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Ever wonder about the best Oven Temp to Keep Food Warm without drying out? When hosting a party, potluck, or large family gathering, you’ll need to keep food warm until your guests are ready to eat. An oven is a great tool for doing this, but how can you ensure you don’t end up overcooking the food?
Besides maintaining the delicious taste, keeping food warm is important for food safety. When left at room temperature, food becomes more susceptible to bacteria and can become unsafe to eat. You can use a food thermometer to ensure you’re storing food at the right internal temp.
Whether you’ve invited a few friends over for brunch or the entire family for Thanksgiving, keep reading to learn the best ways to keep food warm in the oven without overcooking or drying it out.
How to Keep Food Warm in the Oven Before Serving
Use the “Warm” Setting of the Oven
Check if your oven has a “warm” setting or a warming drawer. This built-in feature makes it easy to store food at the right temperature, typically between 170°F and 200°F.
Set A Temperature Manually
Even if your oven doesn’t have a warming drawer or a “warm” button, you can manually set the temperature for proper food storage. Preheat the oven to 200-250°F and store the cooked food in a baking dish or other oven-safe container covered with foil.
- For food items like pancakes, waffles, and potato wedges, we recommend placing them on a cooling rack in a single layer. This will help to maintain the crispiness until you’re ready to serve.
- If you’ll be storing food for longer than 20 minutes, you may need to turn up the heat. Use a thermometer to check the internal temp of the food. If the reading is below 140°F, go ahead and increase the oven temperature by 10-20 degrees.
Tips for Keeping Food Warm for a Party
- Loosely cover the dishes with aluminum foil before placing them in the oven. This helps to prevent overcooking.
- Check on the food after about 10 minutes. If it’s sizzling or starting to get dry, remove the dish from the oven and let it rest.
- If you won’t be serving the food within the next 60-90 minutes, reconsider storing it in the oven. Even at a lower oven temp, this much heat exposure can result in overcooking or drying out the food. Instead, it’s best to reheat 15-30 minutes before it’s time to eat.
- When it’s time to serve the food, use a thermometer to check if it’s at the ideal internal temp. If it isn’t, go ahead and put it back in the oven and allow the internal temp to rise.
- For crispier foods, it’s a good idea to use the grill function to maintain the texture.
- For sliceable foods like bread or meatloaf, don’t slice until you’re ready to serve. Store them in the oven whole for best results.
What Types of Food Can Be Kept Warm in the Oven?
- Starchy sides like potatoes, rice, and pasta
- Meats like chicken, pork, or meatballs
- Root vegetables like roasted sweet potatoes, carrots and turnips
- Whole fish or filets of fish
Foods Should Not Be Kept Warm in the Oven
- Steak tastes best when it’s served and eaten right away. Because the meat is cooked to your desired doneness, storing it in the oven can easily result in an overcooked, dried out steak.
- Veggies like kale, spinach and broccoli taste great when roasted, but should be served immediately. When stored in the oven, these vegetables can become mushy and overcooked.
Other Ways to Keep Food Warm
- Rice Cookers are great for storing meat, soup and (of course) rice. This handy appliance can safely keep food warm for quite a while.
- Slow Cookers can be used to store stew, chili, soup, etc. Many slow cookers have a “warm” setting that makes it convenient to keep food warm when you’re done cooking.
- Aluminum foil works just fine for short-term food storage. If you’ll be serving the food within 30 minutes, simply cover the dish or wrap individual food items with foil to trap the heat.
- Insulated Bags are a convenient way to transport food while keeping it warm. This is best for short-term storage if you’re headed to a picnic or potluck. Just ensure the temperature doesn’t go below 140°F.
FAQ
Will a 200 F Degree Oven Keep Food Warm?
200°F is a good oven temperature for keeping cooked food warm. However, if you’re reheating food that was stored in the fridge, you’ll need to set your oven to a higher temperature of 350°F.
How Do You Keep Food Warm in the Oven for 2 Hours?
If you’re storing food for a longer period of time, it’s best to use a low oven setting to avoid overcooking. For most ovens, this is around 170°F. Place the rack in the middle of the oven and put the cooked food in a baking tray or oven-safe dish.
After 20 minutes, use a thermometer to check the internal temp of the food. If it’s below 140°F, increase the oven temperature.
How Long Can You Keep Food Warm in the Oven?
Most hot dishes can be stored in the oven for 15-20 minutes at an oven temperature of 200-250°F.
If you need to store the food for a longer period of time, you may want to use a lower temperature of 170-200°F. Just be sure to use a thermometer to ensure the food is maintaining an internal temp of at least 140°F.
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How To Keep Food Warm In The Oven
Ingredients
- cooked food such as chicken root vegetables, or others
- water
Instructions
- Use the “warm” setting on your oven or manually preheat to 200-250°F.
- Put the rack in the middle of the oven
- Transfer the cooked, hot food to a baking dish or other oven-safe container
- Place a bowl of hot water in the oven to help keep the food moist
- Put the food in the oven and close the door. The food should stay warm for 15-20 minutes
- Use a food thermometer to ensure the food is maintaining an internal temp of 140°F.
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