The toaster oven is quite possibly the most underused kitchen gadget in most households. While its diminutive size makes it seem incapable of turning out anything more complicated than grilled cheese sandwiches and pita pizzas, it’s a scaled-down conventional oven and, when used correctly, produces gourmet meals. Here’s a list of our best toaster recipes to get you started.
It’s hard to beat a good, five-minute recipe, much less one as nutritious as this miso-glazed salmon. For a meal that can be prepped up to two days in advance, you can assemble the marinade ahead of time to cut down on prep work. Best of all, you can pop it in the toaster and walk away, as there’s no flipping needed. Just make sure the fish is thoroughly cooked through.
Recipe: Serious Eats
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Once you’ve mastered executing this gourmet tuna melt in your toaster, you will never pay for a deli version again. Use good-quality rye bread and don’t skimp on a good can of tuna. Be generous with your favorite brand of mayonnaise and adjust the sweet pickle relish and avocado according to taste.
Recipe: A Cork, Fork and a Passport
The beauty of puff pastry lies in its versatility and easy-to-use nature. Whether it is a savory puff you’re hankering for or this tart, fruit-stuffed strudel, simply grab that rolling pin, roll out the dough, and fill it with whatever you fancy. Intimidated by the crimping process? Use a fork. Pro Tip: If you’re making a flavor combination that includes cheese, make sure it is frozen (and cut) before baking so it doesn’t melt out of the pastry.
Recipe: That Zest Life
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This unbeatable combination will be a hit even with the little ones, and you can customize each accordingly. For the picky eater who doesn’t want fresh herbs or the messy diner who loves extra sauce, it’s all good. The trick to these muffin pizzas holding a crisp yet chewy texture is to lightly toast the muffins first for two to three minutes before adding spreads and toppings.
Recipe: Well Plated
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When it’s cold out and you can’t be bothered to get the grill fired, a toaster oven can produce a nice, juicy skirt steak. You’ll need to make sure it is properly prepared so it’ll melt like butter in your mouth. Don’t skip the pre-cooking resting time of an hour to let the meat relax and absorb flavors better. Also, follow the instructions to make a foil boat so your meat isn’t swimming in its juices.
Recipe: Richard Pantry
When a late-night fast-food run is not possible, you can still whip up crunchy, cereal-crusted chicken tenders using your toaster oven. To ensure top crunch, test that the chicken is dry before coating and the oven temp is turned up to 450 degrees. While this recipe calls for crushed cornflakes, toasted oats can be subbed in for a healthier alternative. Either way, don’t forget to turn over your tenders after 10 minutes to ensure they’re toasted evenly.
Recipe: Very Michelly
Eating healthy doesn’t require a kitchen island full of fancy equipment. All it takes is some creativity and putting together familiar flavors on a “healthier” base. This combination of pizza-style toppings on a baked zucchini boat is a fresh take on an old favorite and best of all, it’ll fit even the smaller toaster oven. Pro Tip: To get the zucchini boats to sit upright, cut a thin strip on the back of each zucchini so they can lay flat.
Recipe: Pickled Plum
These protein-packed patties can be eaten alone, as a side accompaniment, or just as an on-the-go snack. Easily assembled using a food processor, take care not to over-process the ingredients. Instead, you want a gritty texture so the falafel holds a cake shape. To ensure each falafel cooks evenly, flip after 10-15 minutes.
Recipe: Eating Bird Food
When you’re in the mood to jazz up your morning fruit, or just want an easy but impressive dessert, this snack/light meal should do the trick. Customizable to be oil-free and refined-sugar-free for a healthy treat, juicy, ripe grapefruit, coconut oil, powdered ginger, and sugar (coconut, brown sugar, date sugar) are all you need. Broil until the sugar is caramelized, and feel free to go nuts with additional toppings like coconut flakes, cinnamon, and shredded mint.
Recipe: Simple Veganista
Sheet pan meals are the silent hero of meal planners everywhere. They’re quick to put together, take about 30 minutes in a toaster, and can be comprised of veggie odds and ends with some protein (vegan or animal) thrown in to make sure nutritional needs are met. Since vegetables take a bit longer to cook, be sure to set aside the sausage so it can be added later.
Recipe: Toaster Oven Love
Who doesn’t love a late-night chocolate lava cake oozing with chocolatey goodness? An easy-to-turn-out recipe doesn’t require a hand mixer – but good quality chocolate is recommended. It takes just 10 minutes in the toaster for lava cakes to be firm to touch but still gooey in the middle.
Recipe: Dels Cooking Twist
Wonton skins can be an extremely versatile staple to keep around. For this quick fix, prep and cook time is under 15 minutes so these perfect TV snacks can be made on the fly. Feel free to swap out cinnamon sugar for a healthier alternative or a savory topping. It’s also possible to toast a variety and enjoy the different flavors.
Recipe: Toaster Oven Love
Healthy snacks can get expensive, so this DIY kale chips recipe will save you a bundle in the long run. There is some prep work involved, mainly removing the stems and tearing down the kale into smaller, roasting pieces. Drizzle on oil (coconut or olive oil) and selected seasonings, and after 15 minutes in the oven you’ve got your chips. Just keep watch that the chips get crispy but not burnt.
Recipe: Minimalist Baker
These hand pies are perfectly made for the toaster oven, as the forced heat element ensures the pastry comes out light and flakey. For a dessert or snack that can be made in bulk, throw together some apples, nuts (pecans are always good), and other seasonings (cinnamon, vanilla, etc…) and get baking. Pro Tip: If you live in a warm climate, pop the finished pastries in the fridge for a short while to help the pastry firm up.
