Spam is a delicious canned food made from pork shoulder and ham. Most people like to eat Spam in warm condition and there are many ways to cook Spam at home. So, can you microwave Spam? The answer is yes but you need to learn how and how long to cook it properly.
Spam comes as a single meat piece packed in a cylinder-shaped can (container). You need to cut it as per your choice and need for cooking it. To get better taste out of Spam, you should microwave it for a while and then serve warm in the plate.
Is Spam Already Cooked?
Yes, Spam is already cooked when it was packed in the can. All canned food items are cooked completely or half before they are packed.
Spam is a kind of meat/pork made from the shoulder of pork and ham. The raw meat takes longer to get cooked, so the makers cook it before packing to save your time. They cook Spam with salt and some flavors & preservatives to provide proper color and better taste for months.
Is It Safe to Cook Spam in the Microwave?
Yes, it is safe to cook Spam in the microwave and it is also quicker. There are some myths, about cooking Spam and other meat in the microwave, that you should not believe. Because the myths are baseless and don’t have evidence about the harms caused by cooking Spam in the microwave.
- Myth-1: The radiation of the microwave is harmful for Spam and can contaminate it.
- Myth-2: The microwave does not cook Spam evenly i.e. from all sides.
- Myth-3: Cooking Spam in the Microwave will change/lose its original flavor/taste.
- Myth-4: The heat inside the microwave will make the Spam dry.
All 4 myths mentioned above have nothing to do with the reality of any microwave device. So, you should avoid these myths and cook Spam in the microwave to get it ready to eat ASAP.
How to Cook Spam in the Microwave
Cooking Spam in the microwave is easier than you think because the Spam is already cooked. The makers cook it first and then pack the same in its can/container. It means that the Spam comes pre-cooked and you just need to reheat it in the microwave.
4 Simple Steps to Cook Spam in the Microwave
The microwave can cook any food with its heat waves and advanced technology. You can microwave Spam to heat it up to enjoy eating it warm with bread or eggs or as you like. Here I provide 4 quick steps for cooking Spam in the microwave as follows.
Step-1: Get Spam Out of the Can
You can microwave Spam but you have to open its can and get it out. I strongly advice not to cook Spam Can in the microwave, first get it out of the can and then microwave it in a microwave-safe plate or bowl.
Open the Spam Can with help of an opener and remove its top cover. Use a spoon or similar tool to get Spam out of the can and place it in a plate.
Step-2: Cut Spam into Slices
The Spam is quite thick, you should not microwave the whole thick piece of Spam because it won’t get cooked properly. The heat waves should pass through Spam to cook or heat it up. Therefore you should cut Spam into slices, you can use a sharp knife to do that.
If you put whole Spam in the microwave, it will heat up some parts and some will remain cool/unheated. On the other hand, the microwave can heat up Spam slices faster and better from all sides. So, it will provide better flavor and taste from Spam if you microwave it after cutting into slices.
Step-3: Microwave Spam for 30 Seconds
After cutting Spam into slices, place the slices in a microwave-safe plate or bowl. You can put all or some slices to cook in the microwave as per your need. Please keep each Spam slice away from the other in the plate.
Put the plate with Spam slices in the microwave and run it at full power for 30 seconds. Check the slices to know if they are heated up fully or not. If the Spam slices are still not fully warm then microwave them for 15-20 seconds more.
Step-4: Get Spam Out of Microwave
Finally, the Spam slices are microwaved and ready to serve on the dining table. You should open the microwave door and get the plate out. Thereafter pick each slice of Spam carefully and serve it in the meal plate of your family members.
You can enjoy eating Spam slices with eggs, buns, fried rice, cheese and other things. So, this is the easiest way to microwave Spam and enjoy eating it with your family and friends.
Should You Wash Spam before Cooking?
Yes, you should wash Spam before cooking to reduce its too salty taste. I have met many people who use Spam on a regular basis and most of them complain about the salt in Spam. If you are one of those people, you can reduce the salt from Spam by washing it with water.
You can soak the Spam in regular water for 10 minutes in a bowl in which you should change water every 3 minutes. This process will remove much salt from Spam so that you can enjoy eating it. Soaking Spam for longer may affect its flavor and taste, so don’t keep it in water for too long.
If you are in a hurry and want to eliminate salt from Spam, you can simply wash it in the kitchen sink. Just place the Spam under the sink tap, turn on the tap and wash it with tap water for 15 to 20 seconds. This process isn’t as effective as soaking method but it still removes some salt from the Spam.
Can I Eat Spam without Cooking It?
