If You’re Steaming Frozen Vegetables, You’re Doing It Wrong

It’s no secret that we love making tasty vegetables more accessible. And we do our best to make sure veggies can be on your plate easily and quickly. In the past, we’ve recommended lots of different ways to make that happen, including steaming your vegetables. Well, hold on tight, because we’ve got some news for you…

If you’re steaming your frozen vegetables, you’re doing it wrong!

We know, we know, you’re probably reading this like:

Or maybe even like this:

But try not to trash your computer just yet. We’ve got plenty of tips and tricks to help you prepare your frozen veggies-without compromising taste and texture.

Why You Should Stay Away from Steam

In a previous post, we talked about how steaming your vegetables is quick, easy, and maintains flavor and nutrients.

However, there are certain vegetables that can actually lose their flavor and nutrients from steaming. Some of these vegetables include Kale, Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Brussels Sprouts. While it is still true that steaming is better than boiling, preparing vegetables with steam is still not ideal.

Additionally, steaming frozen veggies can compromise their texture. When you sit down to enjoy a plate of vegetables, there’s nothing worse than expecting a nice crunch and biting into something soggy instead. Using steam to cook your frozen vegetables can really turn them from superfoods into a sad-food instead.

So now that we’ve talked about why you shouldn’t be steaming your veggies, let’s talk about how you should be preparing them instead.

The Best Way To Cook Frozen Vegetables

Sautée Frozen Vegetables (Recommended)

If you don’t want to roast your veggies, try cooking them in a skillet instead! Sauteing vegetables is another way to maintain that fresh taste and crunchy texture that we all know and love.

If you’re ready to bust out the skillet, here’s how you can use it for your frozen vegetables.

1. Pour the vegetables into a skillet
2. Add one tablespoon of olive oil.
3. Cook on medium-high heat uncovered for 5-7 minutes, or until heated through.

Follow those three steps and you’re on your way to tasty, sauteed frozen vegetables.

Roast Your Veggies

Another tasty way to prepare vegetables is to roast them! Roasting frozen vegetables ensures that they keep the same great taste and texture as fresh vegetables. Plus, you won’t be watching their nutrients float away with the steam!

All you need to get roasted vegetables on your plate are a few simple tricks.

1. Pre-heat your roasting pan before adding the vegetables.
2. Make sure your oven is at the right temperature. A hotter oven will help caramelize and roast the veggies.
3. Use a big enough pan. Having all the vegetables roasting on a single layer will make sure they cook evenly.

Want more information on roasting veggies? Well lucky for you, we’ve got a whole post on just that.

Click here to learn more about roasting your frozen vegetables. 

Want More Cooking Tips?

If you’re looking for more tips on preparing frozen veggies, we’ve got you covered. You can click here for our blog posts on cooking tips.

We’ve also got a bunch of recipes for every taste and occasion. Click here for our archive of super tasty recipes!

And don’t worry, you won’t have to reference this blog post every time you want to make frozen veggies. You can check our list of products for cooking instructions and our recommendations for the best preparation (Or, ya know, check out the cooking instructions printed right on our bags).

What’s Your Favorite Way to Prepare Frozen Vegetables?

Are you a roaster? A fan of the skillet? Leave us a comment and let us know how you like to cook your frozen vegetables, and how you use them in recipes and dishes!