Don't Risk Smoke While Roasting — Crumple Your Aluminum Foil

Roasting meat and vegetables is one of the best ways to build flavor. Sugars caramelize and fats render slowly, creating crisp edges and tender centers. Unfortunately, all those flavorful drippings can burn when they hit the hot pan, sending smoke billowing through your oven. But here's a deceptively clever aluminum foil hack: Crumple it instead of laying it flat.

Many home cooks already know that you shouldn't use parchment paper for roasting vegetables or meats. Because it's heat-resistant, parchment tends to trap moisture, so the food is more likely to steam than brown. In contrast, foil conducts heat more evenly and makes clean up a breeze. The only problem? A flat sheet also allows fats to pool and eventually burn on the hot tray. That's what often causes smoke when cooking at high temperatures.

Crinkled foil solves this issue by creating tiny ridges and gaps under the food. When the drippings hit the uneven surface, they don't overheat as quickly. It's the same logic as using a roasting pan. By lifting the food, air can circulate more evenly and moisture doesn't get trapped underneath. That small bit of elevation promotes all-over browning and keeps your kitchen smoke-free.

The technique itself couldn't be easier. Simply tear off a sheet slightly larger than your pan or sheet tray and loosely crumple it into a ball. Be gentle here — if you compress it too tightly, it won't unfold without tearing. Next, carefully flatten it back out, but make sure it still has plenty of ridges over the surface. If possible, use heavy-duty aluminum foil as it's less likely to tear. Once you've lined the tray, add your food and roast as normal.

That said, for heavier items like a turkey, even heavy-duty foil might not be sturdy enough. In that case, you can quickly use aluminum foil to mimic a roasting rack by crumpling it into cylinders. Roll and press the foil into three to four rigid strips, or coil it into a circle. Nestle them into the tray and sit the bird on top. The compacted foil will hold the weight much better than a sheet of foil alone.

Whether used flat or rolled, this trick works especially well for food with a high fat content (think chicken wings, sausages, and crispy pork belly) because it doesn't stop fat from rendering, it merely stops it from collecting and burning. And it's such a simple step that takes seconds, costs nothing, and leaves you with a perfectly roasted, smoke-free dinner. Try it once, and you'll never go back.