10 Things You Never Thought To Cook In A Toaster Oven

In an age of trendy kitchen appliances, including slow cookers, air fryers, and Instant Pots, it's easy to forget about the older appliances that have yielded quick and delicious results for years. Toaster ovens are one of them. You may think of your toaster oven as a tool you'd only use for toast, bagels, and other baked goods, but in reality, it's an incredibly versatile appliance that can cook a surprising number of foods.

We've consulted some toaster oven experts, including Mark McShane, chef and food safety expert at Food Hygiene Certificate; chef Jimmy Chill from Olea and Bloom; and Claudia Syanny, food blogger and recipe developer at Butter Joy Kitchen, to learn more about some unexpected foods you can make in this appliance. Once you realize just how much you can make in your toaster oven, you might just give your other appliances a break.

Your toaster oven can really come in handy when you want to whip up a quick side dish. It's an excellent tool for cooking small portions of vegetables that you can not only eat as an accompaniment to your entree, but also stir into pastas, soups, and more. According to Mark McShane of Food Hygiene Certificate, "Fresh vegetables like green beans, asparagus, or even sliced cabbage roast beautifully in a toaster oven, developing caramelization and crisp edges without turning soggy." Since toaster ovens cook food faster than conventional ovens, your veggies will be done in no time at all.

Feel free to experiment with different kinds of veggies. Jimmy Chill of Olea and Bloom particularly likes cooking thick slices of eggplant in his toaster oven. "They come out caramelized and almost jammy inside," he says. He notes that although eggplant cooked in a convection oven can sometimes turn out soggy, that's not a concern in the toaster oven, as the appliance browns it nicely. "You'll even smell it when it's ready," he says. "It goes from raw eggplant smell to almost nutty." Cherry tomatoes, says Chill, blister in the toaster oven and become particularly sweet, making them an indulgent addition to any meal.

We love just about any pasta dish, but there's something that's even more comforting and indulgent about baked pasta. Not only do you get the toothsome texture of the noodles along with a luscious sauce, but you'll also find that slightly crunchy, cheesy topping that really makes the dish shine. Who doesn't like that extra textural touch? But you may assume that going through the hassle of baking your pasta isn't always worth it if you have to turn on the oven.

But it turns out that you can still get the deliciousness of baked pasta by making the dish in your toaster oven, where it'll crisp up nicely. Try a classic baked ziti recipe for ultimate comfort. Using your toaster oven for baked pasta can turn it from a special occasion food into an easy weeknight dinner.

Some home cooks find that cooking fish is tricky, especially if they're not used to preparing seafood. However, cooking it in your toaster oven can turn it into a simple and nutrient-dense meal that you can throw together on even the busiest days of the week. Jimmy Chill explains that making fish in a toaster oven is easy and suggests a salmon or branzino filet seasoned with oil and salt. 

According to Chill, the exterior of the fish gets perfectly colored in the toaster oven. At the same time, the inside of the fish will stay nice and tender, since you don't have to keep it in the toaster oven for too long. He says that this cooking method is more forgiving than cooking fish in the oven. If you want to keep things really simple, you can cook a fish filet in your toaster oven directly from the freezer — no thawing required.

You've finished dinner, but you still feel sort of hungry for a little something extra — preferably, something sweet. But for some home cooks, making a separate dessert isn't worth the time or the effort, especially on busy weeknights. What you may not realize, though, is that your toaster oven can help you make incredible desserts quickly. You can easily bake fruit or prepare sweet baked goods in your toaster oven, according to some of our toaster oven experts.

"I often prepare baked apples, fruit crisps, or even brownies in a toaster oven, and the smaller space actually gives me better control over doneness," says Mark McShane. Plus, the smaller size allows you to prepare smaller portions of desserts, which is ideal if you live alone or not everyone in your household is craving something sweet. Keep some cookie dough on hand and bake one or two of them instead of having to make (and then eat) a whole batch at once.

