Verbs about cooking in English
| Cooking verbs | Definitions and sentences |
|---|---|
 Boil 🔊 |
To heat a liquid until it begins to bubble and steam. We boil water to make tea. |
 Fry 🔊 |
To cook food in hot oil or fat. Can you fry some eggs for breakfast? |
 Grill 🔊 |
To cook food on a metal frame over fire. We grilled some fish during the holiday. |
 Bake 🔊 |
To cook food using dry heat in an oven. Mom baked cake for my birthday. |
 Stir 🔊 |
To move a spoon around in a liquid or mixture. Can you stir the soup, please? |
 Mix 🔊 |
To combine two or more substances. Please mix the flour and eggs until you get a smooth dough. |
 Peel 🔊 |
To remove the outer covering of fruits or vegetables. Could you peel the potatoes? |
 Chop 🔊 |
To cut food into small pieces. She finely chopped a carrot to make salad. |
 Blend 🔊 |
To mix different ingredients until smooth. I usually blend vegetables to make smoothies for my kids. |
 Roast 🔊 |
To cook food in an oven or over a fire. Have you roasted the chicken yet? |
 Steam 🔊 |
To cook food with steam. I usually steam broccoli for breakfast. |
 Melt 🔊 |
To turn a solid into a liquid or something soft through heat. It was too hot. The butter had melted before we reached home. |
 Pour 🔊 |
To transfer a liquid from one container to another. She poured milk into the kettle and served it to the guest. |
 Taste 🔊 |
To try the flavour of something. She tasted the soup to check the salt. |
 Marinate 🔊 |
To soak food in a mixture to add flavour or to tenderise. We marinated the beef overnight. |
 Whisk 🔊 |
To beat ingredients together using a fork or a whisk. He whisked the eggs in a bowl to make an omelette. |
 Knead 🔊 |
To work and press dough with your hands. You have to knead the dough for five to ten minutes to make it elastic and stretchy. |
 Dice 🔊 |
To cut food into small cubes. Can you dice some onions to make a sauce, please? |
 Simmer 🔊 |
To cook food gently in a liquid just below the boiling point. Let the sauce simmer for ten minutes. |
 Spread 🔊 |
To cover a surface with a layer of something. She likes to spread jam on toast for breakfast. |
 Sprinkle 🔊 |
To scatter small drops or particles of a substance over a surface. Can you sprinkle some salt into the salad, please? |
 Toast 🔊 |
To brown or warm food, usually bread, by heating it with a source of dry heat. Would you like me to toast your bread? |
 Season 🔊 |
To add salt, pepper, or other spices to food to enhance its flavour. Can you season the salad, please? |
 Zest 🔊 |
To scrape off the outer peel of citrus fruits like lemons or oranges for extra flavour in cooking. There is a special tool called a "zester" to zest a lemon. |
Using cooking verbs in everyday conversation
Read the conversation below and take note of the different cooking verbs used.
Anna: Tom, do you know how to cook pasta?
Tom: Sure!
Anna: So, how do I start?
Tom: First, boil some water in a big pot. After that, add the pasta. Stir it gently to make sure it does not stick together. Cook the pasta for about 8 to 10 minutes. You can taste a piece to see if it is soft enough. When the pasta is ready, turn off the heat. Use a colander to drain the water. Be careful with the hot steam. After draining, you can put the pasta back in the pot. Add a little olive oil and a pinch of salt. If you like, you can mix in some tomato sauce or cheese. Stir everything well. That’s it.
Anna: Thanks a lot.
Using cooking verbs in recipe instructions
See how some of these cooking verbs are used in the recipe instructions below.
Ingredients:
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 cup of all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup of milk
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a round cake pan. Separate egg whites and yolks into two different bowls. Beat the yolks lightly until they become pale and slightly thickened. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gradually add sugar to the beaten yolks, continuing to whisk until the mixture is creamy and well combined. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold this into the yolk and sugar mixture. Add vanilla extract to the milk and then gently fold this into the batter. Carefully fold in the whisked egg whites, ensuring you keep as much air in the mixture as possible. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove it from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, you can serve the sponge cake as is or use it as a base for various desserts, such as adding whipped cream, fresh fruit, or a drizzle of chocolate sauce.
