How to Cook an Egg Breakfast in the Microwave

For a quick, convenient, and protein-packed breakfast, try making egg scrambles in a mug in the microwave. Made with eggs, egg whites, or liquid egg substitute, egg mugs can be loaded up with your favorite vegetables, cheese, and spices for a nutritious start to your day. 

Egg mugs are a versatile dish that can be customized to fit your diet and tastes. If you're following the keto diet or a low-carb eating plan, you can make them with whole eggs and full-fat dairy. If you are following a low-fat eating plan, use egg whites or fat-free egg substitute and low-fat cheese.

Tools

You'll want to make sure that you have the right tools to cook your egg breakfast. Be sure that the tools are microwave safe.

• Large, microwave-safe mug: When you prepare eggs in the microwave, they puff up as they cook, so you'll need a sizable mug to avoid overflowing and spills. The mug should hold at least 16 ounces and be both tall and wide. If you don't have a mug this large, use a microwave-safe bowl.
• Microwave: This recipe is formulated for a standard 1,100-watt microwave. You may need to adjust the cook time depending on your microwave's size.
• Nonstick cooking spray: This is the key to avoiding the otherwise inevitable stuck-on egg bits.

Ingredients

You can customize your egg mug to be a different flavor every day. Here are the basics of what you will need, along with ideas for variations.

Eggs or Egg Substitute

Liquid egg substitute, like Egg Beaters, is a convenient and low-calorie option for making egg mugs and is essentially egg whites with added nutrients. One-half cup of fat-free egg substitute has about 60 calories, 0g fat, and no cholesterol.

Two large eggs, by comparison, have around 150 calories, 10g fat, and more than 400 mg of cholesterol. You can also use three egg whites, which has virtually the same nutrition profile as egg substitutes.

Cheese

Cheese makes an egg scramble creamier and tastier, but a 1/4-cup serving of full-fat cheese can add over 200 calories to the dish. Some lower calorie alternatives:

• Reduced-fat feta crumbles: For a Greek-inspired egg mug, add feta. One wedge of feta (1.33 oz) has about 100 calories and 8g fat.
• Shredded reduced-fat cheese: A 1/4-cup serving has around 80 calories and 5.5g fat, but two to three tablespoons is all it takes to get a lot of flavor. There are plenty of varieties to choose from, such as cheddar, Swiss, mozzarella, and blends like Mexican or Italian.
• The Laughing Cow Light cheese: One wedge adds creaminess and flavor, at just 30 calories and 1.5g fat.

Vegetables

When it comes to vegetables, there are no wrong choices. Just heat frozen vegetables before mixing with the eggs. Chop fresh vegetables to similar sizes, so that they all soften up in the same amount of time.

Extras

Add more protein and flavor with chopped breakfast sausage (choose low-fat sausage if you are watching fat), ground beef or beef-style soy crumbles, shredded or chopped chicken breast, crumbled center-cut bacon or turkey bacon, or fat-free refried beans.

Spices and Herbs

To keep your egg mug from getting boring, add flavor without calories with herbs and spices such as garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cumin, basil, or cilantro. For a shortcut, try taco seasoning, fajita seasoning, Italian seasoning, or salt-free seasoning blends, like Mrs. Dash.

Condiments

Add a kick of heat to your egg mug by adding a little salsa, pico de gallo, or hot sauce, like Frank's RedHot or Sriracha. For blander flavor, add ketchup or sour cream, which goes great with Mexican-style dishes.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these instructions to prepare your egg mug in just minutes.

1. Coat inside of mug with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Add veggies, microwave until softened, and blot dry.
3. Stir in eggs or egg substitute.
4. Microwave for 90 seconds.
5. Stir in cheese, extras, and herbs.
6. Microwave until egg is set and extras are hot; about 1 minute.
7. Top with condiments

To clean up, immediately soak the mug in warm, soapy water for a few minutes, then wash, It will be much more difficult to clean once any remaining egg hardens.