How Long To Cook A Poached Egg In Water

How to Cook an Egg in the Microwave: Scrambled, Poached, or 'Omelet'

Can you cook eggs in the microwave? You bet! Once you learn how to cook eggs in the microwave, you can enjoy a quick, satisfying breakfast or light meal in minutes.

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There are all kinds of reasons to learn how to cook eggs in a microwave. Top on the list? Speed—when you're pressed for time and need a quick breakfast or light lunch or dinner, knowing how to microwave scrambled eggs can be your mealtime savior. When you're craving something a little more substantial—say, a great burger or avocado toast with a poached-egg bonus or a bistro-esque poached egg salad—you'll be glad to know how to poach an egg in the microwave. And did you know you can even make an omelet in the microwave? Read on, and we'll show you the best ways to microwave eggs, including how long to cook eggs in the microwave, as well as a few techniques we don't recommend (trust us, we've tested them all).

scrambled eggs and sliced avocado

How to Make Scrambled Eggs in the Microwave

Good news for fans of fluffy and bright scrambled eggs: About the only thing easier than stove top scramble eggs are microwave scrambled eggs. Once you learn these tricks (and taste the results!), you'll wonder why you've waited this long to learn how to scramble eggs in the microwave:

In a small microwave-safe dish, such as a custard cup or ramekin ($3, Bed Bath & Beyond), whisk 1 large egg with a fork. Add 1 tablespoon milk or water and a pinch of salt. Whisk with the fork until thoroughly combined.
Place the dish in your microwave. Microwave, uncovered, on 100% power (high) 30 seconds. With a fork, stir the egg.
Microwave 10 seconds more and stir again. If desired, stir in a spoonful of shredded cheese or a sprinkling of chopped green onion, snipped fresh basil, chopped tomato, or chopped roasted red pepper.
Microwave 5 to 10 seconds more or until fluffy and still shiny with no loose liquid in the dish. If desired, season to taste with ground black pepper.

Test Kitchen Tip: Because microwave ovens ($140, Target) vary greatly, knowing exactly how long to microwave eggs is a bit tricky. While our microwave scrambled eggs took less than a minute total to cook, it's important to check after each of the timings given.

Poached Egg Breakfast Bowls

How to Poach an Egg in the Microwave

Get Our Poached Egg Breakfast Bowls Recipe

Whether you eat them with toast in the morning or slide them atop a burger or salad at lunch or dinner, poached eggs can add so much lusciousness to the plate. Fortunately, you don't have to wait for water to boil on your stove top to sink your fork into this breakfast classic. Instead, learn how to poach an egg in the microwave.

Note: If you find your microwave-poached eggs aren't the same as the sublime, jiggly pillows that you've made on the stove top, it's not your fault! According to the Egg Board, while microwave-poached eggs can be truly tasty, they won't exactly deliver the same cloud-like qualities that traditional poached eggs can bring.

Of course, the easiest way to learn how to poach an egg in the microwave is to snag a microwave egg poacher ($11, Walmart) and follow the manufacturer's directions.

Mason Jar Omelet

How to Make Eggs in the Microwave Using a Mason Jar

Get the Jar Omelet Recipe

Did you know you can make a fluffy, satisfying "omelet" in the microwave? Our Mason Jar Omelet recipe, which is similar in concept to making microwave eggs in a mug, points the way. You can even mix up your omelet the night before so it's ready to grab, microwave, and go on an extra-busy morning.

So, how long do you cook an egg in the microwave using our Mason jar ($11, Target) method? Two minutes ought to do it! Check out the recipe for exact details.

What About Making Hard-Boiled Eggs in a Microwave?

Wondering how to make hard-boiled eggs in the microwave? We wish we had better news. According to our Test Kitchen, you should never microwave eggs in the shell, as the eggs can explode and damage the microwave (and even harm the user).

Here's our workaround: Although making hard-cooked eggs the traditional way takes 20 or so minutes, the majority of that is hands-off standing time. And, because you can refrigerate hard-cooked eggs in their shells for up to seven days, simply cook up a batch on the weekend to have them ready to go throughout the week—no microwave needed.

Better yet, get in on the steamed-eggs trend! Our Test Kitchen (and numerous food bloggers) find steaming eggs (instead of boiling) makes them easier to peel. Steaming eggs also saves time, because you don't have to wait for a whole pot of water to boil.

Another workaround: An egg cooker ($20, Bed Bath & Beyond) isn't as fast as a microwave, but it can hard-cook eggs faster than the classic stovetop method.

What about making soft-boiled eggs in the microwave? Sorry—that's a hard "no," too. However, making a luscious soft-cook egg takes only 10 minutes using our traditional method.

Why We Won't Make a Fried Egg in the Microwave

What about a fried egg in the microwave? Let's just say it's not our favorite method for making microwave eggs. According to the Egg Board, you should always break the yolk of an unbeaten egg with the tip of a knife or a wooden toothpick before microwaving. This allows steam from the yolk to escape safely.

Trouble is, as anyone who loves fried eggs knows, a fried egg with a broken yolk kind of misses the point. The good news is that it only takes about 8 minutes to fry an egg on the stove top the traditional way.

So, can you microwave eggs? Now you know the answer is yes, but with a few caveats. To recap, scrambled microwave eggs and our fun Mason Jar eggs turn out best, and poached microwave eggs can be very good, too. As for the rest? Stick with the stove top or a fancy electric egg cooker for the best (and safest) results.