This is the BEST oven roasted vegetables recipe! (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to extra crispy roasted vegetables? ›

Your vegetables are about to get even crispier with this simple tip. The next time you roast vegetables, add some cornstarch. Yes, cornstarch—that box in your pantry is the secret to a super-crispy exterior on veggies, from potatoes to cauliflower.

425-450 is the sweet spot. And to ensure it's maintaining temperature, I suggest you purchase a basic thermometer for your oven. I had been placing complete faith in my oven settings, assuming 350 was 350, except 350 was more like 325 and my 425 convection setting was more like 500. My oven's a temperamental gal.

For vegetables, chicken, and just about everything else, olive oil and ghee are our first choices for roasting at temperatures over 400°F. Not only do they help food cook up with the crispiness you crave, but each one also imparts its own unique flavor that you just don't get from neutral oils like grapeseed or canola.

General Roasting Times for Vegetables

Winter squash (butternut squash, acorn squash): 20 to 60 minutes. Crucifers (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts): 15 to 25 minutes. Soft vegetables (zucchini, summer squash, bell peppers): 10 to 20 minutes. Thin vegetables (asparagus, green beans): 10 to 20 minutes.

The perfect temperature– 400 degrees Fahrenheit is the perfect temperature for most roasted vegetables. It allows for a crispy, perfectly browned exterior and a fork tender interior. But it will vary based on the types of veggies and oil used. If your veggies are not browning enough, try increasing the temperature.

Pick the Right Material

Aluminum heats well and tends to be the lightest and cheapest, but cheaply made aluminum pans can warp easily. Stainless steel retains heat well and tends to cook evenly, so it's another good choice for roasting vegetables, but it's usually heavier and more expensive than aluminum.

The parchment-lined pan performed slightly better than the foil-lined pan at preventing the vegetables from sticking, though not dramatically so, and both performed better than the unlined tray.

Lower Position: Bottom Browning

The bottom position gets color on the bottom. Use the lower position when you're looking for that bottom crust. Sheet pan pizza, roasted veggies, and a cast iron brownie all benefit from the lower oven rack position.

Editor: Coating vegetables in oil does a few things. For one, it helps prevent vegetables from sticking to the baking sheet or roasting pan. (But since you're using a Silpat, it looks like that isn't an issue here.) Roasting vegetables with oil also encourages extra browning and creates a richer, more toasty flavor.

Our extra virgin olive oil has a smoke point of around 210 degrees Celsius (410 F). Which makes it suitable for roasting a chicken whole or a joint of beef in the oven, baking a cake, a quiche or a pie, roasting potatoes or vegetables.

Should I season vegetables before or after roasting? ›

Because salt draws moisture out of the food, season veggies just before roasting. Place vegetables hot side down when applicable. Ideally, roast different vegetables separately since they all cook at different times. You can combine them together afterwards!

There is no need to cover vegetables when roasting. Covering them creates steam, so they won't get as crispy and caramelized. Don't forget to stir once or twice while cooking so the vegetables get nicely browned on all sides. Other than that, you can't really go wrong.

Root vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots and turnips take the longest, followed by hard squash and cruciferous vegetables like butternut squash, cauliflower and broccoli. Tender items like cherry tomatoes or zucchini come next, then cooking greens, which have the shortest roasting time.

Moving the pan closer to one of the elements can help. I find that I get lots more crispy edges when I roast vegetables on a rack in the upper third of the oven. Use the convection feature on your oven, if you have one. The fan helps better circulate hot air.

Don't crowd the baking sheet.

If you crowd and overlap the veggies, they will steam and get mushy, not what we want! Roast vegetables at a high heat, 425 degrees F and make sure you preheat the oven so it is HOT when the veggies go in!

Vegetables need to roast in a single layer without overlapping one another on the baking sheet. This will allow the air to circulate and crisp the outsides (otherwise, the veggies will steam and not crisp). Use Enough Olive Oil. Oil is necessary for the vegetables to caramelize.

Interestingly, cornstarch contains 25 to 28 percent amylose, which is higher than the amount in wheat or potato starch (which are 20 to 22 percent amylose), and this is why cornstarch works the best for making crispy coatings on fried foods.