Here’s Why Your Vegetables Aren’t As Crispy As They Should Be

It’s always important to eat your vegetables at dinnertime. At least that’s what I heard from Mom every single day growing up. Of course I didn’t want to indulge in the heaping pile of Brussels sprouts next to my chicken tenders. Anything green was gross when I was eight years old. But, obviously we all get older and quickly realize that Mom was absolutely correct, and we should all be eating more vegetables with dinner. Thanks, Mom.

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Luckily, there are so many cooking tips and tricks to make vegetables the star of the dinner instead of just a boring sideshow. One of the best ways to enhance that pile of roughage is to crisp them up so you get a nice texture each time you take a bite. No one wants to bite into mush, but sadly that texture seems to be very fond of vegetables. However, with a few clever moves, you can turn that steaming pile of mushy broccoli into a crunchy, flavorful powerhouse. So, fire up your oven, because it’s time to take a deep dive into the chef-approved tips to bring the crunch to dinner vegetables. Mom would be so proud.

Tips And Tricks For More Crunch

Let’s talk about kitchen tools first. Are you trying to roast vegetables on a flimsy baking sheet that bends in the oven? That’s your first big mistake. By using a rimmed baking sheet with a sturdy feel, oil won’t pool up in pockets while the veggies bake, and this simple tip alone will help everything cook uniformly. Uncoated aluminum sheets are your best friend, and even though the nonstick stuff is tempting due to easier cleanup, the coating on them can actually prevent true browning on the vegetables. 

Now, once you have your sturdy baking sheet laid out in front of you, coat and season all the vegetables you intend on roasting. But, you can’t drench those suckers in oil, either. Here’s a great rule to follow that prevents oversaturated veggies: Use one to two tablespoons of oil for every pound of vegetables you plan on cooking. Keep that number in mind and your tray will brown to perfection. 

Now, I know we said above the tray will brown to perfection if you use the rule of thumb with oil quantity, but that’s only if you don’t crowd the baking sheet! This is imperative. Piling vegetables on top of each other means not every side will touch the sheet and get that crunchy char you’re seeking. You want to lay everything flat and give each veggie a bit of breathing room. This also makes flipping each piece much easier. When you check the veggies and notice one side is browned, give each piece a flip. Pretty soon you’ll have a full tray of completely roasted, crunchy vegetables.

Make Vegetables Tasty Again

Roasting vegetables the right way isn’t difficult, but it might take some trial and error to get them just the way you want (that’s the fun of cooking!). But, like Mom knows, adding a tasty batch of vegetables to any dinner is so important, so give these tips a go and you might just discover that side of vegetables is actually the best part of dinner.