Techniques › Heat and cooking methods
Broiling
Beginner Heat and cooking methods
Broiling is cooking food with intense heat from directly above, like an upside-down grill inside your oven.
Written with AI help from the sources listed, and published by Cory. Sources: USDA safe minimum internal temperatures, USDA on the danger zone (40-140°F). Spot a mistake? Tell us and we'll fix it.
How do you do it?
1Move the oven rack so the food sits 3-6 inches below the broiler element.
2Turn the broiler on high and let it heat for about 5 minutes.
3Put food on a foil-lined sheet pan and slide it under the heat.
4Stay at the oven and check every minute; flip thicker items halfway.
Why does it work?
The broiler blasts radiant heat at the top surface, browning it in minutes. Distance controls everything: closer means faster browning, farther lets the inside catch up.
What are the common mistakes?
- Walking away — food goes from browned to burnt in under a minute.
- Using a glass dish — it can crack under direct broiler heat.
Still stuck? Watch someone do it on YouTube.
More heat and cooking methods
- SearingBrowning the surface of meat or fish in a very hot pan for flavor.Beginner
- BraisingBrowning food, then cooking it slowly, partly covered in liquid, in a covered pot.Intermediate
- SautéingCooking pieces quickly in a little fat over medium-high heat, moving them often.Beginner
- SweatingCooking onions and other aromatics gently so they soften without browning.Beginner
- PoachingCooking gently in liquid kept just below a simmer (about 160–180°F).Intermediate
- Simmer vs. boilA simmer has small bubbles gently breaking the surface; a boil is big, constant, rolling bubbles.Beginner