My microwave lemon curd is fast, foolproof, and bursting with flavor. Honestly, there’s no lemon recipe that delivers more joy with less effort.
Microwave lemon curd is a game changer!
You’ll go from a whole lemon to a glossy jar of lemony gold in minutes. I will never make lemon curd any other way.
Nothing tastes quite as vibrant as homemade lemon curd ~ the vibrant flavor is 100% better than store bought. And sometimes a great recipe can become even better with the advent of new technology or a new technique. Turns out the microwave does a better, quicker job of making lemon curd. The texture is perfect, and the flavor is especially vibrant.
let’s dig in
Microwave lemon curd ingredient notes
Curd isn’t jam’s cousin—it’s a whole different thing. Where jam gets its texture from fruit and sugar alone, curd uses eggs for richness and body, turning juice into something silky, spoonable, and almost custard-like.
FRESH LEMON JUICE ~ I don’t recommend using bottled juice, the flavor just isn’t as good. You can use regular or Meyer lemons.
LARGE EGGS ~ they’re the backbone of curd ~ they thicken the mixture as they gently cook, transforming liquid juice into a silky non-dairy custard!
SUGAR ~ tempers the acidity of the lemon and stabilizes the eggs as they cook.
BUTTER ~ adds body, enhances mouthfeel, and gives the curd its characteristic glossy finish. I use salted butter because even in sweet curds a small amount of salt enhances the fruit flavor.
3 top tips for microwaving lemon curd
- Measure accurately.
- Microwave for 1 minute at a time, whisking or stirring in between.
- Stop when it is thickened and coats the back of a spoon. (An instant read thermometer is VERY handy: eggs begin to thicken around 160°F (71°C) and fully set by 170–175°F (77–80°C) ~ that’s your sweet spot for smooth curd.
Why wattage matters
Microwave wattage affects how fast and how quickly your lemon curd cooks. Knowing your wattage will help you follow this recipe. The microwave I used for this recipe is 1200 watts. Anywhere from 1000 ~ 1200 is pretty standard for newer microwaves. But even if yours is lower, you can still make this, it will just take a minute or two longer.
How to find your microwave’s wattage
Check the sticker
- Look inside the microwave door, on the back, or underneath the unit.
- You’re looking for something like “1000W” or “1200W.”
Google it
- Find the model number (usually on the same sticker) and search “[your model] wattage” online.
How to use your microwave lemon curd
- with scones
- on pound cake
- in a pavlova
- in a trifle
- as a cookie filling
- as a cake filling
- as a crumble bar filling
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Microwave Lemon Curd
Equipment
- microwave
- mesh strainer
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a large microwave safe bowl (I use a 1 quart pyrex measuring cup) whisk together the 3/4 cup sugar, 3 large egg yolks, and 1 large egg until well combined. Whisk in the 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice.
- Microwave the bowl on high for one minute. Remove and whisk thoroughly.
- Microwave the bowl for another minute on high, and remove and whisk again.
- Microwave on high for a third minute, remove and stir well. The mixture should have reached 175F* and coat the back of your spoon. Check with an instant read thermometer.
- Slowly stir in the 1/2 cup butter that has been cut in cubes, a few cubes at a time, allowing them to melt as you stir.
- Push the curd through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Be sure to scrape off the curd that clings to the bottom of the strainer, you don't want to miss one drop!
- Cool the curd at room temperature, then refrigerate until cold. The lemon curd will thicken as it chills.
- Keeps in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze for up to 2 months.
Notes
No, you can’t can curd
Fruit curds aren’t safe for home canning because they contain eggs and butter, which makes it too unpredictable for reliable home preservation.
Best practice: Store curd in the fridge for up to 10 days, or freeze it for longer storage.
Some folks are still wary of the microwave
Microwave cooking is safe and well-studied over decades of research. It heats food by agitating water molecules ~ nothing more ~ and often retains more nutrients than other methods like boiling or sautéing. Microwaving is one of the safest ways to cook!
Make lemon curd on the stove
My curd can also be made the traditional way, on the stove.
- Cook the curd
- In a saucepan, whisk together the lemon juice, sugar, egg and yolks. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon—about 5–10 minutes. Don’t let it boil.
- Add the butter
- Remove from heat and whisk in the butter, a few pieces at a time, until smooth and glossy.
- Strain
- Strain your curd through a fine mesh sieve. This will remove any solids and leave a velvety smooth texture.
- Let cool
- Then refrigerate until cold before using.
Beautiful and easy! Was going to try the blender version but my Ninja is only 600. So happy this worked!
I love having all these different ways to make curd, but I have to say this is by far my fave.
This is a game changer. Took about 10 minutes and the longest part was squeezing that delicious lemon juice. The curd was creamy and tart. My microwave is 800 watts and after 3 minutes the curd was 180 – but it was great.
Two questions. Will the recipe work doubled? The cook time is 3 minutes so I did it twice but it would be nice to just double. Second – will it work for other citrus ( I would assume yes) and fruits like blueberry, passion fruit? I’m going to have fun trying!
So happy you had fun with this Louise. I haven’t tried to double it because I can never go through that much curd quick enough, so you’d have to experiment. Yes it works for all citrus, I’ve made pink grapefruit, etc. And as for other fruits it does work but instead of juice you use a puree, and it tends to cook faster, so watch it. I’m just about to share an incredible apricot curd in the next day or so!
I made shortcake bars with the lemon curd and a 9×13 required 2 cups of curd! The bars were so good with your curd
I make thumbprint lemon cookies that I put a dollop of lemon curd in the centers of. I ALWAYS “grouse” about the cost of lemon curd @ the grocers, but made it stove-top ONE TIME, and then said they don’t charge ENOUGH for the stuff!! I’m DELIGHTED to say this was absolutely MAH-VELOUS!! And our microwave is 1000 watts, and it was spot-on 175 after third nuke.
And absentminded ME FORGOT the butter I’d cubed on the counter until AFTER the curd had been in the icebox for 8 – 10 minutes or so!! In a PANIC I nuked it 30 seconds, whisked in per instructions, and all was well! W-H-E-W!! My go to for lemon curd now, TANX!!!
Glad you enjoyed this, it is one of the great innovations for lemon lovers 🙂
Sue this recipe blew my mind. I’ve been making lemon curd for years the regular way, it’s kind of my thing and I almost didn’t try this. But I wanted something colorful on my Easter table on Sunday morning so I went for it. Wow. I had Meyer lemons (I’m in California) and it was so easy, and incredibly silky and glossy, just like you say! I’ll never doubt you again!!