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How To Make Hard-Boiled Eggs In The Microwave

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Boiled eggs are a healthy, delicious snack. They are easy to make and require no more than 10 minutes time.

But what if we told you that there was a faster and more convenient way to make boiled eggs? That’s right, you can make boiled eggs in your microwave! Go figure, huh?

So, how do you make hard-boiled eggs in the microwave? You can boil eggs in a microwave by simmering them in saltwater, by poking holes in its shell, or by boiling the egg in a mug. To boil eggs in the microwave, place them in a cup or bowl with salted water and microwave them for 1-2 minutes, depending on the number of eggs you are cooking.

Keep reading to know these methods in detail!

Why Should You Consider Making Boiled Eggs In The Microwave?

Boiled eggs that are cooked in a microwave are just as delicious and healthy as eggs boiled over a stove. There are a number of reasons why you should consider making boiled eggs in a microwave instead of the traditional way:

  • Boiling eggs in a microwave is more convenient and takes less time.
  • Microwaved eggs retain more nutrients. Since microwaving takes less time, the eggs are exposed to heat for a shorter duration than they would be on a stove and lose fewer nutrients.
  • Making boiled eggs in a microwave consumes less energy.
  • You don’t need to keep on an eye on eggs that are being made in a microwave.

So, if you are looking for an easy and quick way to make a delicious, healthy snack, consider making microwaved boiled eggs.

Best Methods To Make Boiled Eggs In Microwave

The basic steps for making boiled eggs in a microwave are pretty much the same, no matter which of the methods you decide to use. The difference lies in what steps you take to ensure that you get the perfect boiled eggs.

There are some steps that you absolutely cannot afford to skip, unless you want runny, overheated boiled eggs. Not following these steps properly can also make the eggs explode while they are in the microwave.

Here are the different methods of making hard-boiled eggs in a microwave:

1. Boil Eggs with Salt Water

The best and easiest way to make hard-boiled eggs in a microwave is by heating them with salted water. This will prevent them from exploding inside your microwave.

Here are the steps to do so:

  1. Take a container that is safe for microwaving and put the eggs in it.
  2. Add warm water to the container and mix a teaspoon of salt in it. The amount of water and salt that you should add depends on how many eggs you want to boil. One teaspoon of salt for one egg is sufficient. If you are boiling multiple eggs at once, you will need to add more salt.
    • Adding salt to water helps prevent the eggs from exploding inside the microwave. There are other ways to ensure that your eggs do not explode inside the microwave, but simply adding some salt to water is the easiest one.
  3. To make hard-boiled eggs, cook them in your microwave for 1-2 minutes.The amount of time your eggs need to be heated in the microwave depends on how many eggs you want to boil. Make sure that you do not overheat your eggs by microwaving them for too long.
    • Boiling a single egg in a microwave should take around a minute and a half.
    • If you are boiling two eggs, they will take between 2-3 minutes to be done.
    • Boiling four eggs together will take no more than 5 minutes.
    • Boiling six eggs together should not take more than 6-7 minutes.

2. Poke Holes Into the Egg

Another way to prepare boiled eggs in a microwave without the risk of overheating and explosion is to poke holes into them. Here are the steps to do so:

  1. Take a container that is safe for microwaving and pour warm water into it.
  2. Take the eggs and gently poke a hole at the bottom. Poking a hole into the egg’s shell makes way for air to enter while the egg is being heated. If you do not take any measures to avoid overheating, the egg might explode due to the pressure of its contents being heated.
    • You can use a fork or a knife to poke a hole into the egg’s shell. If you are boiling the eggs after cracking them in a mug, you can poke holes into the yolk instead. Be sure not to crack the egg by putting too much force. If you feel like one hole is not enough, you can pierce up to two or three holes into the eggs.
  3. You can refer to the points in the above section to know how long to heat the eggs to boil them in a microwave!

3. Boil the Egg in A Mug

If you want to prepare scrambled eggs or use boiled eggs in other recipes, you can boil your eggs in a mug. This way, you can also scramble the eggs, whisk them, and check on the consistency so that you don’t overcook them.

Here are the steps of making boiled eggs in a mug using a microwave:

  1. Grease a mug that is safe to use in a microwave. You can use butter or pork fat as grease.
  2. Crack the egg into the mug. You can use a fork or a knife to pierce the yolk a few times. This allows air into the egg while heating. If the egg is overheated and does not have a vent of air, it may explode inside the microwave.
  3. If you are boiling a single egg, it should take between 1 minute 30 seconds to 1 minute 45 seconds. If you boil a single egg for more than 2 minutes in a microwave, there is a high chance of them turning out overcooked.
    • Another way to avoid overcooking the eggs is by checking on them every 10 seconds. This way, you can determine how much time the eggs need to be heated in the microwave.

Microwave Vs Stove

There are a few things that make microwaved eggs different from eggs that are boiled over a stove. This includes their flavor, color, consistency, preparation time, and nutrition.

