You need to microwave your Cheesecake Factory leftovers but there aren’t any clean plates to put it on. What should you do?
Can you use the microwave safe Ziploc bags in the kitchen drawer?
You can put microwave safe Ziploc bags in the microwave. Just make sure the label says “microwave safe” on the box. If the Ziploc bags are not microwave safe, they could melt in the microwave.
Microwaving soups and stews in a Ziploc bag is trickier, so place the Ziploc bag in a bowl first before placing it in the microwave.
Microwaving food in a Ziploc bag is no one’s first choice. But it is simple and reduces mess and waste.
Some microwavable food bag brands are better than others. After testing, we suggest you stick with brand name microwave bags, as they hold it better in the microwave and they’re usually BPA free.
Can Ziploc Bags Be Microwaved?
Microwaving a Ziploc bag is not a common practice. Most people would rather empty the contents of the Ziploc bag into a Tupperware container or onto a plate and then heat it in the microwave.
We have all experienced a plastic storage container bag melting inside of the microwave.
Despite all this, yes, you can microwave a Ziploc bag. But not all microwaves expel the same amount of power in heat.
Plus, not all food storage container bags, like Ziploc bags, are made of the same material.
Some plastic bags are thinner, some are thicker, some stand up straight and certain plastic bags cannot go in the microwave because they are for freezer use only.
An easy way to find plastic food storage bags that hold up well in the microwave is reviews.
Product reviews from cooking and culinary websites, and reviews from mega stores like Walmart and Amazon, can help you select the right Ziploc bags.
Pros and Cons of Microwaving Food in Ziploc Bags
If you are still iffy about microwaving food in Ziploc bags, we have created a list of pros and cons to help you decide.
Those with time restraints or no energy to cook will find that microwaving food in Ziploc bags is helpful.
Those who prioritize waste reduction and environmental safety will not want to implement Ziploc bag cooking in their daily routine.
Pros
Absolutely No Mess
A microwavable Ziploc bag is essentially a plate, a pan, and a storage container all in one. Just place your leftovers in a bag and store them in the fridge.
When you’re hungry, take the bag of food out and place it flat in the microwave.
Heat the food inside until it is your desired temperature, pull out the bag, grab a fork, and start eating. When you’re done, throw the bag in the trash.
If you had not used a Ziploc bag, then you would have had to store your food in a plastic or glass container.
When you become hungry, you would have had to scoop the food out onto a plate to heat it in the microwave.
Substitute for Cooking
When you have a high quality microwavable Ziploc bag, cooking food in the microwave is now an option.
Hundreds of cookbooks are available online that are dedicated to microwaving as an alternative to stovetop cooking for foods like eggs, potatoes, and pasta.
No Need to Use Oil
In the anti-fat and oil craze of previous decades, the microwavable food storage bag was touted as a hero to mothers all across North America.
Mothers no longer had to cook their family’s meals with fattening oils. There may be less flavor in the food, but you can cook foods in the microwave without oil.
Cons
Bags Generate More Plastic Waste
Microwaving and eating from Ziploc bags is usually a one and done deal. Heat the food, eat the food, and throw the bag away.
There may not be a mess to clean, but you are making more trash than if you were to use plates, bowls and pans. On the upside, you won’t have to use water, since there are no dishes.
Reusing Ziploc bags is possible if the manufacturer made the bags with a durable material.
Some Ziploc bags are quite thin and will only last one microwave session. But some companies make their Ziploc bags extremely sick and durable.
Chemical Leaching
Our bodies absorb most of the ingredients, chemicals, minerals, and substances.
So if any harmful chemicals from the plastic bag ooze into the food during the microwaving process, we will eat those chemicals. And those chemicals may not be safe for human consumption.
What about chemical leaching? Will the chemicals in the ziplock bag soak into the food?
As we touched on slightly in the paragraph above, food sometimes absorbed some chemicals in the plastic bag.
BPA is a dangerous chemical and all of your food storage containers should be BPA free.
We as consumers need to be aware of chemical leaching. It affects our food, bodies, and our health.
We must tell our representatives in the FDA and EPA that we do not want healthy disrupting chemicals in our food storage container, no matter how cheap to manufacture.
Recipes You Can Microwave in a Ziploc Bag
If cooking in the microwave sounds simple and interesting, here are a few recipes you can try out.
Microwaved Eggs/Frittata
Microwaved eggs are quite similar to scrambled eggs.
They will have a firmer texture, but they are edible and you can add some seasonings and spices to them. You don’t even need to mix the scrambled eggs in a bowl.
If you want some cheese on your eggs, it would be better to cut the cheese as thin as possible and place it on top of the eggs.
If you add the cheese to the raw egg mixture and microwave it, the cheese will stick to the bag. You can also add green onions, tomatoes, black pepper, garlic powder, chives, butter to the egg mixture to give it some flavor.
French Toast
Crack an egg and squeeze the back so the yolk pops. Then add in some honey, salt, vanilla and milk. Mix them all together.
Cut a piece of bread in half and place both pieces on the bed. Put the egg mixture onto the bread by squeezing and moving the size of the bag.
Then place the bag in the microwave and cook the French toast for 1 minute. If the egg is still runny, cook for another minute.
Sweet Potatoes and Honey
Heating a sweet potato, or any type of potato, is simple to do. First, wash the potato thoroughly and remove some of the skin if you dislike its texture.
Then poke a bunch of holes all over the sweet potato so that the steam can escape.
Place in the microwave and cook on high for 5 minutes. When it is tender, place a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of honey into the bag.
Warning About Fish
Do not microwave fish. This warning is more about the smell of fish in the microwave than it is about the plastic disintegrating in the microwave.
The plastic will hold up just fine, but the smell of microwaved cooked salmon, tuna, or cod will coat itself onto the metal of the microwave.
For the next 2 weeks, the stink of fish will glaze the smell and flavor of any food you place into the microwave. It’s not worth it. It’s better to reheat it on the stove.
Conclusion to Microwaving Ziploc Bags
Yes, you can microwave a Ziploc bag. But not all plastic storage container bags are made equally.
Some will hold up in the microwave quite well and others will disintegrate and leave a runny mess. It is best to check if a ziplock bag is microwave safe. The label should be on the side of the box.
Like leaving your food in the ziplock bag and I’ll still be a substitute for cooking. If your Ziploc bags are not BPA free, then do not use them.
