Fast. Easy. Breakfast. Microwaved Poached Eggs
So you know the drill: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. How ironic then that it also appears to be the meal people have the hardest time finding time for. Between trying to get a few more minutes of shut-eye and rushing out the door to beat traffic, breakfast often falls through the cracks. A bowl of cold cereal just doesn’t satisfy and is much too time consuming. Frankly, anything requiring dishes and cooking and sitting down and using a fork or spoon is out of the question.
So what satisfies? Uses few dishes? Is portable? Well, lots of things actually. Today, it’s a poached egg on toast. Poached eggs you say? That requires a pot and heating up the stove-that takes time.
It doesn’t have to. Actually it can be ready in about 2 minutes, dirtying only one small dish. They aren’t pretty and you might not want to serve them at brunch with the Queen, but for breakfast in under 5 minutes-eaten with one hand on the way out the door-they are filling, satisfying and will get your day off to a great start.
Microwave Poached Eggs
serves 1, prep 1 min, cook 1 min- 1 large egg
- a few tbsps of water
- splash of vinegar
- Put a few tablespoons of water into a small custard cup or coffee mug. Add a splash of vinegar.
- Break an egg into the water and use a tooth pick to pierce the yolk, this just keeps it from exploding-it won’t leak.
- Cover loosely with a square of plastic wrap. Put your toast in the toaster.
- Microwave for 45 seconds for runny, 50 seconds for set but deep yellow, 1 min for well done.
- While the egg is cooking, butter your toast. If the microwave beeps before your toast is ready you can leave the egg in the hot water for some additional time while you finish your toast prep, it will continue cooking slightly.
- Peel off the plastic and scoop the egg out of the water, and place it on your toast. Salt and pepper it then mash it up or just wrap it in a napkin and go.
August 22nd, 2008 at 8:37 pm
Hey what a great idea and so perfect for the early morning!
Thanks for this idea.
August 25th, 2008 at 11:55 am
I didn’t think the microwave could create such a delicious looking breakfast! I’ve tried microwaving eggs in before, but they exploded on me.. plus they kinda had a funny taste. Next time I’m in the mood for a poached egg, I’ll try your toothpick tip.
August 25th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
very interesting method. i’ve never thought to microwave an egg to poach it, but this egg truly looks perfectly cooked. such fun!
August 26th, 2008 at 9:25 am
brilliant! i love eggs in the morning but i never want to do dishes at breakfast. what an awesome solution!
August 29th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
We have a little microwave at work so I need to give this a try!
November 3rd, 2008 at 4:10 pm
I didn’t know you could poach eggs in the microwave like that! Thanks! Maybe I’ll try this tomorrow morning.
November 3rd, 2008 at 5:37 pm
I am so glad you shared this – what a great idea! I never thought I could have eggs on a weekday!
December 30th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
This is such a great and easy idea! Thank you so much for sharing!
May 13th, 2009 at 5:08 am
amazing! love them! enough said! x
February 11th, 2010 at 11:25 am
Excellent idea! I only ever have about 30 seconds spare in the morning before I have to run out the door late, and I never eat breakfast, so this will hopefully prod me into action!
Just wondering what wattage your microwave is for the ’45 seconds and runny’? Our microwave has settings for 360w, 600w or 800w. Obviously I don’t want to end up with some shrivelled hard egg! *yuk*
Thanks!
April 28th, 2010 at 8:48 am
BRILLIANT! I’m going to go do this right now. I’m always looking for quick, easy egg recipes (we have 17 laying hens!)
April 28th, 2010 at 10:00 am
Wholesome simplicity! Love it!
May 18th, 2010 at 4:08 am
Oh, and just a word of warning – I did this last night as a late, quick dinner. I cracked the egg into a bit of water, pierced the yolk once with a toothpick, and set it going.
The resulting egg-splosion and bone-rattling BOOM! tells me that piercing the yolk once is not enough.
Perhaps you ought to update the process to illustrate that you need to pierce it a few times at least! To save stupid people like me spending their evening cleaning the microwave instead of getting anything to eat… :>(
August 6th, 2010 at 8:02 pm
WOW! It worked perfectly! I did add just a bit more water but the results were wonderfully delicious!
October 27th, 2010 at 9:36 am
This is such a great idea!! I’m a poor college student with a microwave and it makes a perfect poached egg! Its so much more healthy than frying an egg in butter and still just as satisfying! Thank you, I will definitely be sharing this technique!!
November 21st, 2013 at 2:02 pm
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