Roasted vegetables turn crisped, bronzed and sweetly caramelized when they’re simply seasoned with olive oil, salt, and pepper and cooked in the oven at high heat for a favorite hands-off cooking method that’s a meal prep time-saver.
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We all know vegetables are good for us—thanks for the teachings Mom!—but sometimes all that clean, healthy crunch just isn’t what we’re in the mood for. That’s when roasted vegetables totally hit the mark.
Served alongside buttery roasted chicken, herby grilled steak, or the perfectly cooked miso cod, roasted vegetables can be as dynamic and important to the meal as the main dish.
Placed on a sheet pan, drizzled with heart-healthy olive oil, and cooked with high heat in the oven, healthy vegetables of nearly any variety become creamier and sweetly caramelized as the water inside them evaporates so their natural sweetness surfaces and intensifies. These are a far cry from the bland, steamed veggies that screamed for slabs of butter to give them taste we all grew up with.
Make room on your plate, because these veggies fit right in. Here’s how to mix and match your vegetable medley for an easy addition to any meal, any time.
Cooking Times for the Best Roasted Vegetables
Just about any veggie can travel the road to roasting success.
When placed in a hot oven for minimal time, the vegetable’s exteriors become crisp, browned and just the right shade of charred, while the insides soften and become jammy-sweet, creating a bounty of flavor simply by soaking in the oven’s heat.
Roasting times depend on the bulk and sturdiness of the vegetable. Root vegetables like beets and potatoes take longer to cook through than more delicate vegetables like asparagus or zucchini.
To roast a medley of vegetables evenly, cut harder vegetables smaller than more delicate vegetables so they roast at more even times.
Cut vegetables into slices or ½- to 1-inch cubes. Asparagus, green beans and cherry tomatoes should be roasted whole. Cut larger tomatoes in half and place cut side up.
- Asparagus: 12-15 minutes
- Green beans: 12-15 minutes
- Summer squash such as zucchini or yellow squash: 15-20 minutes
- Bell peppers: 15-20 minutes
- Red or yellow onion: 15-20 minutes
- Cherry tomatoes: 15-20 minutes
- Mushrooms: 20-25 minutes
- Broccoli: 20-25 minutes
- Butternut squash: 20-25 minutes
- Brussels sprouts: 25-30 minutes
- Cauliflower: 25-30 minutes
- Carrots: 25-30 minutes
- Regular and sweet potatoes: 25-30 minutes
- Beets: 30-35 minutes
- Eggplant: 30-35 minutes
3 Steps to Roasting Vegetables
There are really just 3 simple steps to follow for delicious roasted vegetables:
- Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Step 2: Keep your vegetables uniform in size. Slice or chop veggies into similarly-sized pieces so they roast evenly, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper, and toss to coat.
- Step 3: Spread them evenly on a baking sheet and roast for 15-30 minutes depending on the type and size of the vegetable. If roasting for longer than 15 minutes, flip the vegetables half way through cooking time.
The Best Temperature for Roasting Vegetables
Set the oven temperature between 400°F and 425°F. These temps offer the most control for a vegetable center that’s cooked through without totally charring the outside.
Be watchful when roasting vegetables. Cooking them too long in high heat can turn their inherent sugars into tough casings, aka veggie jerkey, that are unappetizing to eat.
Tips for Roasting Vegetables
For crispy edges, don’t cover the vegetables when roasting. Wrapping your veggies in foil creates a sauna environment where they will steam but won’t crisp. The only times I wrap veggies to roast is with larger root vegetables like sweet potatoes and beets when cooking them whole.
To cook a medley of vegetables at one time, cut harder vegetables into smaller pieces than tender vegetables.
Line the sheet pan with aluminum foil for easiest clean up. However, if you’re looking for more browning on the vegetables, roast directly on the sheet pan.
Place the vegetables cut side down for deeper browning. For vegetables like cauliflower and potatoes, place the vegetables cut side down so they have direct exposure to the heat conducted from the sheet pan. This creates a crisp, caramelized crust.
Roasted Vegetable Spices and Seasoning Ideas
For a quick veggie solution that goes with just about any meal, I keep my roasted vegetable seasonings simple with olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. But when building flavor is part of the game, it’s supremely easy to amp things up with favorite combinations of herbs and spices to match any style of cuisine.
- Toss with fresh or dried herbs such as rosemary, thyme, sage, basil, oregano, parsley and chives.
- Sprinkle with spices such as cumin, coriander, allspice, curry powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika,
- After cooking, sprinkle with acid for punch with fresh lemon juice, any type of vinegar, soy sauce, amino acids, or hot pepper sauce like Tabasco.
- Toss with hard cheeses like grated Parmesan or chopped nuts.
Recipes Using Roasted Vegetables
- Simple Roasted Tomato Sauce
- Creamy Avocado Pesto Pasta Salad with Roasted Vegetables
- How To Make Buddha Bowls (With Turkey Meatballs Or Crispy Tofu)
- Broiled Miso Cod with Roasted Vegetables
- Mediterranean Chicken Quinoa Bowl With Broccoli And Tomato
- Roasted Chicken, Butternut Squash And Guacamole Rice Bowls
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a 
rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
How to Cook Roasted Vegetables
Ingredients
- 4 cups halved, sliced, or cubed vegetables (see notes above)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425° F.
- Scatter the vegetables on a high sided baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle the kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper over the vegetables and toss well to coat. Place the vegetables on the sheet pan in an even layer, cut side down if cut in half or sliced. Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping half way through the cooking time if desired.
- Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Serve or refrigerate in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
Nutrition
More Roasted Vegetable Recipe Ideas
- How To Make Yummy Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- How To Make Roasted Cauliflower
- Oven Roasted Asparagus
- The Best Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes
- Easy Quick Roasted Tomatoes
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Hey Heidi –
This sounds really tasty! My only question is what, if anything, would you change to do this if doing it on the BBQ?
Hope that all is well with you and your family.
Cheers, El
Nothing! Enjoy!
LOVE roasted vegetables. I appreciated this comprehensive information that includes the different cooking times for different vegetables. It make it much easier to decide which vegetables can be roasted together. Thanks again for putting this together to make cooking more fun for everyone.
Thanks so much Cat!
Roasted veggies are the best! Only thing I do different is that I put olive oil and and whatever spices I want in a baggie then add veggies. Mix well and pour all on to a baking sheet!
I am SOOOOOOO glad I found you.