Can You Really Cook Chicken In The Microwave?

No kitchen appliance can do everything, no matter how many unique dishes you can make in your air fryer or how many casseroles your Instant Pot can whip up. That said, the microwave is arguably the first appliance that ever made heating and cooking food easier than people thought possible. A quick two-minute zap and you've got a whole bag of popcorn.

Although we can all finally trust a microwave to cook up a cup of instant noodles (without the questionable Styrofoam cup), can we go so far as to trust this little radiation box to cook raw poultry? Well, it's definitely not as simple as tossing an uncooked bird on a microwave-safe plate and hitting the dinner button, but it can be done with some technique. The USDA says cooking meat in the microwave is possible, but you need to be sure your food reaches a certain internal temperature to prevent the ingestion of harmful bacteria.

While it does take more attention to detail than baking or stovetop cooking, cooking chicken in a microwave is often much faster. Cooking a chicken breast in a pan can take up to 20 minutes or up to 40 minutes in the oven, but in the microwave you can get it done in less than 15. Here's what you need to know if you want to cook your chicken in a microwave safely and flavorfully.

As detailed by the USDA, chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit to be considered safe to eat. You should use a food thermometer to be sure your chicken reaches this temperature when it cooks in the microwave. Microwaves tend not to cook food evenly, leaving some parts cold or undercooked.

For this reason, the best way to cook chicken in the microwave is to cover it and rotate or flip it twice during the process so all sides are being cooked. Covering the chicken helps to trap steam and essentially maintain the juiciness of the chicken so you don't end up with overcooked, dried out poultry. Although you're not cooking the chicken in a traditional way, seasoning it well is still a key part to creating a flavorful dish.

At the end of the day, if you're in a pinch or simply don't want to deal with dirty pans, cooking chicken in your microwave can be a quick solution. You can even come back to the microwave if you end up with leftovers that need a speedy reheat.