Consistency

Microwaved eggs are usually denser than eggs that you boil over a stove.

They retain a lot of heat and even some of the water that you simmer them in. This makes their consistency slightly different from that of traditionally boiled eggs.

While using them to prepare scrambled eggs and other recipes, stove-cooked eggs tend to be fluffier than microwaved eggs. To give microwaved eggs some “fluffiness” and a richer flavor, you can add cheese to them.

Color And Flavor

You can hardly tell the difference between the taste of microwaved and stove-boiled eggs if you boil them properly.

However, the color of an egg yolk that is prepared in a microwave may appear slightly lighter than a traditionally prepared boiled egg. This does not mean that the microwaved egg is undercooked or unsafe to eat.

Nutrition

It may seem like not boiling eggs traditionally over a stove is unhealthy. But it is in fact the opposite. Microwaved eggs are healthier than stove-boiled eggs.

This is because you expose microwaved eggs to heat for a shorter time than you would over the stove. This makes them lose fewer nutrients during the heating process in comparison to eggs that are boiled on a stove.

Preparation Time

Boiling eggs using a microwave takes less time than boiling them on a stove.

One egg takes no less than two minutes to be boiled using a microwave. Even if you are boiling four eggs together in a microwave, it will take no more than 5-6 minutes.

How To Prevent Microwave Eggs From Exploding

Who would want their breakfast to explode? Here are some mistakes to look out for to prevent your eggs from exploding in the microwave:

1. Poke A Hole In The Egg’s Shell

As you heat the egg inside the microwave, it puts pressure on the shell. This pressure will keep increasing the longer the eggs are heated. This can cause the egg to explode.

To prevent this from happening, simply poke a hole into the shell. You can do this gently with a fork. You may poke 2-3 holes if one does not seem sufficient, but be sure not to crack the egg in this process.

2. Add A Teaspoon Of Salt To The Boiling Water

This might be the easiest way to make sure that your egg does not explode. Adding salt to the water that you simmer the eggs in will ease the pressure on the egg’s shell and prevent it from breaking.

3. Avoid Overcooking The Eggs

Overheating can happen when the eggs are heated to a temperature higher than their boiling point. Instead of boiling, overheating can cause the contents of the egg to put pressure onto the shell until it explodes.

The best way to prevent this is by checking on the eggs every 30 seconds. This way, you can stop heating the eggs when they appear to be prepared.

4. Make The Eggs In A Mug

The best way to prevent the egg’s shell from breaking is to do it yourself. What this means is that you can also cook the egg in a mug.

Simply crack the egg and pour it into a mug. Make sure that you have lightly greased the mug with butter beforehand.

This method eliminates the risk of any eggs popping while boiling an egg in a microwave.

You can also pierce the yolk with a knife or fork to allow some air in while heating. Boiling eggs in a mug is ideal if you want to use them in a recipe like salad or make scrambled eggs.

How To Know When Microwaved Eggs Are Ready

You can tell if your microwaved eggs are properly boiled by looking at the yolk. If the yolk appears too soft and runny, the eggs have not been boiled fully.

If your microwaved eggs appear to be almost done, take them out. You do not need to heat them again. Microwaving generates a lot of heat in the interior of the egg, even though you might not be able to see it.

You should leave the eggs for a few minutes after they are done being heated in the microwave. Cut them in the middle so that they can release heat and become firm. 

Do not worry if the eggs look undercooked even after you have already removed their shell, you can still put the eggs back into the microwave and heat them again.

Heat the eggs for only 10 seconds at first so that you don’t overcook them.If they still look too soft, heat them for an additional 10 seconds until they are prepared.

You can also pierce the yolk of the egg to ensure that more air goes in while heating.

Related Questions

Now that we’ve gone over how you can microwave eggs to cook them, let’s take a look at a few related questions on the subject!

How long does it take eggs to boil in a microwave?

It takes around 1 minute 30 seconds to boil a single egg in a microwave. You should not heat only one egg for more than 2 minutes in a microwave.

When boiling two eggs together, keep them in the microwave for no more than 5 minutes.

Can I boil 2 eggs in the microwave?

Yes, you can boil 2 eggs together in a microwave. You can also boil up to 4 eggs in a microwave together. The more eggs that you boil together, the longer you will need to heat them in your microwave.

Can I make scrambled eggs in the microwave?

Yes, you can make scrambled eggs in the microwave. After heating the eggs for about 30 seconds, take them out and scramble them. Heat them again for around 30 seconds or more to get the consistency that you desire.

Can I make soft-boiled eggs in the microwave?

Yes, you can make soft-boiled eggs in the microwave. The steps to do so are exactly the same as hard-boiled microwaved eggs.

All you need to do differently is to cook them for 20-30 seconds less than hardboiled eggs and let them sit in a bowl of cold water for a few minutes after taking them out of the microwave.

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