If your morning routine revolves around bagels, cereal or pastries, you’re not exactly starting your day with a nutritional mic drop. Most dietitians agree that protein is the MVP of breakfast — it helps keep blood sugar steady, supports muscle health and keeps you full long after your coffee buzz wears off. Even a smoothie packed with fruit and nut butter can sneak in more sugar than you’d expect.
That’s why eggs still reign supreme in the breakfast arena and a recent study flips decades of concern about cholesterol levels in them. Eggs are loaded with high-quality protein, cook fast and play nice with just about any ingredient. And if you want eggs without the stovetop cleanup? Enter the microwave-poached egg — a one-minute, no-mess fix that deserves a spot in your morning lineup. It’s the easiest way to level up your protein without leveling your kitchen.
I started making them daily a year ago and the fluffy balls of protein have become a staple of my morning menu, served simply over whole grain toast or alongside fresh avocado for a lighter start to the day.
I’m not the only one taking advantage of this easy breakfast. After a Reddit deep dive spotting many microwave egg poachers, I found a nugget of advice everyone should know before sticking an egg in the radiation box: Avoid yolk explosions by poking it through with a toothpick.
Read more: Achieve Your Daily Protein Goals With This Simple Visual Guide
Here’s how I make a perfect poached egg in one minute or less.
How to make poached eggs in a microwave
Step 1: Fill a ramekin with about a half-cup of salted, room-temperature water. It must be enough to 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 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.
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 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 after. A fast boil of water 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 at all, 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.
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