12 Unique Things You Should Try Making In Your Toaster Oven

Just as the name suggests, a toaster oven combines the functions of a toaster and an oven. While many home chefs use toaster ovens to brown bread, bagels, and other similar items, take a closer look and you'll see that this unassuming kitchen appliance has a lot more to offer. Toaster ovens can be used to bake, broil, and even roast various foods, making them ultra-versatile additions to your kitchen.

Provided that you're not preparing an elaborate meal, toaster ovens can sometimes even be preferable to more traditional full-sized ovens. Firstly, they are much smaller and more energy-efficient, using less electricity to preheat and cook food. Being smaller than conventional ovens, toaster ovens are also much faster to preheat, which makes them perfect for putting together quick meals. Additionally, toaster ovens won't heat up your kitchen like traditional ovens often do, making them ideal for cooking during the warmer summer months.

Ready to get creative with your toaster oven? Take a look at our collection of mouthwatering toaster oven-centric recipes that might just change the way you cook!

While many people believe that baking a cake is a labor-intensive process that requires a lot of ingredients — and these are perhaps the same kinds of people who usually end up buying their cakes from a specialty bakery — this idea is actually far from the truth. In reality, one of the easiest ways to bake a cake is in your toaster oven. Although the process of baking a cake in a toaster oven is pretty similar to preparing it in a conventional oven, there are a couple of things that you will need to be mindful of. Since a toaster oven is smaller than a traditional kitchen oven, your cake will be closer to the heating elements. As such, it's wise to set the temperature of the toaster oven a little lower than what's called for in the cake recipe and shorten the baking time (unless, of course, you happen to be using a toaster oven-specific recipe). This will reduce the risk of the cake cracking or burning.

Just like cake, preparing cookies in a toaster oven is, well, a piece of cake. Unless you're making a huge batch of these treats, your toaster oven should handle the job just fine. While you can make cookies by portioning the dough on an aluminum foil, another good idea is to use ceramic ramekins to make soft, cake-like cookies. For best results, preheat the toaster oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the cookies for around 8 minutes.

Whether you prefer grilling or searing, there's nothing quite like a juicy, tender steak. But did you know that you can also cook a pretty decent steak in a toaster oven? While the portable kitchen appliance may not be your first port of call if you have access to more conventional methods of steak preparation, it can be surprisingly effective if you find yourself in a pinch.

Preparing steak in a toaster oven isn't all that different from cooking it in a traditional oven. To ensure a well-cooked cut of beef, preheat the mini oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and coat the steak in oil and seasoning. Place the cut on a baking sheet and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side for medium-rare, 6 to 7 minutes for medium, 8 to 9 minutes for medium-well, and 10 minutes for well-done. Use a quality meat thermometer to check the doneness of the meat.

Netizens agree that using a toaster oven to cook steak is a great way to prepare a delicious meal with little effort. For instance, one adventurous Reddit user says: "I've cooked a steak in a dishwasher. As long as you get the internal temperature up to the doneness you like, it should be fine [in a toaster oven]." Another Redditor, who thinks that preparing steak in a toaster oven is a fine idea, advises: "Just make sure it isn't too close to the top heating element so it doesn't burn."

Dehydrating fruit at home can save you a lot of money — after all, buying dried fruit at the supermarket can be costly. It's also a great way of preserving fruit if you find yourself with more produce than you can handle at one time. And you don't even need a food dehydrator for the job, as a simple toaster oven will suffice with some careful attention. While some fruit such as tomatoes, lemons, and figs are better when they have been air-dried, your toaster oven can be used to dry other moisture-rich fruit such as peaches, apples, pears, cherries, and blueberries.

To prepare fruit for dehydration, first slice it into uniform pieces. It also helps to pat the fruit with a paper towel to get rid of any excess surface moisture that could interfere with the dehydration process. Once your fruit is ready, set your toaster oven at around 150 degrees Fahrenheit. When dehydrating, it's crucial that you spread the fruit pieces out in a single layer and ensure that the oven door is slightly open to stop the fruit from steaming. The dehydration process normally takes several hours, so patience is key. When you think it might be ready, the best way of ascertaining whether or not the fruit is sufficiently dry is to taste it. If the fruit pieces are leathery in texture, they're ready.

