Best Roasted Vegetables

Here’s how to roast vegetables with the best seasoning blend! These epic roasted vegetables fill two sheet pans and take 30 minutes to roast.

Want the best roasted vegetables ever? Alex and I have been making roasted vegetables for years. This master recipe for how to roast vegetables results in the most colorful sheet pans that will please even the most veggie-wary eaters. Make it for a crowd as a side, or roast up a few pans and eat off of them all week long. They’re healthy, plant based, vegetarian and gluten-free, and even better: beautiful and delicious! Here’s what we think is the best vegetable mix and seasoning blend, and all our tips on how to roasted vegetables.

These are the best roasted vegetables?

We think so! What makes the best roasted vegetables? A colorful mix of vegetables, the perfect seasoning blend, and the right roasting timing and temperature. Of course, you can use any veggies you like. Here’s what we chose for this recipe and why:

1. Cauliflower & broccoli: Cauliflower roasts up tender and perfectly caramelized. Add a little broccoli for color, but since it can be a little bitter when roasted don’t add too much.
2. Sweet potato: Sweet potatoes bring a tender sweetness to the pan and a bright orange color.
3. Red & yellow peppers: Peppers have a beautifully sweet flavor when roasted, and they don’t take too long to roast.
4. Red onion: Red onion brings sweetness and rounds out the rainbow with a purple color.
5. Seasoning blend: Our best seasoning blend is simple: garlic powder and Old Bay seasoning! It adds the perfect savory blend to the mix.

Even better, the mix of vegetables we chose take only 30 minutes to roast! You don’t even need to stir. Let’s move on to how to roast them…

How to roast vegetables: a tutorial

Roasting vegetables is very easy! While it’s not fast, most of it is hands off. Even better, it makes two full sheet pans of vegetables: enough for 8 people as a side! It’s also perfect for making for weekend meal prep and eating throughout the week! Here are the basic steps of how to roast vegetables.

Step 1: Chop the vegetables.

This is the most time consuming part of the recipe! If you’re new to chopping, our Knife Skills 101 videos show you exactly how to cut 20 fruits and vegetables. Here are the techniques you’ll need for this recipe:

• How to Cut Cauliflower Here’s how to chop florets perfectly: without the mess.
• How to Cut an Onion Fast forward to the method at 1:30, then cut into 1/2-inch slices.
• How to Cut a Bell Pepper Use the method for cutting 1/2-inch strips, then cut those in half.
• How to Cut a Sweet Potato Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise, then in half lengthwise again. Then slice each quarter into pie-shaped slices.

Step 2: Coat with olive oil, seasonings and salt.

This recipe makes two large sheet pans of roasted vegetables. Because there are so many vegetables, place them onto two parchment lined sheet pans and mix with half the olive oil and seasonings. Use your hands to mix them up and make sure everything is evenly coated!

Why use parchment paper when roasting vegetables? It helps with cleanup! No hidden flavor difference here: just cleanup help. Avoid using silicone baking mats for roasting vegetables! Baking mats result in soggier veggies: we’ve found parchment paper makes the most crispy veggies.

The best seasoning mix? A blend of garlic powder and Old Bay seasoning! It brings in the perfect savory element: you won’t be able to stop eating it. See the section below for more about Old Bay.

Step 3: Bake at 450 degrees, rotating pans about halfway through. Do not stir!

What’s the ideal temperature for roasting vegetables? Bake at very high heat: 450 degrees Fahrenheit. This makes the veggies crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. (At a lower temperature they become tender but not crisp and caramelized.) You’ll bake until are tender: the vegetable mix for this recipe takes about 30 minutes.

Do you need to stir when roasting? Actually, no! This recipe we customized so that you don’t even need to stir. All you need to do is rotate the sheet pans after 20 minutes. This way, the bottom of the veggies gets perfectly browned.

And that’s it: all you need to know about how to make the best roasted vegetables! Let us know questions in the comments below.

What’s Old Bay, and what’s a substitute for it?

These roasted vegetables have a hint of Old Bay seasoning to make them irresistibly tasty! But what is it? Old Bay is an American seasoning blend that’s often used to season seafood: famously in shrimp boils like our Classic Shrimp Boil or Sheet Pan Shrimp Boil. The main ingredients in Old Bay are paprika, celery salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. You can find Old Bay in your grocery store in the spices aisle, or buy Old Bay online.

What’s a substitute for Old Bay? If you can’t find it, for the 2 teaspoons specified in this recipe, use 1 teaspoon paprika and ¾ teaspoon kosher salt. Throw in a few pinches of celery seed if you have it: it adds that classic celery flavor.

Best ways to serve roasted vegetables

Once you’ve made these tasty roasted vegetables, there are so many ways to serve them! Here are a few things we love to do with this healthy vegetable recipe:

1. As a side. Of course, they’re a great side dish! Serve with salmon, shrimp, chicken, meatloaf, or pasta.
2. In a grain bowl. Make a big pot of brown rice, quinoa, or farro, then top with chickpeas, baby greens, and our Best Tahini Sauce.
3. As a salad. Serve over greens with our Healthy Ranch Dressing.
4. In a fancy sandwich. Toast some bread, spread with goat cheese, and add roasted veggies. For a little flair, drizzle with balsamic glaze.
5. For entertaining. Roasted vegetables are perfect for dinner parties or holiday meals like Thanksgiving or Christmas.

This roasted vegetables recipe is…

Vegetarian, gluten-free, plant based, dairy-free, and vegan.

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