Simple & Homely

Lifestyles of the poor and unfamous

Can you cook a fried egg in the microwave?

45s microwave fried egg in a bowl

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Now, you might think “clue’s in the name” with this one, but you can actually cook a fried egg in the microwave. 

We’ve shown you how to cook poached and scrambled egg in the microwave, so this time, we’re trying fried. 

We test how to do it, how long it’ll take to cook the whites and produce a thick, runny yolk, and whether the finished egg is “rubbery”.

Our biggest hesitation with cooking any type of egg in the microwave is ending up with something overcooked to the point of being rubbery, so we experimented with timings to avoid such a fate.

Method & timings

Oil, egg, ramekin, salt shaker next to a microwave on the worktop

In a microwave-safe ramekin or container, lightly coat the base with oil to prevent the egg from becoming stuck. 

Crack an in-date egg into the container and, similar to poaching an egg in the microwave, you’ll need to prick the yolk to stop it exploding. 

I salted my yolk, but at this point, you can season your egg however you wish.

To get a rough idea on cooking times, I found a cooking guide which said to microwave on medium power for one minute. To cook the top of the whites, this guide advised covering the container with a lid – this would trap any steam and help cook the top.

Microwave fried egg – One minute

For this attempt, I followed the recipe exactly: one minute, medium power.

The egg cooked far quicker than I anticipated, and upon removal, it was clear that the yolk had been cooked through. The whites were similar to breakfast-buffet heat-lamp whites. But, if you like your fried eggs over-hard, one minute on medium power is the timing you want.

For attempt two, I’d shorten the time to 30 seconds, and depending on how it looks, leave it to steam until the whites are cooked.

Microwave fried egg – Attempt 2 

For this attempt, I tried out a shorter 30 seconds cooking time. Without even having to remove the lid, I could see the egg was still raw so I added an extra 15 seconds.

A total of 45 seconds on medium power was enough to microwave a fried egg. (I did leave the egg to steam in the ramekin with the lid on while I finished toasting my potato waffles.)

The yolk was runny, the whites were cooked through. Microwaving a fried egg for 45 seconds on medium power produces something you’d be happy to serve your breakfast guests. Cooking a fried egg in an air fryer takes over double the time, so if you’re after a speedy fried egg, then the microwave is the way to go.

Things to remember 

  • The size and shape of your microwave-safe container will influence how long the egg takes to cook. If your egg is spread thin, it won’t take as long as an egg that’s contained in a small space.
  • The weight of your egg: a bigger egg will take longer.
  • Don’t underestimate how much cooking a microwave can do in five seconds. 
  • If there’s only a little bit of white ‘snot’ then remember you can steam for the remaining time (a transparent container will mean you don’t have to take the lid off & let the steam out to check doneness). 
  • Add a small drizzle of oil to coat the bottom of your container to prevent the egg sticking.
  • You can add any spices, herbs, and seasonings before microwaving. 

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