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Roasting 101: Easy Tips and Recipes

These techniques will help you get the most out of your oven-cooking adventures.
By Sara Schwartz
<p>Defined as oven-cooking food (generally between 400°F and 450°F depending on the food) in an uncovered pan to create a well-browned exterior and moist interior, roasting requires little attention during cooking, making it an easy way to serve home-cooked dinners whenever the mood strikes.</p>
<br /><p>Read on for roasting tips and recipes (like our <a href="/recipefinder/three-ingredient-prime-rib-roast-recipe" target="_blank"><b>Three-Ingredient Prime Rib</b></a>, pictured) to give you the oven-cooking edge.</p>
Con Poulos
When you've got seven other things to do and dinner is still just ingredients in the fridge, consider roasting as your go-to technique. Use the following roasting tips and recipes to get the most out of your oven-cooking adventures.
1

Roasting 101

<p>Defined as oven-cooking food (generally between 400°F and 450°F depending on the food) in an uncovered pan to create a well-browned exterior and moist interior, roasting requires little attention during cooking, making it an easy way to serve home-cooked dinners whenever the mood strikes.</p>
<br /><p>Read on for roasting tips and recipes (like our <a href="/recipefinder/three-ingredient-prime-rib-roast-recipe" target="_blank"><b>Three-Ingredient Prime Rib</b></a>, pictured) to give you the oven-cooking edge.</p>
Con Poulos

Defined as oven-cooking food (generally between 400°F and 450°F depending on the food) in an uncovered pan to create a well-browned exterior and moist interior, roasting requires little attention during cooking, making it an easy way to serve home-cooked dinners whenever the mood strikes.


Read on for roasting tips and recipes (like our Three-Ingredient Prime Rib, pictured) to give you the oven-cooking edge.

2

Roasting Benefits

<p><b>Why Roasting Rocks:</b> Much like using a slow cooker, roasting is a set-it-and-forget-it technique. Once you've prepped the food for cooking, meat and poultry may just need the occasional baste and cut-up veggies will need to be tossed once or twice.</p>
<br /><p><b>Recipe:</b> <a href="/recipefinder/roast-pork-tenderloin-acorn-squash-recipe" target="_blank"><b>Roast Pork Tenderloin with Acorn Squash</b></a></p>
Courtesy of Martha Stewart

Why Roasting Rocks: Much like using a slow cooker, roasting is a set-it-and-forget-it technique. Once you've prepped the food for cooking, meat and poultry may just need the occasional baste and cut-up veggies will need to be tossed once or twice.


Recipe: Roast Pork Tenderloin with Acorn Squash

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3

What to Roast

<p><b>Best Food for Roasting:</b> Larger cuts of meat, poultry, and fish that have inherent fattiness, such as beef loin, whole chicken, and large fillets of salmon, are prime candidates for roasting. Starchy vegetables like potatoes and turnips are also ideal for this cooking method.</p>
<br /><p><b>Recipe:</b> <a href="/recipefinder/roast-beef-horseradish-cream-recipe" target="_blank"><b>Roast Beef with Horseradish Cream</b></a></p>
Con Poulos

Best Food for Roasting: Larger cuts of meat, poultry, and fish that have inherent fattiness, such as beef loin, whole chicken, and large fillets of salmon, are prime candidates for roasting. Starchy vegetables like potatoes and turnips are also ideal for this cooking method.


Recipe: Roast Beef with Horseradish Cream

4

What to Avoid

<p><b>No. 1 Roasting Mistake:</b> Pricking or puncturing roasting meat or poultry during cooking. The skin of the bird and the caramelized crust on meat seal in flavorful juices and moisture.</p>
<br /><p><b>Recipe:</b> <a href="/recipefinder/spiced-pork-tenderloin-3159" target="_blank"><b>Spiced Pork Tenderloin</b></a></p>
Charles Schiller

No. 1 Roasting Mistake: Pricking or puncturing roasting meat or poultry during cooking. The skin of the bird and the caramelized crust on meat seal in flavorful juices and moisture.


Recipe: Spiced Pork Tenderloin

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5

Pan-Roasting Basics

<p><b>Roasting Tip:</b> Pan-roasting is ideal for cooking leaner proteins like skin-on chicken pieces and fish fillets. To achieve a golden exterior without overcooking, pan-roasting calls for searing the protein in a moderate amount of oil and then transferring the entire pan to the oven to roast until the interior reaches the appropriate temperature.</p>
<br /><p><b>Recipe:</b> <a href="/recipefinder/pan-roasted-chicken-citrus-sauce-recipe" target="_blank"><b>Pan-Roasted Chicken with Citrus Sauce</b></a></p>
Quentin Bacon

Roasting Tip: Pan-roasting is ideal for cooking leaner proteins like skin-on chicken pieces and fish fillets. To achieve a golden exterior without overcooking, pan-roasting calls for searing the protein in a moderate amount of oil and then transferring the entire pan to the oven to roast until the interior reaches the appropriate temperature.


