how long it takes for them to cook. If you’re cooking two eggs, they’ll take about 50% longer than cooking one egg.
3. The Desired Final Result
If you want a runny yolk, you’ll need to cook your eggs for less time than if you want a hard yolk. Additionally, cooking times will vary depending on whether or not you want firm whites or soft whites.
Generally, softer results will require shorter cooking times, and firmer results will require longer cooking times.
Step-By-Step Guide on How to Make Fried Eggs in the Microwave
If you’re tired of eating boring breakfasts, it might be time to learn how to make fried eggs in a microwave. This quick and easy breakfast is perfect for busy mornings when you don’t have time for anything else. So, let’s get started.
What You Need
- 2 eggs
- A microwave-safe bowl
- Plastic wrap (or a kitchen towel)
- Some butter or oil
Step 1 – Pick a Microwave-safe Bowl
The first step is to choose a microwave-safe bowl. Pick ceramic or glass over plastic, as it’s easier to clean and won’t leach chemicals into your eggs. Also, ensure your bowl is deep enough so that your eggs don’t spill over when cooking.
Step 2 – Grease Your Microwave-Safe Bowl
Use some butter or oil and spray your microwave-safe container. This will prevent the sticking of your eggs and make cleaning up easier later.
Step 3 – Crack Your Eggs into Your Greased Bowl
Gently crack your eggs so that none of the yolks are broken. If you want, you can crack them into a separate bowl first and then transfer them over. This will make it easier to get rid of any shells or other pieces if they fall into your bowl.
Step 4 – Pierce Holes in the Egg Yolk
Poke some holes in your egg yolks with a toothpick or any clean, sharp object. This will allow steam to escape and prevent your eggs from exploding while cooking.
Step 5 – Add Salt and Pepper, If Desired
Salt and pepper add flavor to your eggs. You can also add other spices or herbs of your choice. Otherwise, you can skip adding any extra seasoning for simplicity’s sake.
Step 6 – Cover Your Bowl with a Lid or Plastic Wrap
This will prevent steam from escaping and ensure that your eggs don’t get watery. You can also use wax paper if you don’t have any plastic wrap.
Step 7 – Cook for 60 Seconds at Low Power
When frying your eggs, it’s important to use low heat. If you cook them too long, they will become rubbery and tough. For best results, cook them for about one minute at about half of your microwave’s maximum wattage.
After cooking, let them sit for another 30 seconds before removing them from your bowl. This gives them time to firm up so that they don’t fall apart when served.
Final Step – Serve and Enjoy
Once your eggs are done, remove them from your microwave. Then, use a fork or spoon to scoop them out of the bowl. You can add some extra condiments such as cheese or bacon.
Tips to Frying Eggs in the Microwave
Everyone loves well-cooked eggs, but not everyone has time to cook them. So, we’ve compiled a list of tips and tricks for making delicious fried eggs in your microwave.
- Use microwave-safe bowls: It’s best to use glass or ceramic bowls when cooking with microwaves; they heat more evenly and don’t contain any toxins that could leach into your eggs.
- Add butter or oil: Adding a small amount of butter or oil to your eggs will help keep them from sticking to your bowl and make it easier to remove them once they’re cooked.
- Don’t overcook: Overcooking eggs can cause them to become rubbery and unpleasant, so make sure you watch your microwave closely and take them out as soon as they’re done.
- Poke holes: Make sure you poke a few holes into your eggs’ yolks before microwaving them. It enables steam to escape and keeps them from bursting while cooking.
- Don’t overfill your bowl: It’s best to cook one egg at a time, as filling your bowl too full will result in uneven cooking and potentially overcooked eggs.
Faqs About How to Make Fried Eggs in Microwave
Can we fry eggs in the microwave?
Yes, you can. Frying eggs in the microwave is a quick way to make tasty eggs.
We recommend using microwavable egg cups for an easy clean-up and better presentation of your final dish to get perfect results.
How do you fry an egg in the microwave without exploding?
After cracking your egg into a microwave-safe bowl, poke the egg yolks with a toothpick or fork (or any other clean, sharp object). Doing so will allow steam to escape and prevent your eggs from exploding as they cook.
How do you make a sunny-side-up egg in the microwave?
First, heat an empty microwave-safe bowl for 15 seconds. Next, add a half teaspoon of butter or oil to the preheated bowl and crack one egg into it. Greasing with butter will prevent your egg from sticking to your dish.
Finally, cook on medium power for 45 seconds or until the egg white is thoroughly cooked and the yolk runny. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve right away.
What are runny eggs?
Runny eggs are eggs cooked at too low of a temperature and in a short time. The result is an egg with a liquid yolk. The egg gets cooked, but it doesn’t get set, so you have a runny yolk.
How do you make fried egg runny in the microwave?
So, to make a runny egg in a microwave, grease your microwave-safe bowl with butter or cooking spray. Then crack an egg into it and add salt and pepper.
Cover your dish with plastic wrap and cook on high for 30 seconds or until done. Take off the cover, and you’ll have a soft yolk that’s perfect for dipping toast.
What happens if you microwave a raw egg?
If you try to microwave eggs in shells, it’ll explode. That is because microwaves work by exciting water molecules, which can cause pressure to build up inside an egg.
The resulting mess can be dangerous if hot liquids or sharp shell pieces get on your skin. To avoid explosion, make sure you pierce your eggs before microwaving.
What happens if you microwave an egg in water?
Because it takes longer for microwaves to penetrate water than to penetrate the egg, cooking with water can cause uneven heating and overcooking.
Instead of water, add a small amount of oil or butter to your microwave-safe dish. This will help keep your eggs from drying out while cooking and distributing heat more evenly.
Why does salt prevent eggs from exploding in the microwave?
First, saltwater heats up slower in the microwave than pure water. As a result, it takes longer for an egg submerged in saltwater to heat up enough to boil and explode. Secondly, salt ions partially block microwaves from reaching your eggs, allowing moderate heating without overcooking.
How do you keep a hard-boiled egg from exploding in the microwave?
Because hard-boiled eggs continue to cook in their shells even after being removed from heat, you’ll want to pick a hole in each with a toothpick. This will allow steam to escape as it cooks, preventing an explosion.
Closing Thoughts
It’s hard to beat a fried egg whether you want an easy breakfast or a quick snack. While many people might shy away from cooking eggs in a microwave, they are quite simple to make and taste delicious.
The microwave speeds up cooking time and allows you to regulate the doneness of your egg by adjusting the cooking time. However, you’ll want to poke holes into the egg’s yolks to prevent steam build-up, causing an explosion.
It would help if you were careful with how long you fry your eggs. While they may taste good, they can become rubbery if overcooked. Follow our simple steps and enjoy a quick and easy meal that will satisfy you.
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