Poached Eggs Have Never Been Easier: Try This 1-Minute Microwave Hack [CNET]

Need protein in a pinch? Try this impossibly easy method for making microwave-poached eggs in about 60 seconds.

Breakfast is often called the most important meal of the day, but I call it the biggest pain. Mornings are often rushed, which leads many people to make poor eating decisions — at least it does for me. Before you reach for a quick bowl of sugary cereal or zap a nutritionless bagel, try this method for making fluffy poached eggs in under a minute, with no mess to clean after. 

The perfect poached egg takes nothing more than a microwave, a few ounces of water and one minute. You can loft your puff of protein on a piece of toast or add it to a salad to bring to work for lunch.

I’ve taken to making a microwave poached egg or two most mornings. My “most important meal of the day” is finally a source of lasting energy for the day and not a mix of unhealthy grab-and-gos that don’t further my nutrition goals.

Here’s how to make perfect microwave poached eggs in under a minute

How to make poached eggs in the microwave

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

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

Step 3: Place the ramekin in the microwave and cook on high for about 45 seconds, or 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 microwaves 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.

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 you have a cafe-quality breakfast in less time than it takes to brew a pot of coffee. You can also use them to top a salad or serve over rice with pickled vegetables chili crisp for a light lunc. M

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 after. A fast boil of water with these two pantry ingredients lifts stubborn stains from your best cookware without all the manic scrubbing. And are nine more cooking hacks that save time, energy and money. 

And if you don’t want to cook at all, this is my favorite prepared meal delivery service for 2024.