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Cooking vocabulary for the kitchen and menu

This list covers vocabulary used in home kitchens, culinary classes, and restaurant menus, from tools like a whisk to techniques like braising. It suits home cooks learning proper terms, culinary students, or English learners navigating a kitchen or menu. Try grouping the words into tools, techniques, and food terms as you review them.

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Cooking vocabulary for the kitchen and menu

30 words
WordMeaningIn a sentenceSave
whiskverbTo beat or stir a mixture rapidly, usually with a light utensil, until it becomes smooth or frothy.Whisk the eggs and sugar together until the mixture turns pale and fluffy.
spatulanounA kitchen tool with a broad, flat blade, used for lifting, flipping, or spreading food.He used a spatula to flip the pancake without breaking it apart.
saucepannounA deep cooking pan with a long handle and usually a lid, used on a stovetop.She heated the soup in a small saucepan over medium heat.
skilletnounA heavy frying pan, often made of cast iron, used for cooking food over direct heat.He fried the eggs in a cast-iron skillet that had belonged to his grandmother.
colandernounA bowl-shaped kitchen utensil with holes, used to drain liquid from food.She poured the boiling pasta into a colander to drain the water.
simmerverbTo cook food gently in liquid kept just below the boiling point.Let the sauce simmer on low heat for about twenty minutes before serving.
sautéverbTo fry food quickly in a small amount of hot fat while stirring or tossing it.Sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil until they turn soft and golden.
marinateverbTo soak food, especially meat or vegetables, in a seasoned liquid before cooking to add flavor or tenderize it.Marinate the chicken in lemon juice and herbs for at least an hour.
blanchverbTo briefly boil food, especially vegetables, then plunge it into cold water to stop the cooking.Blanch the green beans for two minutes before adding them to the salad.
dicenounSmall cubes marked with numbers of dots, thrown in games to produce random results.They rolled the dice and moved their pieces around the board.
minceverbTo cut food, especially meat, into very small pieces, typically using a blade or grinder.She minced the garlic finely before adding it to the sauce.
kneadverbTo work dough or clay with the hands by pressing, folding, and stretching it repeatedly.She kneaded the bread dough for ten minutes until it became smooth and elastic.
foldverbTo bend something flexible over on itself so that one part lies on another.She carefully folded the letter before sealing it inside the envelope.
garnishverbTo decorate food or drink with a small addition to improve its appearance or flavor.The chef garnished the soup with a sprig of fresh parsley before serving it.
seasonnounOne of the four main divisions of the year, such as spring or winter, marked by particular weather.Leaves change color every autumn, her favorite season of the year.
broilverbTo cook food by exposing it to direct, intense heat from above, typically in an oven.Broil the salmon for about six minutes until the top is lightly charred.
roastverbTo cook food, especially meat or vegetables, using dry heat in an oven or over a fire.We roasted a whole chicken with herbs and potatoes for Sunday dinner.
braiseverbTo cook food slowly in a small amount of liquid in a covered pot, usually after browning it first.She braised the short ribs for three hours until the meat fell off the bone.
poachverbTo illegally hunt or catch animals, usually on someone else's land or in a protected area.Rangers patrol the reserve at night to stop hunters who try to poach elephants for ivory.
grateverbTo shred food into small pieces by rubbing it against a rough, perforated surface.She grated a block of cheddar cheese over the pasta before serving it.
peelverbTo remove the skin or outer covering from a fruit, vegetable, or other object.She peeled the orange carefully so the fruit stayed in one piece.
preheatverbTo heat something, especially an oven, to a desired temperature before using it.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees before you put the cake in.
ingredientnounOne of the individual foods or substances that are combined to make a particular dish or mixture.Flour, sugar, and eggs are the basic ingredients in most cake recipes.
recipenounA set of instructions for preparing a particular dish, listing the ingredients and the steps needed.She followed her grandmother's recipe exactly to make the same chocolate cake every year.
portionnounA part or share of something larger, especially an amount of food given to one person.She saved a small portion of her lunch for later in the afternoon.
entreenounThe main course of a meal, or, in some regions, a dish served before the main course.For his entree, he chose the grilled salmon with roasted vegetables.
appetizernounA small dish of food served before the main course of a meal.We ordered shrimp cocktail as an appetizer while we waited for our entrees.
condimentnounA sauce, spice, or other substance added to food to enhance its flavor.Ketchup and mustard are the most common condiments served at the diner.
pantrynounA small room or closet used for storing food, dishes, or kitchen supplies.She kept canned vegetables and pasta neatly organized in the pantry.
utensilnounA tool or container used for a practical purpose, especially for preparing or eating food.The camping kit included a full set of lightweight cooking utensils.

Kitchen tools versus cooking techniques

Some words in this list name tools, such as whisk, spatula, and colander, while others name techniques, such as simmer, braise, and blanch. Knowing the difference helps when following a recipe, since a technique word tells you what to do while a tool word tells you what to do it with. Many recipes combine both in a single instruction, like whisk the eggs or simmer the sauce.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between simmering and boiling?

Simmering uses gentle heat with small, slow bubbles, while boiling uses higher heat with large, rapid bubbles.