A conveyor oven having an oven chamber with a single opening by which a food product enters and exits on a conveyor belt that is reversibly driven to convey the food product in and out of the oven chamber in a reciprocating manner. Also, the food is conveyed to a cooking position in an oscillating range within the oven chamber and then moved back and forth in the cooking range in an oscillatory manner within the oscillating range so as to prevent burning that would otherwise occur if left stationary.