What Is a Broiler in an Oven and How Do You Use It?
Have you ever wondered to yourself "What is a broiler?" and "What can it do?" A broiler is a feature found in most ovens that can elevate your meals, giving them a nice crisp finish. It’s often compared to a grill but with less hassle.
Ready to learn more about broiling? This dedicated guide covers everything you need to know, including what a broiler is, which types of ovens have them and how you can use broiling to elevate your home cooking game.
Jump to Section
- What Is a Broiler?
- Do All Ovens Have Broilers?
- Roasting vs. Baking vs. Broiling: What’s the Difference?
- How To Broil in an Oven
What Is a Broiler?
Have you ever wondered what a broiler is used for? You’re not the only one. Many people avoid using this common oven feature altogether because they’re not sure how to. But when used correctly, broiling is a great way to cook or put the finishing touches to a delicious meal.
So, what is a broiler? It’s a very hot heating element in an oven that heats food from above. Like an upside-down version of grilling, broiling food means cooking it from above with high temperatures of around 500-550°F for a short amount of time. This method can cook food quickly and finish it off with a tantalizing crisp, char or caramelization. It adds extra flavor to any dish.
Broilers usually have two settings: hot and very hot. The setting you use depends on your cooking goals, like whether you’re cooking something from scratch or adding a finishing touch. Whatever your oven type, it’s important to follow the recipe and to keep the door slightly ajar while broiling. This creates more airflow to help your dish cook more evenly.
Still asking yourself, "What is a broiler?" Let’s talk more about what it looks like.
What Does a Broiler Look Like?
If you're wondering what a broiler is, one of the most important things to talk about is what it looks like. This radiant heat source is found in two places, depending on the type of your oven. In electric ovens, the broiler looks like a metal coil attached to the top part of the oven. In gas ovens, it looks like a burner either on top of the oven or in a broiler drawer that slides in and out.
Do All Ovens Have Broilers?
If you’re still not sure about what a broiler is, or you know what a broiler is and are wondering whether all ovens have one, the answer is that most ovens have this high-heat element feature. Sometimes it’s on the top of the oven, while other times it uses the bottom and includes a separate drawer or compartment for broiling.
Roasting vs. Baking vs. Broiling: What’s the Difference?
In order to fully answer the question "What is a broiler?" it's important to note the differences between broiling and other methods of cooking, like roasting and baking. While all are common oven functions, there are a few key differences that set broiling apart.
When it comes to broiling vs. baking, baking applies indirect heat for a longer period to solidify batters, doughs and other foods, while broiling applies direct heat for a shorter time to add a crispness to foods that are already solid, like meats, fish and vegetables.
What about roasting vs. broiling? Well, roasting combines certain traits from both. Like baking, it uses all the oven’s heat elements for a longer period. Like broiling, roasting is used for the same kinds of tough foods, such as meat.
Each method is useful for different goals. Baking is great for bread, cakes and, you guessed it, other baked goods, while roasting works well for cooking tough foods. Broiling, meanwhile, is perfect for delicate cuts or adding a crisp finish.
Grilling vs. Broiling
Another key point to cover as we answer the query "What is a broiler?" is the difference between broiling and grilling. Both use direct heat to cook meats, fish and vegetables and give them a brown or charred finish. The main difference is that the heat source is located in different places.
Broiling uses a heat source from above the food while grilling uses one from below. Overall, broiling can be more convenient than grilling since it doesn’t require extensive preparation and it’s faster to preheat. These are key things to keep in mind if you're trying to discern what a broiler is and whether you should use it instead of a grill.
How To Broil in an Oven
Now that you know what a broiler is, it's time to take a look at how to use it.
- Prepare your food: Prepare your food beforehand, including cutting, seasoning and adding a light coat of oil to help with browning if needed. Have an aluminum foil-lined broiler pan ready, pierced with holes to let the grease drip. Line a drip pan with foil too, to catch the excess grease. Avoid nonstick or glass cookware; these can be dangerous in high temperatures.
- Start the broiler: Adjust your oven racks according to your recipe. Preheat your broiler for around 5-10 minutes.
