The 1-Minute Microwave Egg Trick That Changed My Mornings Forever

I don’t get too creative with meals in the morning but when I don’t have a reasonable breakfast, I feel it throughout the day. For me, it’s either a protein smoothie or an egg in some basic form, over toast, greens or with sliced avocado and an air-fried hash brown.

My favorite egg incarnation to eat has always been poached, but it’s never been my favorite to make. That changed when I learned a microwave trick that turns out perfect, fluffy poached eggs in under one minute with no pot of boiling water to prep or delicate egg to monitor while it cooks. I don’t use my microwave for much, but the microwave-poached egg has settled into my breakfast rotation, and it’s the perfect foil for busy mornings that call for a savory smack of protein.

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This method demands just one minute, one bowl and leaves no mess, save for the quick rinse of a wet mug. The results are surprisingly good and the process is impossible to flub. You can easily tinker with timing to get the exact consistency you’re after.

So ditch the frying pan or sluggish pot of boiling water. Here’s how to make perfect poached eggs in under 60 seconds.

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Poached eggs in the microwave

Step 1: Fill a ramekin with a half-cup of salted, room-temperature water. It must be enough to submerge the egg.

Step 2: Crack one egg and carefully drop it into the water, trying not to disturb its structural integrity. 

Step 3: Place the ramekin in the microwave and cook on high for about 45 seconds, longer if you prefer a firmer yolk.

Step 4: Remove the egg gently from the water with a slotted spoon or wire skimmer. 

Step 5: Serve over toast or a bed of greens with avocado, hot sauce, chili crisp and other accompaniments.

Note: The base temperature for any microwave will vary, and thus, cook times may also. Try 40 to 45 seconds for your first effort, then add five-second increments for subsequent tries until you achieve the desired doneness.

Poke the egg to avoid explosions

I haven’t experienced any egg-related explosions, but a Reddit deep dive into microwave egg poachers unearthed a nugget of advice: Avoid yolk explosions by poking it through with a toothpick. 

How to serve poached eggs

Stick that fluffy puff of protein on a piece of toast with some spinach, top it all with flaky salt, hot sauce or hollandaise and have a cafe-quality breakfast in less time than it takes to brew coffee. You can also use them to top a salad or serve over rice with pickled vegetables and chili crisp for a light lunch.

More time-saving cooking hacks?

Cooking bacon in the oven is the cleanest method and results in even crispier strips, with no greasy stovetop to clean afterward. A fast water boil with these two pantry ingredients lifts stubborn stains from your best cookware without all the manic scrubbing. Here are nine more cooking hacks that save time, energy, and money. 

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David Watsky

Managing Editor / Home and Kitchen

David lives in Brooklyn where he’s spent more than a decade covering all things edible, including meal kit services, food subscriptions, kitchen tools and cooking tips.

David earned his BA from Northeastern and has toiled in nearly every aspect of the food business, including as a line cook in Rhode Island where he once made a steak sandwich for Lamar Odom.

Right now he’s likely somewhere stress-testing a blender or tinkering with a toaster. Anything with sesame is his all-time favorite food this week.

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