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I Make This 1-Minute Microwave Poached Egg Almost Every Morning

Padding your morning routine with protein has never been easier.

Headshot of David Watsky
Headshot of David Watsky
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.
Expertise Kitchen tools | Appliances | Food science | Subscriptions | Meal kits
David Watsky
3 min read
poached egg over avocado on toast

Drop the cereal bar and try this 1-minute poached egg method. 

 Valeriya Tikhonova/Getty Images

Protein seems to be the one thing we can all agree on these days. Getting more of it into your system, especially in the morning, helps build, repair and maintain body tissues and keeps your blood sugar level, staving off hunger until that midday meal. 

Eggs are a classic morning source of protein, but you may not always have time to whip out a frying pan or get a pot of water boiling for poached eggs.

Enter the humble microwave. 

For those seeking a simpler approach without any cookware or stovetop cleanup, microwave poached eggs are the morning kitchen hack you've been waiting for. This one-minute, mess-free technique has become a staple in my home. The process is simple, the results are consistent and the cleanup is nonexistent. 

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I started making them more than a year ago, and the fluffy protein balls have made my mornings easier. I'll serve them simply over toast with sliced avocado and hot sauce or make a couple and skip the toast for a lighter breakfast. You can also cook them longer for a firmer egg and add them to a salad or grain bowl. 

Here's how I make perfect poached eggs in under a minute.

Read more: Achieve Your Daily Protein Goals With This Simple Visual Guide

How to make 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.

egg in water in ramekin

You'll want enough water to submerge the egg but not spill over the top of the ramekin.

 David Watsky/CNET

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, or longer if you prefer a firmer yolk.

egg in microwave

Cook the submerged egg for 40 seconds for a runny yolk and closer to a minute for a firm one. 

 David Watsky/CNET

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

egg in strainer

Lift your egg carefully out of the water with a slotted spoon or mesh strainer. 

 David Watsky/CNET

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

poached egg on plate

In one or two tries you'll be able to fine-tune your poached egg to your perfect doneness and then nail it every time. 

 David Watsky/CNET

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. 

If you don't want to cook, this is my favorite prepared meal delivery service for 2025.

FAQs

What should I pair with my poached eggs?

A small batch of bacon cooked in the air fryer can be another quick protein value add to your breakfast in the morning and it's a perfect pairing with your microwave-poached egg.

How do I prevent my poached egg from exploding?

You can prevent your egg yolk from exploding by starting with a small increment of time in the microwave, like 45 seconds. If you need to heat the egg more, you can add increments of five seconds as needed. Poking the egg yolk with a toothpick before putting the egg in the microwave may also help prevent an explosion during or after poaching the egg.

When should I use my microwave for poaching eggs?

Using your microwave to poach eggs is a quick way to get some protein added to your breakfast or lunch, and it's a completely safe way to cook the egg as long as you add small increments to the microwave timer.