Can You Cook Fish in the Microwave?
Are thinking about cooking fish in a microwave. But not sure if this is possible? Yes, you can cook fish in a microwave. And microwaving it is a quick and easy way to prepare fish dinner.
More so, microwave cooks fish thoroughly. And microwaved fish can come out very good. Plus, there are many ways you can cook fish in a microwave. Let us discuss several of them.
Microwaving is quick and does not destroy fish nutrients and proteins as much as boiling. Baking, or even frying also destroys fish more than microwaving it.
What Microwaving Fish Does?
By cooking fish in the microwave, you will end up with tasty and delicious fish. And also with useful and fulfilling fish dish after microwaving.
Now, the microwave works by affecting organic fish matter (fat) and liquid in it on a molecular level. Fish meat is soft and contains plenty of liquid and good fat. That is why microwaving fish is such easy and quick way to prepare fish meals.
You can cook different fish dishes using the microwave. You can add different flavors suited to your needs.
You can microwave fish whole or after cutting it into pieces. Cutting fish before microwaving will make the process even faster.
There are hundreds of ways to cook fish in the microwave. By the way, microwave works equally well for either ocean or freshwater fish.
How Long Do You Cook Fish in the Microwave?
Microwaving is probably the fastest way to cook fish. Depending on the watts power of your microwave, you can cook it in under 10 minutes. Even, as quickly as 2-3 minutes.
Therefore, having a good microwave is not just a fancy luxury. Microwave can be a good tool for cooking easily many different dishes.
The whole process of preparing and cooking fish in the microwave should take no more than 15-20 minutes if you do it right.
However, try not to overcook fish in the microwave, as microwaving removes moisture from the fish. See my note above about it affecting liquid.
Many chefs recommend cooking it in stages.
Microwaving Fish Method 1.
Season raw fish according to your preferences – salt, pepper, garlic, herbs, etc. Wrap your fish in a microwave-safe good quality plastic bag. Or put it in a zip-top microwavable bag.
Chefs recommend wrapping fish well to prevent excess steam from escaping fish. This will prevent fish from drying out in the microwave.
Squeeze the air out of wrapped fish. Put fish on a microwave-safe plate and put that plate with fish in your microwave.
Alternatively, instead of wrapping the fish itself, you can use the common method of putting fish on the plate and covering a plate with microwavable plastic. This method will trap heat and moisture.
Note: Recommended to always wrap fish (and any other food) in a microwave wrap because microwaves remove moisture from organic matter.
Some chefs recommend putting thick meaty fish like salmon in microwave for 3-5 minutes on a 1,000-watt setting to be fully cooked.
Smaller, thinner fish cooks quicker. Cooking fish will take a few minutes longer if you set the microwave on lower. On the other hand, higher watt settings on the microwave may shorten fish cooking time.
But beware that higher settings may cause fish to burst. Or fish can explode inside the microwave in the process. While that will not destroy your microwave, cleaning inside after that can be a pain.
Meat or fish burst into small, tiny pieces in the microwave. You will have to clean the whole inside to make sure you remove excess organic matter.
Therefore, other chefs recommend fish to cook a little longer but on medium settings of 500-700 watts. But I tend to agree with many chefs. Better to cook fish faster on a higher setting to preserve nutrients and taste. Except, when fish is not fully unfrozen (see below section on cooking frozen fish in a microwave).
These are approximate times for cooking fish in the microwave:
400-700 watts | 6-10 minutes but until fork flakes fish meat easily. Chefs recommend cooking fish on higher settings. |
700-800 watts | 3-7 minutes but until fork flakes fish meat easily |
800-1000 watts | 2-5 minutes but until fork flakes fish meat easily |
The microwave I use varies because I travel often. There are a few microwaves that I used.
How Can You Tell if Fish is Fully Cooked in the Microwave?
Microwaving Fish Method 2. Prevent fish from bursting or exploding.
Same as above but set microwave an average watt power for 1-2 minutes and start it. After the microwave finishes, open the door and turn the fish on the other side. Do it again.
Important: fish absolutely must be fully cooked before you eat it to avoid severe food poisoning. The fish must be opaque all around and must be easily poked with a fork or toothpick. Now it is ready.
But for more precautions, you can double-check as follows. Open microwave. Smell the fish. Does it smell cooked?
Is it soft or still a little bit tough on a touch? Can you easily put a fork or toothpick into it?
