Why Are My Roasted Vegetables Steaming Instead of Browning?
They're crowded, the oven's too cool, or the vegetables went in wet. Give them room on the pan, turn the heat up to 425–450°F, and pat them dry first.
Crowding is the number-one cause
When vegetables touch, the moisture they release has nowhere to escape, so they steam each other instead of browning. Use a bigger pan, or two pans, and leave real space between the pieces.
Get the heat up
Browning needs high heat — 425 to 450°F. A cool oven gently steams; a hot oven caramelizes. Most roasting disasters are just too low a temperature.
Dry them first
Wet vegetables can't brown until all that surface water has cooked off. Pat them dry after washing so they get straight to browning.
Don't drown them, and don't fuss
A light coat of oil, not a puddle. And resist stirring constantly — let each side sit long enough to actually take on color before you move it.
Preheat the empty sheet pan for a few minutes first. The vegetables sizzle the second they land, and you get that deep browned edge everyone's actually after.