How to Cook Hard Boiled Eggs in the Microwave

Last Updated on 19th June 2023 by

Boiling eggs on the stove to get that wonderfully hard boiled or soft yokey texture can seem really hit or miss. A lot of people struggle to make the shells easy to peel and to make the eggs come out with the perfect texture and hardness that they’re supposed to have.

Can you make hard boiled eggs in the microwave? Absolutely, and I’m going to show you my method for doing that.  If you are looking for the traditional steaming method of cooking eggs then you may want to try this.

Microwave Egg Cooking Chart

If you look online, you will find lots of advice about making hard boiled eggs in the microwave. Some of them are right, some of them are wrong, and some of them just make you do too much work.

I’m going to keep it simple for you and give you a method that really works. What you want to be careful about is cooking your eggs in the microwave in a way that causes them to explode.

If you don’t prep them just right, if you do something the wrong way, there is a chance that they will explode and make a big mess. Why are you even cooking your eggs in this manner, get out an old skillet and cook your eggs the old fashioned way

You shouldn’t have to clean up the microwave after making hard boiled eggs in there, and I’ll show you how to avoid that and how to cook hard boiled eggs in the microwave in a way that’s safe and simple.

How to Cook Hard Boiled Eggs in Microwave Oven

1. What you need to cook eggs in the microwave
2. Some fresh free range eggs (why are free range eggs better?)
3. A microwave safe bowl (how do I know if my bowl is microwave safe?)
4. A bowl of ice
5. A damp cloth for peeling
6. Salt (optional)

There’s two methods you can use to avoid an egg-splosion. You can either put salt in the water when you boil your eggs in the microwave or you can poke a hole in the eggs.

I don’t suggest poking the hole, as that can lead to a mess on its own. There’s a chance you can crack your egg too much, make too big of a hole or just make a big mess with the egg when you use this method.

So, I try to avoid it, and I recommend the best method to make hard boiled eggs in the microwave is to use salt in the water.

Start with a microwave safe bowl. Put your eggs into the bottom of the bowl and then cover the eggs with hot water, covering about half an inch above the eggs. All of these parts are important- you need to cover the eggs and you need to use hot water.

For each egg in your container, add in half a teaspoon of salt. Do not skip this step and do not forget it, because otherwise you will have an egg explosion.

IMPORTANT TIP – The more eggs you cook at once, the longer you’ll have to cook them for.

Pauline – I Really Like Food

You can cook your eggs different ways, depending on how you want them. You may want a slightly runny yolk or you may want it cooked all the way through. It’s up to you. Have you thought about poaching your eggs in the microwave?  We have a guide for that too.

To make soft boiled eggs that have a runny yolk, take them out of the hot water as soon as they’re done cooking in the microwave.

How long to cook them for? Cook two eggs for four minutes. Four eggs should cook for five minutes, and six eggs get six minutes.

If you’re making soft boiled eggs, take them out of the microwave as soon as they’re done cooking and put them in ice water. If you want to make medium boiled eggs, let them sit in the hot water after they are done cooking for about a minute, and then put them into a bowl of ice water.

How to make hard boiled eggs in the microwave? If you would like the yolks to be firm all through your eggs, let them sit in the hot water for about two or three minutes.

Can you make hard boiled eggs in microwave? Sure you can, but you have to know the method. If you deviate from this at all, it can leave you with partially cooked eggs or eggs that don’t come out right.

How to Stop the Eggs from Cooking

When you remove the eggs from the microwave, plunge them straight into your bowl of ice water and leave your eggs submerged in ice water for at least 30 seconds to stop the eggs from over boiling.

How to Peel Eggs without Burning your Fingers

After the eggs are done cooking, you can peel the shells, but not before they’ve cooled properly. Wait until the eggs cool down all the way in the ice water before you try to peel the shells.

If you allow them to cool, the shells should come off quite easily. Just make a small crack on one end, and then pull the egg shell off piece by piece.

If you are struggling to get the eggs shells to come off cleanly, it’s likely that the eggs were not prepared properly or not cooked long enough.

This method for how to make hard boiled eggs in microwave is pretty simple and straightforward, but with any way of making hard boiled eggs, you can have some trouble.

How to Know If Your Eggs Aren’t Cooked Properly?

The shell is not coming off, the yolks being too runny, the eggs not being cooked properly, or the eggs simply exploding are all problems you may run into.

The most likely cause is that you didn’t follow the instructions carefully. Of course, there could be other issues, like using the wrong kind of salt, and iodized salt is the best one to use. You can check out my other post on the perfect boiled egg for guidance on how to test your eggs.

Does the Power of the Microwave Affect the Egg Cooking Time?

Another issue that can make your eggs not come out right is using the wrong temperature of water or not giving them enough time in the microwave. If your microwave’s power is too high or too low, that can affect how the eggs turn out as well.

The times featured on our tests are for a standard 800w microwave. Adjust the cooking time by 20% +/- for each 100w above or below 800w.

Pauline – I Really Like Food

Now you know how to cook hard boiled eggs in microwave, and I hope this answers any questions you may have and covers any issues that may arise.

As you can see, making hard boiled eggs in microwave oven is fairly simple. I believe it’s much easier than trying to make them on the stove in a pot and there’s much less room for error.

I think the biggest problem is simply not adding salt and how that can make them explode, but if you remember this simple step, the rest is fairly easy. Don’t forget that eggs are healthy but like anything else don’t eat too many.

Can I Make Hard Boiled Eggs in the Microwave in Large Batches?

You can cook as many eggs as you want in the microwave at once, following the cooking times I gave you based on the number of eggs you are boiling.

The more eggs you cook at once, the longer you’ll have to cook them for. I don’t recommend trying to cook too many eggs at once.

Make sure there’s enough room in the bowl for all your eggs and ensure that none of them are piled on top of each other.

As long as you don’t have that issue, you should be able to cook as many as you want. How many you can cook at once will depend on the size of your microwave safe bowl and the size of your microwave.

Frequently asked Questions about Cooking Eggs in The Microwave

More How To Guides

• How To Bake Hake Fish In The Oven
• How Long To Bake Spring Rolls In The Oven
• How To Cook Italian Sausage – Cooking Methods & Recipes
• What Temperature To Bake Bread?
• How To Cook Eel

References:

What we know about eggs – https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/eggs/shell-eggs-farm-table

Benefits of free range eggs – https://www.vascoschicken.com/6-reasons-why-you-should-consider-eating-free-range-chickens

Pauline

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I'm Pauline, a mother of four grown children, my passion for cooking stemmed from the joy i get cooking for my family. I love to try new dishes, especially when dining out but creating and sharing my own recipes is my favourite thing to do!

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