How to Broil Without a Broiler Pan

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Things You'll Need

  • Oven rack

  • Baking sheet or roasting pan

  • Aluminum foil

Broiling is a healthy cooking method in which heat is applied from above the food, often at close range. It is a popular method for cooking meat, poultry and fish. A broiler pan consists of two parts, a slotted sheet upon which the meat is placed and a walled pan underneath the slotted sheet that catches drippings from the meat as it cooks. This separation ensures that the meat does not cook in its own juices, leaving the food crisp and lean. If you don't have a broiler pan, you can still enjoy broiled foods by separating the meat from its drippings through other means. The method here is recommended for electric ovens only.

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Step 1

Make sure your oven racks are clean. If they look dirty, scrub them with a steel wool brush.

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Step 2

Cover a baking sheet or roasting pan with aluminum foil. This will make the drippings from your food easier to catch and your pan easier to clean.

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Step 3

Place the sheet or pan on the bottom-rung rack of your oven.

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Step 4

Place the item to be broiled on top of another oven rack and insert it into the oven on the rung above the baking sheet or pan.

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Step 5

Turn your oven on to broil and leave the door open one to two inches while your food cooks.

Tip

Roasting pans work better than baking sheets because the walls help keep the juices from spilling out into the bottom of the oven.

Rather than putting your pan all the way at the bottom, place it on the middle rung and the oven rack with your food on the top rung if you want your food closer to the heating element.

Warning

Broiling in a gas oven should be done with proper appliances to ensure that juices and grease do not drip onto the gas flame.

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