How to Broil in the Oven for Fast Flavor
To quickly serve up meat or vegetables with serious color and crispness, switch on the broiler. Select the “broil” button on your console, wait about five minutes, then load in your dish—closer to the top of the oven for thinner foods and farther away for thicker, tougher foods. Keep a very close eye on cooking progress: this high heat method will burn food if left for too long.
You can also use your broiler to brown or add a finishing crunch to the top of dishes that have already been baked, like mac and cheese or pizza. Read on to learn more about this useful setting so you can make the most of it in future meals.
What is a broiler?
A broiler, designated by the “Broil” setting, uses the heating element in the top of the oven, applying high temps to the top of dishes for quick, high-heat cooking. Baking, on the other hand, uses both the top and bottom elements at a lower temperature. In that way, broiling is closer to grilling where high heat is focused on one side of food at a time.
What temperature is broil?
Some ovens will have one broil option, which is typically 500°F to 550°F, while others will let you select between low, med and high or even key in the temperature yourself. Low is usually 400°F, medium 450°F and high ranges from 500°F to 550°F.
What is a broiler pan?
Some ovens may come with a metal broiling pan consisting of a rack on top and a drip pan underneath. The slits in the top part of the pan allow air to circulate around food while keeping it out of its own juices to help with crisping. If you don’t have a broiler pan, you can create the same effect by placing an oven-safe cooling or roasting rack on top of a standard metal sheet pan or baking sheet. Baking sheets with raised edges help prevent juices or other messes from dripping onto the bottom of the oven.
How to use an oven broiler, step by step
Broilers will vary from oven to oven, so check your Use and Care Guide for more specific information about how your broiler works. If you’re cooking with a recipe, consult that as well before beginning. Learn more about using your oven properly.
Step 1: Preheat the broiler
Find the “Broil” setting on your oven console and turn it on. If available, select the temperature setting based on what you’re cooking: higher for thinner, fast-cooking foods and lower for thicker foods that may take longer to cook through. Let the broiler preheat for at least 5 minutes.
Step 2: Position your dish under the broiler
Find the right cookware for your food. Broiler pans and cast iron skillets are good options but any shallow, metal pan will do. Position the oven rack in the slot directly below the broiler or a couple of slots down, depending on what you’re cooking: closer to the heat for foods that just need a quick sear and farther away if they need some time to fully cook.
Step 3: Monitor broiling progress closely
Keep a close eye on your dish as it cooks. The high heat of a broiler can easily burn food if left too long. Depending on the dish, you may want to adjust the food throughout to get an even cook and color on all sides. If you notice that it’s browning too fast, move the rack down, lower the temp, or even switch to a bake setting for a bit to cook food through, then switch back to broil.
Follow these basic guidelines when broiling meat, vegetables, bread and casseroles, keeping in mind that you might need to flip certain foods halfway through their cook time:
| FOOD | TYPE | RACK POSITION | COOK TIME (MINUTES) | TEMPERATURE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beef | Steak, 1" thick Hamburger patty, 3/4" thick |
4" from broiler 3" from broiler |
8–12 (med/rare to med) 6–8 (med) |
130–135° F (med rare) 135–145° F (med) 160° F (well) |
| Chicken | Cutlet, breast Thigh, drumstick, wing |
3" from broiler 6" from broiler |
10–12 15-20 |
165° F |
| Fish | Filet, 1/2" thick | 3–4" from broiler | 5–6 | 145° F (130° F for fish steaks like tuna or swordfish) |
| Pork | Chop, 1/2" thick Chop, 1" thick |
3" from broiler 6" from broiler |
10–15 19–21 |
145° F |
| Vegetables | Zucchini, peppers, onions, tomatoes | 3" from broiler | 10–20 | |
| Garlic Bread |
1" thick | 3" from broiler | 1–2 | |
| Cheesy Dishes | Macaroni & cheese, lasagna, casseroles, quiche (browning after fully baking as directed) |
3" from broiler | 1–2 |
KEEP LEFTOVERS CRISP
Aside from cooking and browning, you can also use the broil setting to reheat leftovers to keep food crispy instead of soggy.
KEEP LEFTOVERS CRISP
Aside from cooking and browning, you can also use the broil setting to reheat leftovers to keep food crispy instead of soggy.
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