If you think that an oven or a stovetop is a must for cooking a flaky and flavorful fish, then you are mistaken. The truth is that a humble toaster oven can do the job just as well, so long as you're careful about your ingredients. Some fish types well-suited to preparation in a countertop oven include salmon, tilapia, trout, halibut, and mahi-mahi, as these relatively firm fish all tend to keep their texture well.

According to some commentators, cooking fish in a toaster oven might even be better than preparing it in a regular oven since it's less likely to turn out overcooked. This is because it's easier to test the filets for doneness. Fish is also faster to prepare in a toaster oven than in a conventional oven since a mini oven takes less time to preheat.

Whatever sort of fish you opt for, make sure to pat the filet dry with a paper towel and season it to your liking before putting it in the oven. While different home chefs recommend a variety of cooking temperatures, most agree that the fish should be cooked on a fairly high setting to achieve a crispy exterior and a juicy interior. While this may need to be tweaked depending on the thickness of the filets, aim to cook the fish for between 10 and 15 minutes at around 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Believe it or not, sweet potatoes can make a great alternative to bread. Not only are they gluten-free, but they are also very low in calories and rich in antioxidants, fiber, and vitamin A. They're also mildly sweet and pair well with a variety of toppings, such as poached eggs, smashed avocado, cream cheese, and smoked salmon.

Even better, sweet potato toast is very easy to make in a toaster oven. Without peeling the spuds, slice them lengthwise to create a toast-like shape and also maximize their surface area — you can either use a knife or a high-quality mandoline to do this. The slices should be around ⅓ inch thick to both ensure that they cook relatively quickly and are sturdy enough to serve as a base for a range of toppings. Once you've cut the sweet potato into slices, brush the pieces with olive oil and pop them into the toaster oven for around 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. When done, sweet potato toast should be soft enough that you can break it apart with a fork.

True to the name, stuffed peppers are made by hollowing out bell peppers and packing them with a mix of ingredients that often include grains, meat, vegetables, and spices. They can also be made with cheese, legumes, and beans, depending on your preference. While stuffed peppers are normally baked in a conventional oven, cooking them in a toaster oven can actually speed up the preparation process due to the appliance's compact size and ability to reach heat quickly.

To make stuffed peppers, first roast the bell peppers in a toaster oven until they are soft and their skin can be easily peeled. Next, cut the peppers lengthwise, hollow them out by removing the white ribs and seeds, and fill them with your preferred ingredients. If you want to fill the peppers with other veggies, you'll likely want to also cook them in your toaster oven beforehand. Sprinkle the tops of the peppers with grated cheese for extra flavor, then bake until the filling is hot. To prevent making a mess in your toaster oven, it's best to place the peppers in a deep baking dish.

Potato chips are a beloved snack in the U.S., with more than 280 million Americans enjoying them in 2020 (via Statista). Unfortunately, these greasy, deep-fried nibbles aren't exactly healthy. The reality is that they are typically packed with calories, fat, sodium, and a host of other ingredients that you might prefer not to think about. Luckily, kale chips present a much healthier option.

While raw kale may not be everybody's cup of tea due to its somewhat tough texture, popping the leafy vegetable in a toaster oven can transform it into a tasty potato chip substitute with a delightfully crisp texture. Kale is packed with antioxidants, fiber, calcium, potassium, and vitamins A, B, and C. Plus, depending on how you dress and season the kale, it can be considerably lower in fat and sodium.

Making kale chips in a toaster oven is very easy, not to mention fast. To make the crunchy snack, brush kale leaves with a little olive oil and sprinkle them with salt. Next, lay the leaves out in a single layer on aluminum foil or a baking tray. Preheat the countertop oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the cruciferous vegetable for around 10 minutes, or until the leaves are nice and crispy.

Whether you like them scrambled, sunny side up, or boiled, you don't necessarily need a stovetop to make eggs — a toaster oven works just as well. All it takes is a few simple steps. In fact, you may find that using a toaster oven to make breakfast might be even easier and more time-efficient than some traditional stovetop cooking methods.

To make sunny side up eggs in your toaster oven, start by cracking the eggs into a pan coated with oil or cooking spray. Set the appliance to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cook the eggs until they are to your liking, whether that's runny or firm. For scrambled eggs, crack them into a lightly greased ramekin or oven-safe bowl and whisk them with a fork. Cook them for 8 to 10 minutes, giving them an occasional stir. In a pinch, you can even make a take on hard boiled eggs in a toaster oven by placing them directly on the rack, also at 350 degrees. After 25 minutes, submerge them in a bowl of ice water and let them sit there for around 15 minutes.

