Food Cooking Tips & Techniques The Best Oven Temperature For Every Cooking Scenario Whether you're baking a cake or roasting a chicken, you'll never have to guess how hot to heat the oven. By Jake Cohen Jake Cohen Jake has contributed recipes to dozens of print and digital publications. Highlights: * Worked in NYC kitchens DANIEL and ABC Kitchen * Recipe developer at Saveur * Contributed recipes to Real Simple, Saveur, Time Out New York, and TastingTable.com * First cookbook, Jew-ish: Reinvented Recipes from a Modern Mensch, came out in 2021 Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on February 28, 2023 Medically reviewed by Kristy Del Coro, MS, RDN, LDN Medically reviewed by Kristy Del Coro, MS, RDN, LDN Instagram Website Kristy Del Coro is a registered dietitian nutritionist, RDN, and professionally trained chef with more than 10 years of experience in the field of culinary nutrition. Her strong background in nutrition science, sustainable food systems, and culinary education makes her exceptionally qualified to write about food that is good for us and the planet—while not sacrificing flavor. Learn More Fact checked by Isaac Winter Fact checked by Isaac Winter Isaac Winter is a fact-checker and writer for Real Simple, ensuring the accuracy of content published by rigorously researching content before publication and periodically when content needs to be updated. Highlights: Helped establish a food pantry in West Garfield Park as an AmeriCorps employee at Above and Beyond Family Recovery Center. Interviewed Heartland Alliance employees for oral history project conducted by the Lake Forest College History Department. Editorial Head of Lake Forest College's literary magazine, Tusitala, for two years. Our Fact-Checking Process Share Tweet Pin Email Wondering why cookies often bake at 350 F, and veggies roast at 425 F? Getting creative in the kitchen doesn't mean you must decipher what needs to bake at what temperature. We've created a comprehensive guide that explains which temperature is best for every cooking or baking application. Greg Vore/Getty Images 325-350 F: This is probably the range you use most often—and there's a reason for that. Temperatures over 300F are where you begin to experience caramelization (browning of sugars) and the Maillard reaction (browning of proteins). Use this range for anything that's going to be cooking for a while, such as slow roasts or braises. Cakes are also typically baked at 350 F since they have a fair amount of sugar. If baked at a higher temp, the exterior of the cake would burn before it was fully cooked in the center. 375-400 F: Shorter term baking or roasting favors a slightly higher temperature to ensure crisp edges to cookies or bubbling golden cheese. This is also the perfect roasting temperature for chicken to ensure golden, crispy skin. As the heat gets higher, so does the risk of burning, so you have to keep an eye on whatever is in the oven. 425-450 F: If you want perfect golden roasted vegetables, this is the temperature for you. This is where you'll want to do any short-term baking or roasting, because you get a quick burst of high heat to ensure a golden color without having to stay in the oven for too long. For example, this is the ideal temperature if you're working with puff pastry, since you want the oven to be over 400F to ensure the steam releases and puffs up the pastry. 475-500 F: Things are starting to get hot in here. If you're cranking the heat to the highest your oven can go, you're likely making pizza or breads. A super high temperature will cause the bread or pizza dough to rise and cook before the gluten has a chance to set (this is a good thing). RELATED: How to Tell If Your Pumpkin Pie is Done (Without Cutting It) Now that you're confident with oven temperatures, find out when to use parchment paper or foil and make your clean-up a breeze. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit