Is It Safe To Cook Raw Shrimp In A Microwave?

When it comes to cooking food in a microwave, the line drawn in the sand is tough to follow. Celebrity chefs like Gordon Ramsay aren't shy about sharing their feelings about the small appliance. Chef Ramsay tells Insider, "Ugh, I mean, microwaves are for lazy cooks." At the opposite end of the spectrum, famed Momofuko chef David Chang proclaimed, "The microwave is an amazing, amazing machine." But perhaps, the microwave is both, and we all just have to embrace there are times when laziness is okay. 

Clearly, you should avoid microwaving some foods because the microwave can alter their taste and texture and isn't safe. Per Eat This, Not That!, whole eggs are at the top of the list of foods that you should not cook in a microwave because they pose a risk of exploding after you take them out and could cause serious burns. And eggs are followed by hot chili peppers and processed meats. But what about crustaceans? Can you safely microwave raw shrimp in this culinary technology? And if you can, should you?

Per Cook Anyday, it is safe to cook raw shrimp in the microwave. Not only does Cook Anyday proclaim its safety, but they endorse cooking raw shrimp in the microwave. The cooking site shares that they tested this cooking method multiple times using a variety of microwaves. Their results were not only edible but delicious. The site even offers a handy dandy chart to help you determine how long you need to nuke your raw shrimp based on the amount and size of the shrimp you intend to cook. 

Although it's possible, you shouldn't be so quick to pop those sea creatures in your microwave because, according to Today.com, while you can safely cook your shrimp in the microwave, it doesn't mean you should. Katie Jackson wrote, "Microwaves are great for reheating leftovers, but when it comes to raw seafood, microwaves are not the way to go." Jackson says the end product is both "unpleasant" and "rubbery." Raw shrimp may not cook to their optimal flavor because of how a microwave works. Healthline explains that because water molecules have to speed up in such a short period of time, your food is susceptible to losing moisture, leaving it chewy and unappealing to your taste buds. 

So, in revisiting the Ramsay V. Chang arguments for and against using your microwave when it comes to cooking shrimp, it probably just depends on how lazy you are feeling.