Recipe: Toaster Oven Love
One of the best (i.e. no splatter, no need to watch over the bacon) and healthiest ways to cook bacon is to pop it in a toaster oven and wait for about 15 minutes for it to crisp. The fat will simply melt off and drip onto the already-lined tray below. Perfect for when you want just a few strips of bacon, this way it cooks evenly and you still get all that gorgeous bacon aroma.
Recipe: Little Upgrades
Who doesn’t love a little pumpkin spice, especially on subtly bitter Brussels sprouts? This flavor-packed version can be pulled off in a standard toaster oven and the result is a brilliant, sweet, spicy, and pimped-up side dish that can be adapted for vegetarians (just add roasted nuts) or used to accompany a grilled, lean protein.
Recipe: Not Your Average College Food
Why would anyone toast store-bought nuts? Because you want to release their full fragrance and complex, crunchy texture. While it’s overkill to crank up the oven to toast a single-serve of nuts, a toaster oven is ideal for this scenario. Just don’t walk away, and follow the tips in this recipe below if you’re unsure.
Recipe: Kitchen To Stem
Up your wing game with this recipe that’ll have everyone licking their fingers clean of the delectable sauce. To make this recipe that requires some prepping to ensure no one gets salmonella poisoning, you’ll need to make sure the chicken comes to room temp and then cut slits in the thickest part of the drumstick and leg so it cooks through to at least 160 degrees. Pro Tip: Set aside a portion of the sauce to baste the chicken while cooking, or just to have it on the side as a dipping sauce.
Recipe: One Two Simple Cooking
The hardest step about this recipe is having to wait 10 minutes for the pork to rest before taking a bite, but trust us — it’ll be worth it. A juicy chop can be hard to achieve, so cooking it in a toaster takes some of the guesswork out. Be sure to check on the chop after 10-12 minutes. If it has reached a temperature of 145 degrees internally, it’s time to take it out and let it rest. Pro Tip: To make sure the pork cooks more evenly, plan ahead and remove the pork from the refrigerator 10 minutes before you are ready to cook it.
Recipe: One Dish Kitchen
You don’t need a campfire to sort out your s’mores craving, just your toaster oven. The trick is to make sure there’s adequate space between the heating elements and the marshmallow so a fire doesn’t start insider your toaster. Also, as marshmallows cook quickly, you’ll want to hang around. Good thing this bakes in just two to three minutes.
Recipe: Toaster Oven Love
The best thing about this recipe is you probably already have everything to pull it off. A great, perfect for anytime of day recipe that can cook while you’re squeezing in an at-home HIIT workout, it’s also easily adaptable (add some cooked chicken shreds or include a side of smoked salmon) so you won’t get bored having it a couple of times a week. Swap out bread for some raw veggie sticks to dip in the sauce, too.
Recipe: Mountain Mama Cooks
A toaster oven may be small in size but that doesn’t mean it can’t turn out a juicy, roast chicken. The trick is to pick a small-sized bird (3-4 pounds is adequate). That way, there’s enough room for the heat to circulate so the meat is cooked evenly. A huge advantage of roasting a chicken in a toaster is you don’t have to flip the bird over (heat from the toaster oven’s lower heating element will do the job) and you can keep an eye on it at the eye/countertop level and avoid overcooking it.
Recipe: Tasting Table
When you can’t decide between a cookie or a slice of cake, these hybrid corn flour toaster cakes can be a nice go-between. If corn flour isn’t readily available, use cornmeal. It will work the same, but know that the texture of the finished product will be a bit denser and grittier.
Recipe: We Are Not Martha
You’ll need a microwave (and a ramekin) to help “cook” the apples, but otherwise this toaster recipe requires very little prep work and can be ready in under 10 minutes. The next time you find a discount bag of apples, you know what to do.
Recipe: Not Your Average College Food
This paleo, keto, Whole 30-approved recipe ticks a lot of boxes for anyone looking to eat more wholesome carbs. You’ll need to boil the sweet potatoes for five minutes before toasting them to ensure they cook properly. It will also help to get bigger spuds so that when you slice them (⅓ inch max) lengthwise you’ll get enough surface area for the fillings.
Recipe: Feel Good Foodie
Level up your quiche game by baking your own vegan-approved, olive-oil crust, then fill it with luscious layers of grilled salmon, fresh zucchini, and cherry tomatoes. While this isn’t a meal that can be prepared quickly, it’s perfect for a lazy weekend or as part of your Sunday meal prep for the week. Pro Tip: Bake the dough first for 15 minutes before adding the other wet/dry ingredients.
Recipe: My_Beloved_Toaster
Put your ramekins to good use with this super easy recipe ideal for a meatless Monday meal. You can find all the ingredients at most supermarkets (or convenience stores) and prep time can be shortened if you decide not to use fresh veggies. Just be sure to adjust the cooking rack to the bottom position and select the “bake” setting so the crust doesn’t burn by accident. Pro Tip: You don’t have to dice veggies for this recipe. You can cheat by using frozen or canned vegetables, but make sure you follow the cooking hacks as stated in the recipe.
Recipe: Toaster Oven Love
Getting the perfect toaster-oven rosemary potatoes takes a little bit of attention. First, each piece needs to be adequately but lightly oiled, and some flipping is needed to prevent sticking to the baking tray. The temperature also needs to be 400 degrees so the potatoes get crispy on the outside. If your oven is already busy with another dish, doing these in the toaster is ideal.
Recipe: Food Fanatic