- Broil your food: Put your broiler pan into the oven along with your aluminum foil-lined drip pan below it. Keep the door ajar for airflow while everything cooks and watch it closely. Flip or mix your food halfway through if needed.
- Stop the broiler: Stop the broiler and, with oven mitts for heat protection, take your broiler pan out. Remove the food from the tray so that it doesn’t continue cooking.
How To Broil in a Gas Oven
So, what is a broiler in a gas oven and how do you use it? For gas ovens, the heat source comes from the bottom, so the broiler is usually found in a separate drawer underneath the main oven compartment.
After confirming the location of your broiler, adjust your oven racks so there’s a three- to five-inch gap between your food and the top of the heating element. The broil feature can be found at the front of the oven. When broiling, you’ll be able to see a blue flame. As we know, what a broiler is really good at is crisping up and caramelizing foods, but be sure to keep watch. Since gas broilers use a flame, you want to ensure no oil splatters upwards, as this can potentially start a fire.
How To Broil in an Electric Oven
If you’re wondering, "What is a broiler and do electric ovens have one?" the answer is usually yes. To use the broiler feature of your electric oven, whether you're crisping meats or preparing some delicious s’mores in the oven, simply turn it to your chosen setting, let it preheat and put your food in. Like with gas ovens, food on racks closer to the top of the oven will need less cooking time than food on racks further away.
What a broiler is — specifically, which type and settings you have to work with — will depend on the model of your oven. Some modern ovens have both low and high settings, while others have a convection broiling option that utilizes the fan to distribute heat more evenly.
How To Broil Meat
Another question you may be looking to answer is whether you can use a broiler to cook meat. Absolutely! Broiling is a popular way to cook chicken, steak, pork chops and more, either flat as-is or as skewers or satays. Flatten your cuts, then season or marinate as desired. Before broiling, make sure your meat has been thawed at room temperature for half an hour so it doesn’t char before getting cooked thoroughly.
For red meats, pat your cuts dry, trim the fat and season as needed. For chicken, give the cuts a light coat of oil or marinade but be sure not to use too much. Marinades, especially sweet ones, can burn more easily. Your oven rack positioning will depend on the thickness of your cut of meat as well, meaning that while it's helpful knowing what a broiler in an oven is, it's just as important to know how to position your food to make the most of this cooking method.
How To Broil Fish and Seafood
Knowing what a broiler is and how it can be used to cook seafood is a real notch to any home-cooks bow. Broiled fish is delicious, as long as you’re careful not to overcook it. Fatty fish like salmon is a great option, like this sake salmon, since the extra fat keeps it from getting dry. Halibut, tilapia and broiled scallops are great options too.
When preparing your fish, brush it lightly with oil and other seasonings. Thinner cuts can even be dredged in seasoned flour and dipped in oil beforehand for a crisp finish.
How To Broil Vegetables
For those who arrived at this page wondering what a broiler is and whether you can use it to cook vegetables, you're in luck. Any vegetable that can be grilled can also be broiled to caramelized perfection. Get started with recipes like Korean corn cheese and roasted kabocha squash. To broil vegetables, simply chop up your preferred ingredients into equal pieces, toss with seasoning, then broil for around 10 minutes. Stir them halfway through and you’re done.
To learn more about what a broiler is and how it can be applied to your cooking, consider booking cooking classes near you. Also available online, these expert-led sessions provide the opportunity to learn creative culinary techniques that you can incorporate into your own cooking, perfect for wowing your family and dinner party guests.
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So, what is a broiler? In short, it's a great way to elevate delicious meals in minutes, usually using intense, top-down heat to caramelize, crisp and cook your food. With most ovens nowadays incorporating a broiler, including both gas and electric ovens, it's a feature we can all benefit from.
It doesn't matter whether you're cooking vegetables, caramelizing meats or adding the perfect crispy top to melted cheese. A broiler is what many chefs would consider a secret weapon, and now that you know what it is and how to use it, it's sure to elevate your favorite home-cooked meals.
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