Easy Microwave Citrus Curd Recipe (2024)

Easy Microwave Citrus Curd ~ turn any fresh citrus juice (including blood orange, tangerine, and Meyer lemon) into a luxurious, creamy spread in only minutes, right in your microwave!

The microwave doesn’t get enough credit for all the amazing things it can do. Today I’m harnessing its awesome power to make an Easy Microwave Citrus Curd. I spent a very happy Sunday yesterday testing out all kinds of variations, and this simple recipe and technique will now be my go to from here on in. I’m really excited to share it with you because, if you love curds like I do, this is a real revelation…it’s practically instant gratification!

I made lemon, grapefruit, tangerine, and blood orange curd, and each one had its particular charms, but I will admit, my heart belongs to lemon. With this quick and easy method, you can try them all and judge for yourself.

It is high citrus season here in Los Angeles, and while we were walking our dog yesterday we came across a box marked “free lemons, take some!” right there in the middle of the sidewalk. That’s not an uncommon sight here. People need to get the fruit off their backyard trees to make room for the new fruit! You’ll find the best selection of citrus in your supermarket right now. Each ‘flavor’ that I made had its own special personality. The lemon is, of course, the tangiest, the grapefruit has a sophisticated bitter/sweet taste, and the tangerine and the blood orange were more subtle, more sweet than tangy. I add a touch of lemon juice to the non-lemon curds to give them a little bit of that tang that only lemon can give.

Citrus fruits to use for curd

• limes
• pomelo
• ruby red grapefruit
• Meyer lemon
• Cara Cara orange
• blood orange
• navel orange
• tangerines

I’ve pared the process of making citrus curd down to the quick and easy essentials.

The ingredients are sugar, fresh juice, and eggs. That’s it. I found that you do not need zest, or butter, to make a top notch curd. I like using the whole eggs so you won’t be left with unused whites. And I found that the zest didn’t impact the flavor enough to make up for the grittiness it gives the finished curd. This takes just 4 minutes in the microwave, no pots and pans, and the result is a silky rich curd. It’s to die for, actually.

Don’t be afraid of this recipe, it’s really the same as making curd on the stove top, except that the microwave just does a more efficient job of heating the liquid — the same process is happening in both cases.The important thing is to stir it frequently, and after it is thickened, to strain it to catch any tiny bits of cooked egg.

What to do with curd

I could give you a million suggestions for what to do with these lovely preserves, but to be honest, our favorite way to eat them is straight up. If you happen to have any leftover, here are a few suggestions…

• you can slather it on scones
• pile it on English muffins
• hot biscuits,
• or just plain toast
• you can spread it into a baked shortbread crust and make a tart out of it
• use it as the filling for crumble bars
• spoon it into a pretty glass and top with berries for dessert
• or just swirl it into your morning yogurt.

Don’t wait to make this one, it’s fun and soooooo good.

Make it your own ~

• Try mixing and matching different fruits for a custom blend.

Don’t forget to pin this easy Microwave Citrus Curd Recipe!