Recipe: Pan-Roasted Chicken with Citrus Sauce

6

Elevate Your Roasting

<p><b>Roasting Tip:</b> To ensure even cooking and to prevent burning on the bottom, make sure meat or chicken is elevated on a metal rack. If you don't have a rack handy, rest the meat on a bed of cut-up vegetables, which becomes a richly flavored side dish.</p>
<br /><p><b>Recipe:</b> <a href="/recipefinder/garlic-rosemary-roasted-chicken-potatoes-recipe" target="_blank"><b>Garlic-Rosemary Roasted Chicken and Potatoes</b></a></p>
Sang An

Roasting Tip: To ensure even cooking and to prevent burning on the bottom, make sure meat or chicken is elevated on a metal rack. If you don't have a rack handy, rest the meat on a bed of cut-up vegetables, which becomes a richly flavored side dish.


Recipe: Garlic-Rosemary Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

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7

Let a Roast Rest

<p><b>Roasting Tip:</b> Once cooking is complete, allow roasted meats and poultry to rest for at least 10 minutes. This gives the juices inside time to redisperse evenly throughout the meat, making it moist and easier to carve.</p>
<br /><p><b>Recipe:</b> <a href="/recipefinder/braciole-grape-tomatoes-recipe" target="_blank"><b>Braciole with Grape Tomatoes</b></a></p>
Con Poulos

Roasting Tip: Once cooking is complete, allow roasted meats and poultry to rest for at least 10 minutes. This gives the juices inside time to redisperse evenly throughout the meat, making it moist and easier to carve.


Recipe: Braciole with Grape Tomatoes

8

Size Matters

<p><b>Roasting Tip:</b> When roasting vegetables, try to cut them to equal sizes and vary the cooking time according to density. Softer vegetables such as tomatoes and zucchini will need less time in the oven than starchier produce like carrots and potatoes.</p>
<br /><p><b>Recipe:</b> <a href="/recipefinder/whole-wheat-rigatoni-roasted-vegetables-recipe-f3abe82f-c14f-4356-8cbf9f356f732038" target="_blank"><b>Whole Wheat Rigatoni with Roasted Vegetables</b></a></p>
Kana Okada

Roasting Tip: When roasting vegetables, try to cut them to equal sizes and vary the cooking time according to density. Softer vegetables such as tomatoes and zucchini will need less time in the oven than starchier produce like carrots and potatoes.


Recipe: Whole Wheat Rigatoni with Roasted Vegetables

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9

Make the Most of the Roast

<p><b>Roasting Tip:</b> In many circumstances, both a main dish and side dish can be roasted at the same heat, so why not double up in the same pan? Be sure to determine which dish will cook faster (and add that part way through cooking) so that both parts will be done at the same time.</p>
<br /><p><b>Recipe:</b> <a href="/recipefinder/arugula-roasted-salmon-new-potatoes-recipe" target="_blank"><b>Arugula with Roasted Salmon and New Potatoes</b></a></p>
Courtesy of Martha Stewart

Roasting Tip: In many circumstances, both a main dish and side dish can be roasted at the same heat, so why not double up in the same pan? Be sure to determine which dish will cook faster (and add that part way through cooking) so that both parts will be done at the same time.


Recipe: Arugula with Roasted Salmon and New Potatoes

10

Fast Fish Dish

<p><b>Roasting Tip:</b> In the time it takes to brown buttered bread crumbs atop a fillet of white, flaky fish, the entire dish will be cooked through to doneness &#8212 an easy and fast dinner in minutes!</p>
<br /><p><b>Recipe:</b> <a href="/recipefinder/roasted-citrus-cod-cheddar-mashed-potatoes-rbk0308" target="_blank"><b>Roasted Citrus-Crumbed Cod</b></a></p>
Tina Rupp

Roasting Tip: In the time it takes to brown buttered bread crumbs atop a fillet of white, flaky fish, the entire dish will be cooked through to doneness — an easy and fast dinner in minutes!


Recipe: Roasted Citrus-Crumbed Cod

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11

Cooking Temperature Guide

<p>To take the guesswork out of determining when meat or poultry is done roasting, just employ your trusty <a href="/kitchen/appliances-gadgets/best-food-thermometers-ghk" target="_blank">cooking thermometer</a>. Proteins are cooked safely at the following temperatures:</p>
<br />
<p><b>Chicken:</b> 165 degrees</p>
<p><b>Beef and lamb (medium rare):</b> 145 degrees</p>
<p><b>Beef and lamb (medium):</b> 160 degrees</p>
<p><b>Beef and lamb (well done):</b> 170 degrees</p>
<p><b>Pork:</b> 145 degrees</p>
<br /><p>*Keep in mind that meat and chicken continue to cook as they rest out of the oven.</p>
Kate Sears

To take the guesswork out of determining when meat or poultry is done roasting, just employ your trusty cooking thermometer. Proteins are cooked safely at the following temperatures:


Chicken: 165 degrees

Beef and lamb (medium rare): 145 degrees

Beef and lamb (medium): 160 degrees

Beef and lamb (well done): 170 degrees

Pork: 145 degrees


*Keep in mind that meat and chicken continue to cook as they rest out of the oven.

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