Want something a bit healthier? Bake some fruit in your toaster oven for a simple dessert. "Sliced bananas or pineapple caramelize exceptionally well in a toaster oven," explains Claudia Syanny of Butter Joy Kitchen. "The focused heat encourages browning and intensifies sweetness without turning the fruit mushy, making it a simple base for Asian-style desserts or snack pairings."

Nachos are the perfect dish to make when you want to eat something that's halfway between a snack and a whole meal. But don't think that you have to turn on your oven or suffer soggy, microwaved chips just to make a single serving of nachos. If you're looking for a more efficient cooking method, you can always use your toaster oven to heat up your nacho ingredients and get that cheesy topping nice and melted.

Basically, you can prepare these nachos the same way you would with a standard tray in the oven — you're just working on a smaller scale. Layer on the chips, then add meat and/or beans, and top it all off with a generous serving of cheese. After cooking the nachos in the oven for about six to 10 minutes, you just have to let them cool before adding on the fresh toppings. Who knew nachos could come together so easily?

Flatbreads can come in handy for so many different dishes. Maybe you want to use naan to form the base of a quick pizza, or perhaps you want to make a fresh, Greek-style pita for lunch. Whatever you plan on using your flatbread for, preparing it in the toaster oven is the way to go. It'll allow you to cook the flatbread quickly without having to turn on the oven. This is especially helpful during the warmer months of the year when you don't want to make the house too toasty.

"Flatbreads like pita or naan work amazing [in the toaster oven] because they're so close to the elements," explains Jimmy Chill. "They puff, they char, [and the] edges get crisp. It actually feels closer to a restaurant oven than a home oven. You don't need a stone or anything."

So many people think they don't like tofu, but it may be because they've never had tofu that's been cooked properly. Sure, on its own, straight out of the package without any spices, it's not particularly flavorful. But by spicing up your tofu with various sauces and seasonings, you might just find that it's one of the most delicious sources of protein on your weekly menu. To get the perfect texture, though, you also have to know how to cook tofu properly, and that's where a toaster oven can come in handy.

"Toaster ovens create a dry, concentrated heat that helps tofu develop a crisp exterior while staying tender inside — especially when lightly oiled and baked on a rack or parchment," says Claudia Syanny. "This works particularly well for soy- or miso-marinated tofu, where excess moisture needs to evaporate for better browning." Try this recipe for dubu jorim to test this cooking method.

Baked potatoes are one of our all-time favorite side dishes. Not only do they pair well with so many different mains, but they also make your meal much heartier and more filling. However, it can sometimes feel like too much work to actually make them in the oven — after all, you're going to be waiting for a decent amount of time to develop that delicious, crispy skin that makes them so delicious.

But did you know that you can easily prepare baked potatoes in a toaster oven? This method uses less energy and prevents your kitchen from getting too toasty. We love baking potatoes in the toaster oven when there's no room in the main oven. The cooking process will take around 45 minutes for a medium-sized Russet potato if you cook it at 400 F.

If you're like many home cooks, then you may regard the toaster oven as an appliance solely for simple dishes and sides. But as long as you're not cooking for a crowd, it can definitely come in handy for preparing proteins,too, like chicken.

According to Mark McShane, "Chicken thighs or drumsticks also work surprisingly well [in the toaster oven], developing crispy skin while cooking through safely, as long as they're not overcrowded." Why shouldn't you overcrowd the pan? Doing so will trap moisture, steaming the chicken instead of crisping it. As long as you give it plenty of room on the pan, though, your toaster oven can help you prepare some seriously delicious chicken dishes.

Bacon is an excellent accompaniment to any breakfast (and many non-breakfast meals to boot). The only problem is that it's exceedingly messy to cook on the stove, as it'll likely leave your stovetop splattered with oil. Plus, when you're making eggs, hash browns, or other foods on the stovetop, it can be difficult to find enough space to cook your bacon. This is where your toaster oven comes in. 

To prepare bacon in your toaster oven, place the bacon on a baking rack and cook for between 15 and 18 minutes, depending on how crispy you prefer your bacon to be. After you take it out of the toaster oven, you'll have a breakfast spread that's surprisingly easy to throw together — no bacon grease splatters required.