Yes, you can eat Spam without cooking it in the microwave or stove or oven or air fryer. The Spam is a ready-to-eat food that you can eat right out of the can. So, you can eat Spam without cooking it as it is already cooked. In case you like Spam warm then you need to microwave it for 30 to 50 seconds.
The Spam Sandwich is favorite for many people, while some people like Macaroni-Cheese Spam Dish. If you want to make such a dish from Spam then you have to cook it in the microwave or over or air fryer.
What to Do with Leftover Spam
The Spam is used to prepare many different dishes. Therefore people buy Spam in bulk as a pack of 12 or 24 so that they can use it as and when needed. Sometimes you need only a half can of Spam, so you wonder what you can do with the leftover Spam.
The leftover spam needs a safe storage to stay as good as it was when you got it out of the can. You should put the leftover Spam in the refrigerator until you get it into use again. The refrigerator keeps the Spam cool and fresh for a long period.
Can I Boil Spam in Water?
Yes, you can boil Spam in water but it may lose salt as well as some of its taste and flavor. Boiling Spam in water is not a risky task but it’s not needed at all. The Spam is already cooked, you just need to reheat it in the microwave for 30-50 seconds and it’s ready to eat.
You should boil Spam only if you want to prepare Spam Soup or a similar dish. But I recommend you to fry Spam before boiling it in water. The fried Spam can preserve its flavor and taste compared to unfried Spam, so first fry Spam and then boil it to make your favorite dish.
What Nutrients Does Spam Have?
Spam is packed with so many nutrients that a human body needs on daily basis. But you may not know much about it as nobody talks about it in general. I have done a tiny research and found that Spam has so many vitamins and nutrients to be a part of your routine diet.
Spam is made of pork with ham, salt, sugar, water, modified potato scratch and sodium nitrate. The one can of Spam contains 6 servings. Here I provide all important information about Spam Nutritional Information for one serving of Spam as follows.
- Total: 180 Calories
- Protein: 7-gram
- Total Fat: 16-gram (Saturated Fat: 6-gram, Trans Fat: Zero)
- Cholesterol: 40-mg
- Sodium: 790-mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 1-gram
- Dietary Fiber: Zero
- Total Sugar: 1-gram (Include 1-gram Added Sugar)
- Vitamin D: Zero
- Calcium: Zero
- Iron: 2%
- Potassium: 2%
The Spam provides 7-gram of protein with high calories and some carbohydrate. It is low in sugar and cholesterol, while it doesn’t contain trans fat or dietary fiber. It has a high amount of salt which you must consider at the time of purchase.
The regular Spam Can has 790-mg sodium in one serving, while the less sodium version of Spam has 580-mg sodium in one serving. If you don’t want more salt in your Spam then go with the less sodium Spam. You can also try Spam Lite, Spam Hickory Smoke, Spam Jalapeno, Spam Teriyaki and other varieties.
FAQs about How to Cook Spam in the Microwave
You can cook Spam on the stovetop, in the air fryer, oven and also in the microwave. The method of cooking Spam varies with the cooking appliance you choose. Here I provide some common questions about how to cook Spam in the microwave to help you understand it better.
Kindly follow all FAQs about microwaving Spam and their answers given below.
Q.1 Can you microwave Spam?
Yes, you can microwave Spam as it is completely safe to cook Spam in the microwave.
Q.2 What is the best way to cook Spam?
The best way to cook Spam is to cut Spam into slices, put slices in a microwave-safe plate and cook it in the microwave for 30 to 50 seconds.
Q.3 How do you cook Spam without a stove?
You can use the microwave to cook Spam without a stove or oven or air fryer. Actually, cooking Spam in the microwave is easier than cooking it on a stove. The microwave also cooks Spam quicker than he stove.
Q.4 How long should I microwave my Spam?
You should microwave your Spam for 30 seconds to 50 seconds. If you don’t feel Spam warm enough after 30 seconds then microwave it for 20 seconds more. Don’t microwave Spam longer than 1 minute unless you are cooking Spam in a large quantity.
The bottom line: My Experience of Microwaving Spam
Now, you know that you can cook Spam in the microwave to get it warm before eating. A few years back, I bought a Spam Classic Can and I tried to eat it right out of the box. It was good but not too yummy. Then I microwaved it for 45 seconds and then its taste was much better than earlier.
I am an enthusiastic person who loves doing new experiments. A few months back, I microwaved Spam for 2 minutes and guess what? Its taste was changed which indicated that I overcooked it. So, I realized that Spam gets ready in less than one minute in the microwave.
At the end, I suggest you to check different varieties of Spam available to choose your desired flavor pack. You should consider the amount of sodium, sugar, trans fat and cholesterol if you or anyone in your family has a serious health problem related to these ingredients.