Open it – is the meat white/opaque? Or light pink if it is redfish like salmon? If so, then it is cooked.
If not – then repeat the process for 30 seconds to a minute. Yes, that is seconds, not minutes. Fish cooks fast in a microwave.
TIP: You can set the microwave to a higher watt power. But then fish may explode after 1 minute of cooking in microwave.
In such a case do not cook for more than 1-1.5 minutes at each stage if you do it on high microwave settings.
You need a good microwave-safe plastic bag. It keeps fish together if it accidentally explodes. So that you will not have to clean the microwave each time after microwaving your fish meals.
Some chefs even put a tablespoon of white wine in the fish before microwaving fish. Fish absorbs wine in the process and gives a slightly different taste. I personally never tried it.
You can cover the plate with fish with another plate and before putting it into the microwave. If you want to save on plastic bags. Add water to that plate before cooking fish. But the result may not be as good as when you use microwave-safe plastic or a tightly closed bowl.
Below is a quick less than 1-minute video instruction for how to cook fish in the microwave
Can You Cook Frozen Fish in the Microwave?
How do you cook frozen fish in the microwave? That is easy. There are several ways to cook frozen fish in a microwave.
One most common way is to thaw fish filet in cold running water. It will defrost rather quickly.
However, I am green-conscious when it comes to water and monthly water bill. I have seen recommendations to leave fish in a bowl of cold water. Then change that water a few times because water absorbs cold from frozen fish. The same water slowly stops defrosting fish so quickly.
Wow, these are heavy tips, I must tell you.
Some simply put frozen fish in the sink for 3-5 hours. I did it many times too.
Wait till fish is completely thawed and soft without any traces of ice. Now you can place it on a microwave-safe dish and start cooking as described earlier in this article.
Just do not keep fish too long at room temperature to avoid it going bad quickly.
Alternatively, you can put frozen fish in a regular fridge. It should defrost over about overnight or a little longer.
Another quick way is to defrost fish on a low microwave (or on the “defrost” setting). This will be about 200-300 watts of power. The problem with this method is that some parts of fish may start cooking while other parts will still be defrosting.
Defrosting fish in the microwave on higher settings may make it stiff and rubbery. So, defrosting must always be done on minimal settings.
People on forums recommend turning fish over halfway when cooking. Please make sure the fish is completely thawed.
Fish may cook unevenly, or even get an unpleasant taste or uncooked parts in it if not thawed well enough. Those parts can contain very harmful bacteria.
However, the ultimate advice comes from the FDA’s website. Essentially, FDA tells that you can defrost fish quickly by putting it into a plastic bag and immersing in cold water.
Or by microwaving frozen fish on a low defrost setting. Stop microwave defrosting when fish is still a little bit icy, but pillable.
Yet another ultimate advice is as follows. Take frozen fish and immerse it in water slightly less than room temperature – 15C-25C (Celsius). Leave fish there for an hour or two. No need to use running water. I think this worked best for unfreezing fish.
Well, you have so many opinions now. All you must do is to try these methods and see which one works for you.
Those people on forums also recommend putting the microwave on medium (about 400-700 watts) to avoid previously frozen fish becoming stiff and rubbery.
It usually takes 2-3 minutes to cook fish on one side. Then 2-3 minutes to cook it on another side. That is for about 1-inch think fillet.
Whole unfrozen fish, and fish of larger size, probably may cook just a couple of minutes longer. Probably about 3-5 minutes for each side.
Below is a more detailed video from a teen cook’s YouTube channel about how to microwave fish. I found it to be useful
More Tips for Cooking Fish in a Microwave
Like anything else, the microwave may cook fish unevenly. Make sure you place fish evenly on a plate.
DO not stack fish upon each other. One level is enough. Otherwise, your fish may cook unevenly.
Cutting fish into pieces may help you to arrange it evenly on a plate.
Fish continues to cook even a little bit after the microwave oven stops and signals it is finished. It takes time for molecules to calm down.
Note: microwaving fish may leave plenty of smell. So, do not try it on-premises where you cannot air or ventilate. Your friends, family members, or coworkers may not appreciate the lingering long-lasting smell of fish.
In the end, now you know quite a few tricks or tips about whether you can cook fish in the microwave oven. And now you have several tips about how to cook that fish in the microwave.
One more short video how to cook salmon in microwave.