How to Poach an Egg in the Microwave

There is nothing quite like a perfectly poached egg. I’ll eat eggs pretty much any way they’re cooked, but poaching is by far my favorite. My heart skips a beat when that delicious yolk drips down over my vegetables — anyone else?

As much as I love poached eggs, I’m always too lazy to make them the old-fashioned way. It takes longer than other cooking methods, and I like to keep my cooking quick and simple. I’m also really not that great at poaching eggs anyways, to be completely honest. It usually falls apart whenever I try, so I guess I should work on my technique.

When I was in college, I found this trick for poaching eggs in the microwave, and it totally changed my life. It saved me when a microwave was the only way I had to cook food in the dorms, but now that I have a full kitchen, it’s still my go-to method. It literally only takes 1 minute, requires barely any effort, and zero skill is required. Any time you see a poached egg on my plate, this is what I did.

I should probably address the issue of microwave use. I definitely don’t think microwaves are the ideal cooking method, but I see no issue using them every so often in the context of a modern lifestyle. That’s my personal decision that works best for my life, so make whatever decision suits you! Putting a cell phone to my head every day isn’t ideal for my health either, but it’s unlikely I’ll stop that anytime soon given the state of modern society. I typically heat up my food in the oven nowadays, but I’ll use a microwave on the rare occasion when I need to. I still don’t know how convinced I am that microwaves are that bad, anyways, but that’s for another time.

Whenever I post this microwave hack to Instagram, people are FLOORED that it actually works, and they always ask me for more instructions. I figured it was finally time to post it to my blog, even though I’m sure you could google it! This makes poached eggs so incredibly easy – you’ll never go back. It really is as simple as I say.

The key to this hack is figuring out exactly how long it takes your specific microwave to poach the egg, because every microwave is slightly different. I suggest starting off with a minute of cooking time, and adjusting from there. If you cook for a minute and the egg doesn’t look totally cooked, add 3-5 more seconds. Some microwaves might need slightly under one minute. My microwave in college was 57 seconds, and my microwave now is 1 minute and 3 seconds. Yes, it’s that exact. Every second counts! Toy around, and you’ll figure out the perfect timing!

How to Poach an Egg in the Microwave

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 1 cup of filtered water
• 1 small bowl
• Microwave

Instructions:

1. Pour one cup of water into a small bowl.
2. Crack your egg into the bowl of water.
3. Place the bowl in the microwave, and then microwave for a minute. This might take a little more or less than a minute depending on the microwave, but I suggest starting with 60 seconds. If it’s undercooked, add a few more seconds. If it’s still undercooked, add a few more until you find the perfect time. If it’s overcooked after 60 seconds, next time try 50 seconds and add from there. It takes trial and error, but it’s worth it when you figure out the perfect poaching time!
4. Use a spoon to gently remove the egg from the water, and place the egg on your meal!