Never Microwave An Egg In Its Shell — Here's Why

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The microwave is your friend — until it isn't. Microwave ovens use radiation at a super small scale that isn't dangerous (unless you're inside the oven) to cook food. They blast "microwaves" that pass through the food you're heating and cause the water molecules to vibrate, creating heat. These microwaves reach whatever you're heating or reheating from about an inch to 1½ inches in depth. So, they will cook that exterior part, then conduction helps the heat reach deeper into the center of the food. That's why a microwave may be great for a small portion of oatmeal but will likely dry out a thick steak or pork chop (as it cooks out all the exterior moisture). But one thing you never want to do in a microwave is try to cook an egg in its shell because it's likely to explode.

Although eggshells are porous, allowing interior moisture to be released in many cooking methods, it just heats up too fast in a microwave. The steam from the liquid in the raw white and yolk builds up and can't be released through the shell, so the shell ultimately explodes. Even already cooked, shelled hard-boiled eggs can explode because there's still a lot of steam locked in the egg white. While there are plenty of ways to cook an egg in the microwave, you just gotta take it out of the shell first.

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Sure, you can simply crack an egg and cook it on a paper plate in the microwave, but you should pierce the yolk first at least a few times with a toothpick or fork to avoid steam buildup (and possible explosion). You should always use a microwave-safe cooking dish (a mug or ramekin will work). A little cooking spray or a thin coating of oil with some salt in the bottom will help the egg cook evenly. You can cover it with plastic wrap with one piece curled up for venting and cook it for about 30 seconds.

For a perfectly cooked over-easy egg in the microwave, you can preheat the plate for about 15 seconds, melt some butter on it, and crack an egg over the buttered plate before microwaving it for about 45 seconds. You can even flip it and put it back in the microwave if it's not cooked to your liking. That said, you still might want to pierce the yolk to avoid explosion. If the viral TikTok poached egg hack is any indication, you'll want to avoid adding water to your raw eggs.

If the microwave isn't your thing, but you don't want to mess with a pan on the stove, you can use some air fryer techniques to cook your eggs — scrambled, fried, it's all pretty easy. You can even poach your eggs in your air fryer in just about five minutes with no concern for explosions — all you need is a small dish and a little water. Then again, the microwave is always your friend, just approach it with some caution to avoid an explosion.