Typically made from a mixture of rolled oats, seeds, dried fruit, nuts, and natural sweeteners such as honey, granola is a breakfast staple in many households. However, while many of the ingredients in granola are healthy, store-bought varieties can be high in sugar, so be sure to always check the list of ingredients on the packet. Alternatively, you can make your own toaster oven granola at home. Not only is homemade granola customizable, but it also lets you control the quality and quantity of its ingredients. Plus, you can prepare granola in small batches to ensure that it's always fresh and crisp. That's where the toaster oven can step in.

To make toaster oven granola, mix rolled oats with your favorite seeds, nuts, and dried fruit. Some other popular granola additions include honey or maple syrup, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Once the ingredients are combined, spread them evenly on a baking sheet. Preheat the toaster oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the granola for 15 minutes. To ensure that the granola bakes evenly, remove the mixture from the oven, stir it, and pop it back in the oven for an additional 7 to 10 minutes. Enjoy the granola straight out of the oven or store it in an airtight container for later use.

Bacon is a favorite breakfast staple, and for good reason. Savory and crispy, it's often used to complement a variety of breakfast dishes like eggs and pancakes. Also sometimes called pig candy, candied bacon takes traditional bacon to the next level with a coating of honey, maple syrup, or brown sugar. These ingredients not only add an element of sweetness to the bacon but also help to caramelize it, resulting in an irresistible crunchy glaze. Candied bacon can be eaten as a snack, crumbled over dishes, and even used as a filling in a sandwich.

If you think that making candied bacon in a toaster oven is complicated or time consuming, think again. The entire cooking process is unlikely to take longer than 20 minutes, with most of that being hands-off oven time. To prepare the bacon, mix brown sugar, maple syrup and a little pepper in a bowl while preheating the toaster oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the bacon strips in a single layer on parchment paper and brush them with the sweet mixture of maple syrup and brown sugar on both sides. Bake for around 20 minutes or until the bacon turns crispy.

Savory in flavor, as well as rich and creamy in texture, spinach and artichoke dip is a definite crowd pleaser. Plus, it can be enjoyed with a range of dippers including crackers, tortilla chips, crusty bread, and fresh vegetables such as carrots and celery sticks. While spinach and artichoke dip is traditionally made in the oven, it can also be just as easily prepared in a toaster oven.

Spinach and artichoke dip can be made with either fresh or frozen spinach. If you're using frozen spinach, be sure to thaw it and squeeze as much water out of the vegetable as possible. For convenience, you can use canned artichoke hearts as well. The third main ingredient in the mix is either mayonnaise or sour cream. The other optional ingredients include green chiles, Parmesan cheese, garlic, onion powder, and cream cheese. Whatever ingredients you choose to incorporate into your dip, start by mixing them in a bowl before transferring them to a casserole dish or several ramekins. Finally, bake the dish in a toaster oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top turns golden brown.

Similar to stuffed peppers, jalapeño poppers are essentially hollowed out peppers filled with stuffing. In the case of jalapeño poppers, it's usually cream cheese. This combination hasn't come about by chance — the spiciness of the jalapeño peppers makes them the perfect companion to the subtle flavor of cream cheese (which also serves to dial back the heat of the peppers). While jalapeño poppers are usually breaded and deep fried, the toaster oven version of the snack is a little different, as it calls for the peppers to be roasted rather than fried. Jalapeño poppers are typically served with sour cream, ranch dressing, or hot sauce.

To make jalapeño poppers, bake them in the toaster oven for around 15 minutes on each side to loosen the skin. After they are peeled, cut the jalapeños in half and remove the seeds and membranes — these membranes, also known as the pith, contain the highest concentrations of capsaicin. That's the compound that makes peppers spicy. If you like your snacks with a little kick, leave some of the seeds and membranes intact before stuffing the jalapeños with cream cheese. Alternatively, if you prefer milder poppers, rinse the pods before filling them with cheese. For extra flavor, wrap each jalapeño in a slice of bacon and top with grated cheese. Finally, roast the jalapeños in the toaster oven for around 15 minutes, or until the bacon becomes browned and crispy.