How To Cook Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs In The Microwave Every Time?

I love eggs. I grew up on a farm with laying hens which meant we always had a ready supply of eggs even after the egg customers got theirs.

Mom did a lot of baking – cookies, squares, muffins, cakes, my favorite of which was angel food cake which called for 11 eggs  a great way to use up those cracked eggs that few customers ordered.) – and eggs were used up that way every week.

We also ate eggs regularly at mealtime, particularly at breakfast and lunch. Mom would make them scrambled, fried, poached, boiled.

She also had a killer recipe that was called an omelet, but it was actually more of a soufflé, and it was superb. Moreover, egg salad sandwiches were my favorite, and I took them to school in my lunch pail every day. 

So you could say that I am familiar with eggs. Yet, I have to admit that when I hard-boiled eggs to make devilled eggs – yum – I sometimes had trouble peeling the shell without getting chunks of egg along with it.

Fortunately, I have found a fool-proof way to hard-boil an egg that makes peeling it a breeze, and the yolk is just the way I like it.

The microwave allows you to get this result. By learning a few simple steps, you can confidently cook hard-boiled eggs, or boiled eggs any way you like them, knowing you will have the perfect boiled egg.

The typical way to boil an egg is in a pot on the stove, but this is not a reliable method and will often result in an overcooked egg or a yolk that is not as hard as you would like.

It’s simply more difficult to control the outcome when you use your stove instead of the  microwave.

Whether you like your eggs cooked hard, medium or soft, this can be easily and consistently achieved by using a microwave. You’ll get the texture and degree of hardness you want.

The only thing you need to be careful to avoid when using the microwave to boil an egg is the egg exploding – dramatic, but not something you want to deal with.

Microwaving eggs requires only 4 things. You’ll need a bowl that is an adequate size for the number of eggs you wish to cook, and it must be microwave-safe. You’ll also need water, salt, and of course, the star of the show, eggs. 

Read on to learn how to avoid the explosion calamity, and check out an easy-to-read chart that gives you the amount of time it will take to perfectly cook a hard, medium or soft egg.

I’ll also tell you how many minutes to cook various quantities of eggs.

RELATED: All You Need To Know On How To Make Over Easy Eggs In The Microwave

Number Of Minutes To Cook Soft, Medium, And Hard-Boiled Eggs In The Microwave

This is a very simple chart to apply, increasing the cooking time for a soft-boiled egg by one minute for a medium-boiled egg, and one more additional minute for a hard-boiled egg.

You may recall that water was among the list of items required to boil eggs in the microwave.

Boiling an egg in the microwave is not a matter of taking an egg out of the fridge, placing it on the plate in the microwave and turning it on. Here are the steps to follow:

Steps For Hard-Boiling An Egg In The Microwave

1. Determine how many eggs you want to cook. 
2. Choose a microwave-safe bowl large enough for the number of eggs you wish to cook, without them sitting on top of each other.
3. Place the eggs in the bowl.
4. Pour enough hot water over the eggs so that the water comes to  ½ inch above the eggs.
5. Sprinkle iodized salt into the water.
6. Cook the eggs to the desired hardness according to the above table.
7. While the eggs are cooking, prepare an ice bath.
8. When the number of minutes are up, remove the bowl from the microwave.
9. Take the eggs from the hot water with a slotted spoon and place them in the ice water to stop the cooking.

Now the all-important issue of avoiding an egg explosion. Don’t worry, this is easy. Sprinkling salt into the water is the key. Don’t skip this step.

Not only is it important to salt the water before you put the bowl of eggs into the microwave, but the kind of salt you use is significant as well. You must use iodized salt.

Be sure to use hot water, not cold water. Using cold water will mean you must cook the eggs much longer. It is also important to put a sufficient amount of water on the eggs.

Not covering the eggs with enough water can result in the eggs exploding.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Much Salt Is Enough To Use?

Use ½ teaspoon of salt per egg that you are cooking. Not putting enough salt in the water can lead to exploding eggs. Regular table salt, which is iodized salt, is the correct salt to use.

What If I Want Some Of The Eggs I Am Cooking In The Bowl To Be Soft-Boiled, Others Medium-Boiled, And Still Others Hard-Boiled?

This might seem like a difficult task, but it is actually quite easy.

If you want boiled eggs in the same batch to be different degrees of hardness, remove the bowl of eggs from the microwave according to the egg needing the least amount of time – either a soft-boiled or medium-boiled egg. 

Put the soft-boiled egg into the ice water, and leave the other eggs in the hot water for a little while longer, but do not cook them anymore in the microwave.

For a medium-boiled egg, leave it in the hot water for 1 minute after cooking before putting it in the ice bath, and for a hard-boiled egg, leave it in the hot water for 2 minutes longer than it’s microwave cooking time.

What Is An Ice Bath?

An ice bath is a bowl with ice and water. The ice makes the water very cold, and when something hot comes in contact with this very cold temperature, cooking stops.

When the soft, medium, or hard-boiled eggs have reached the desired stage of texture and hardness of yolk and white, putting the eggs into the ice bath will allow the egg to retain that level of doneness.

Eggs should be allowed to sit in the ice water for about 30 seconds. This ensures that the eggs are still warm for eating.

How Can Hard-Boiled Eggs Be Peeled Without The Shell Pulling Off Pieces Of The Cooked Egg?

