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.
You’ll want enough water to submerge the egg but not spill over the top of the ramekin.
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.
Cook the submerged egg for 40 seconds for a runny yolk and closer to a minute for a firm one.
Step 4: Remove the egg gently from the water with a slotted spoon or wire skimmer.
Lift your egg carefully out of the water with a slotted spoon or mesh strainer.
Step 5: Serve over toast or a bed of greens with avocado, hot sauce, chili crisp and other accompaniments.
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.
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?
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And if you don’t want to cook at all, this is my favorite prepared meal delivery service for 2024.
