Learn the Difference Between Roasting and Baking in the Oven

Roasting is a cooking method that involves heating food with dry heat at a high temperature, typically above 400 degrees Fahrenheit. You would typically roast food in an oven, although the term can also refer to cooking food over an open flame or in a closed barbecue. Savory dishes such as roast chicken, fillets, beef tenderloin, or vegetables such as brussels sprouts or potatoes are typically roasted. Most convection ovens, where the hot air is circulated in the oven for a more even cook, have a convection roast setting.

Roasting should not be confused with broiling, which is another high-heat cooking technique. Broiling refers to cooking something in a conventional oven with high heat where the heating element is directly above the food.

Baking is the process of cooking food using dry heat at medium temperatures, typically at 375 degrees Fahrenheit or below. Baking usually changes a food’s structure as it cooks. For example, a liquid batter or dough becomes a solid food when it bakes. Foods like bread, cakes, and other desserts fall into this category. Most convection ovens, where the hot air is circulated in the oven for a more even cook, have a convection bake setting.

You can use your home oven to bake or roast a number of foods. However, there are a few key differences between these two high-heat cooking methods.

• Temperature: The main difference between roasting and baking is that roasting happens at higher temperatures than baking. The temperature of the oven should be 400 degrees Fahrenheit or higher when you’re roasting food. Baking is done at lower oven temperatures, below and up to 400 degrees. Because of the higher heat, roasting results in shorter cook times and makes the outside of the food crispy.
• Types of food: Cooking meats or vegetables is considered roasting because the food already has a solid structure before you cook it. Baked foods are typically not solid before they are cooked. Instead, baked foods typically go from liquid or dough to solid food during the cooking process.
• Methods: Baking almost always occurs in an oven. If you’re roasting something at home, you would typically use an oven but you can also technically roast something over an open flame or in a closed barbeque.

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