100 Cooking Verbs in English
When it comes to cooking, having a good grasp of cooking verbs in English can be very helpful. Whether you're a professional chef or a home cook, using the right verbs can help you to accurately convey your instructions and recipes to others. Here are 100 cooking verbs in English, categorized for easy reference:
Cooking Techniques
Heat and Temperature
- Bake: to cook food in an oven using dry heat
- Boil: to cook food in liquid at a high temperature
- Broil: to cook food directly under high heat
- Fry: to cook food in hot oil or fat
- Grill: to cook food directly over high heat
- Roast: to cook food in an oven using dry heat
- Simmer: to cook food in liquid at a low temperature
- Steam: to cook food using steam
Mixing and Blending
- Beat: to mix food quickly and forcefully
- Blend: to mix food together until smooth
- Cream: to mix butter and sugar together until light and fluffy
- Fold: to gently combine two or more ingredients
- Knead: to work dough to develop gluten
- Mix: to combine two or more ingredients
- Stir: to move a spoon or other utensil around in a mixture
- Whip: to beat eggs or cream until light and fluffy
Preparation
- Chop: to cut food into small pieces
- Dice: to cut food into small, uniform cubes
- Mince: to cut food into very small pieces
- Peel: to remove the skin from fruit or vegetables
- Pit: to remove the stone or pit from fruit
- Slice: to cut food into thin pieces
- Grate: to shred food using a grater
Cooking Methods
- Baste: to moisten food with a liquid while cooking
- Braise: to cook food in liquid over low heat
- Caramelize: to cook sugar until golden brown
- Deglaze: to add liquid to a pan to remove browned bits
- Sear: to cook food quickly over high heat to lock in juices
- Skim: to remove fat or scum from the surface of a liquid
- Truss: to tie meat or poultry with kitchen twine
Other Cooking Verbs
General Cooking
- Add: to put an ingredient into a mixture
- Arrange: to place food in a visually appealing way
- Brown: to cook food until it is golden brown
- Coat: to cover food with a layer of something
- Cook: to prepare food using heat or moisture
- Drain: to remove liquid from food
- Garnish: to add a decoration to food
- Marinate: to soak food in a seasoning liquid
Serving and Plating
- Dish: to serve food onto a plate
- Garnish: to add a decoration to food
- Plate: to arrange food on a plate
- Portion: to divide food into individual servings
- Serve: to offer food to someone
- Slice: to cut food into thin pieces for serving
Kitchen Tasks
- Clean: to remove dirt and grime from kitchen surfaces
- Defrost: to thaw frozen food
- Measur: to measure the quantity of an ingredient
- Prepare: to get food or ingredients ready for cooking
- Reheat: to heat food that has already been cooked
- Sanitize: to clean and disinfect kitchen surfaces
- Store: to keep food in a safe and clean environment
I hope this list of 100 cooking verbs in English helps you to improve your culinary skills and communicate more effectively in the kitchen!