If you have hard-boiled the eggs because you intend to use them for egg salad, or for devilled eggs, you will want to peel the eggs.

It is disheartening when you have gone to the effort to boil a number of eggs, just to have them ruined because they do not peel cleanly.

To avoid this mishap, first let the eggs cool completely in the ice water. Second, roll the egg around on a hard surface, and three, make a small crack in one end of the egg by tapping it gently on a counter and breaking off the shell in pieces.

I peel eggs over a paper towel and when I’m finished I just scoop up the paper towel with all of the egg shell, and toss it in the compost bin.

How Many Eggs May Be Cooked In The Microwave At One Time?

Multiple eggs may be cooked in the microwave at once. What will determine how many you can cook at once will be 1. The size of your microwave, and 2. The size of the bowl you will be able to use.

It is important that each egg sit on the bottom of the bowl. The eggs should not be sitting on top of each other. This can cause the eggs to cook unevenly, and to have cracked shells as they may knock against each other.

If you have too many eggs for one batch, simply do the eggs in multiple batches.

How Can The Wattage Power Of A Microwave Affect The Cooking Time For Soft, Medium And Hard-Boiled Eggs?

Not all microwaves are the same size or have the same wattage. This can affect cooking times for boiled eggs. The table which appears earlier in this article is based on an 800 watt microwave.

Adjust the cooking time according to whether your microwave has less or more wattage.

Essentially, if your microwave is 700 watts, you will increase the cooking time stated in the chart by 20%, and you will continue to increase the cooking time by an additional 20% for each 100 watts less that 800.

Likewise, if your microwave is more powerful, you will need to decrease the cooking time by 20% for each 100 watts that your microwave is over 800 watts.

Is It Better To Use Free-Range Eggs?

Many people are advocates of free-range eggs, however there is absolutely no difference in how these eggs will cook compared to eggs that have come from chickens kept in hen houses.

There is no need to adjust cooking times or method if you are using free-range eggs. However, it is important to note that the table for the number of minutes for cooking is based on a standard large-sized egg.

If you are cooking larger eggs, you may need to add a little more cooking time to reach the desired hardness.

How Should Hard-Boiled Eggs Be Stored?

Hard-boiled eggs are wonderful to have on-hand for a quick addition to a school lunch, or a delicious adornment to a tossed salad. However you may wish to use your boiled eggs, it is an easy thing to store them.

After the eggs have completely cooled, place them in an airtight container with a paper towel placed in the bottom and set them in the refrigerator.

If you wish to put them in a lunch for work or school, you can pop the egg in a plastic container with a lid. A salt packet is also a good idea as cold, boiled eggs are very tasty on their own with just a little salt sprinkled on top.

How Long Will Hard-Boiled Eggs Keep In The Fridge?

Hard-boiled eggs keep very well in the refrigerator. You can count on using them for up to a week. Hard-boil a batch of eggs on the weekend in preparation for the coming week!

Is It Safe To Microwave Eggs?

There is no safety risk associated with microwaved eggs. It is a quick and easy process which produces a delicious-tasting result.

What Are Some Of The Uses Of Hard-Boiled Eggs?

Hard-boiled eggs, cooked in your microwave, may be used in many ways.

Many people enjoy eating a hard-boiled egg just as it is on its own. You may wish to eat it warm as soons as it has cooled long enough to handle. This is a great breakfast along with a slice of toast and fresh fruit.

If you don’t have time to eat your hard-boiled egg when it’s warm, you can set it in the fridge to enjoy later, packed in your lunch, or as a snack when you get home.

Hard-boiled eggs are what is called for when devilled eggs are on the menu. This requires the eggs to be fully cooled, then sliced.

The yolk is removed from the egg halves, put in a bowl, and mixed with mayonnaise, salt and pepper. This filing is then put back into the white part of the egg. A sprinkle of paprika makes an attractive touch.

An easy, but delicious option for hard-boiled eggs is the ever-popular egg salad which is used in sandwiches, and topped with crisp lettuce.

There are many recipes for egg salad, but it can be as simple as eggs chopped finely with a pastry blender, mayonnaise, and salt and pepper. 

If you want a quick and tasty variation, add a tin of flaked tuna and some grated cheddar cheese. Use this spread on an open hamburger bun, and toast it lightly in the oven.

• Author
• Recent Posts

Jess Smith

Hi, my name is Jess Smith, and I love cooking in my spare time. Around three years ago, I decided to give up my day job as a teacher to pursue my passion for food. While I have enjoyed sharing tips and tricks on Social Media, I have decided to expand my horizons through this blog.

Through this blog I hope to help others learn the basics and more intricate details of cooking. I know from personal experience how frustrating it can be to cook a meal, only to realize you are missing one ingredient from your list. This is why I love to write articles chatting readers through some great substitutes that can be used in an emergency.

I hope you will find this blog useful, and that it will help you to develop your culinary skills, to help you cook up a storm!

Latest posts by Jess Smith (see all)

• Top Main Differences Between Tagliatelle And Fettuccine Pasta - March 10, 2023
• The Main Differences Between Red And Green Jalapeno Peppers - March 10, 2023
• Perfect Griddle Cakes To Make Simply Delicious Recipes For The Meal - March 9, 2023