How to Microwave Yorkshire Puddings

Everyone knows that no roast dinner is complete without the star of the show…. no, not the meat or the mash, the Yorkshire puddings! Despite their deceiving name, Yorkshire puddings are not a sweet pudding but a savoury side dish made of a simple batter. 

Each family will have their own way of making Yorkshire puddings, but some core steps in the cooking process must be followed to achieve the perfect texture. 

Because of these crucial steps, Yorkshire puddings are traditionally made in the oven. But if you run out of space in your oven, can you use the microwave instead to make your Yorkshire puddings? Yes, you can…

To microwave Yorkshire puddings, make your usual batter, then warm oil in a microwave-safe mug. Once hot, add the batter and microwave for 2 to 3 minutes.

How to Microwave Yorkshire Puddings

When using a microwave to cook your Yorkshire puddings, there are a few critical differences in the cooking process. Remember that a microwave is best for making 1 or 2 at a time. 

Here is the best way to microwave your Yorkshire puddings: 

1. Make The Batter
   Before you start cooking your Yorkshire puddings in the microwave, you first need to make the batter. Just follow the instructions for your favourite Yorkshire pudding batter.
2. Add Oil 
   Pour a few tablespoons of neutral oil into a microwaveable bowl or mug. 
3. Warm The Oil 
   Place the mug into your microwave and heat it for 30 seconds or until the oil is very hot. 
4. Add The Batter
   As soon as the oil is hot enough, pour the pudding batter into the mug roughly halfway. Do so as quickly as possible.
5. Cook 
   Then, place the mug back into the microwave and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. You want to achieve a delicious golden-brown colour before serving. 

How to Microwave Yorkshire Puddings Successfully

Some may be a little dubious about using a microwave for cooking their Yorkshire puddings as it strays so far from the traditional cooking method.

So here are a few tips you can use to ensure you can make the best microwaved Yorkshire puddings possible: 

• Split The Batter – Unless you want to be wasting a lot of Yorkshire pudding batter, you will want to split your pudding batter by 1/4 or more when using a microwave. Make sure to split all the ingredients in the same amount to avoid an oddly textured pudding. 
• Use Neutral Oil – Yorkshire puddings mostly have a pancake egg taste that is subtle enough not to overpower the rest of your dinner. But unless you use a neutral oil, you risk changing their flavour and ruining the balance of your dish. 
• Add The Batter Quickly – After you have heated the oil, you need to add the Yorkshire pudding batter as quickly as possible otherwise, you will not be able to achieve a crispy outside to the puddings. 

Why You Should Microwave Yorkshire Puddings

A microwave is full of uses which is why you will find nearly every house in the UK with one. The possibilities of a microwave are endless, which is why there are plenty of reasons to use a microwave for cooking your Yorkshire puddings, such as: 

Saves Oven Space 

Cooking a roast meal is as much a juggling act as a skill. Figuring out when to cook the veg and where to place the meat for the most tender finish can cause much more stress than a single dinner is worth.

Using a microwave to cook your Yorkshire puddings eliminates 1 need for space in the oven, giving you a little more freedom to cook the other dishes. 

Perfect For One

The issue with making Yorkshire puddings is that you always seem to make too much batter and have to fill your freezer with an entire left-over batch of Yorkshire puddings only to throw them away in a few months because you have forgotten to eat them.

When using a microwave for cooking your Yorkshire puddings, you are limited to only 1 or 2 at a time, which helps to prevent making an obscene number of puddings by accident. 

Simple And Easy 

Many people refuse to make their own Yorkshire puddings because of how hard they are to perfect in the oven.

Cooking Yorkshire puddings in the microwave is much easier. So long as you have a decent Yorkshire pudding batter recipe to follow, a microwave is a quick and easy way to make Yorkshire puddings. 

Why You Shouldn’t Microwave Yorkshire Puddings

There are always some downsides to microwaving food that is typically reliant on an oven.

Yorkshire puddings are a temperamental dish that relies on both sizzling hot oil and intense but consistent heat to develop their unique texture. Here are the kind of things you will be missing out on if you microwave your Yorkshire puddings: 

Won’t Get The Crisp

No matter how hot you can get your oil in the microwave, the small appliance simply won’t be able to provide the kind of dry heat you need to make the crispy outer shell.

You may not be a fan of very crispy Yorkshire puddings, in which case this won’t be much of an issue, but for those that are, you will not get the perfect crispiness that makes the puddings so moreish. 

Limited Space 

Even the most expensive microwaves have their limitations regarding space, meaning that you can only make 1 or 2 Yorkshire puddings at a time.

You may make more if you use smaller mugs, but you won’t be able to make a whole batch of the puddings like in an oven. 

No Rise! 

It is the intense hot oil and immediate dry heat of the oven that makes the Yorkshire pudding rise when made traditionally.

A microwave will not offer the same dry heat limiting the amount that the Yorkshire puddings will be able to rise. You are more likely to end up with flat than puffy puddings. 

Microwaving Yorkshire Puddings FAQs

Do you have further questions about microwaving Yorkshire puddings? Then these FAQs might help: