How to Roast Vegetables Like a Pro

Roasted vegetable recipes are all over the dial when it comes to oven temperatures. Some stick to a conservative 350°F and call for about an hour of cooking time. Others play around with 25°F increments. To keep things simple, try setting your oven to a rollicking 450°F so vegetables brown beautifully and achieve rich roasted flavor in a jiffy. Here are a few more simple steps to roasting success:

1. Preheat properly. Give your oven 20 minutes or more to reach a full 450°F.

2. Cook like with like. For vegetable medleys with different roasting times, place vegetables with similar cooking times on the same baking sheet.

3. Use just enough oil to coat. Too much oil may cause burning.

4. Give items plenty of room. Arrange vegetables in a single layer with plenty of room between them on baking sheets. Space is key to keeping the hot air circulating around and browning vegetables, not just heating them and letting them steam in their own juices.

5. Rotate pans. Oven hotspots are more pronounced at high temperatures. Turn baking sheets around and shift them from upper to lower oven racks halfway through the cooking time.

6. Add delicate seasonings last. Minced garlic, fresh herbs, dried spices, and sweeteners can burn at high heat. Stir them into vegetables just before serving—the heat of the veggies is enough to release their flavors and aromas.

Ready to start? Here are a few of our favorite roasted veggie recipes:

Mixed Roasted Mushrooms Over Creamy Butternut Squash Purée

Root Vegetable Medley with Brussels Sprouts

Oven-Crisped Baby Potatoes and Onions

Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Lemony Brown Butter