Cooking and Food Preparation Vocabulary for Beginners

Master essential Spanish vocabulary for cooking and food preparation. Perfect for following recipes, cooking at home, and talking about culinary skills!

Kitchen Equipment (Equipo de Cocina)

Essential Tools

Spanish	English	Example
el cuchillo	knife	Necesito un cuchillo afilado. (I need a sharp knife.)
la cuchara	spoon	Revuelve con una cuchara. (Stir with a spoon.)
el tenedor	fork	Usa el tenedor para comer. (Use the fork to eat.)
la olla	pot	Cocino la sopa en una olla. (I cook soup in a pot.)
la sartén	frying pan/skillet	Fríe el huevo en la sartén. (Fry the egg in the pan.)
el plato	plate/dish	Sirve en un plato. (Serve on a plate.)
el bol/el tazón	bowl	Mezcla en un bol. (Mix in a bowl.)
la tabla de cortar	cutting board	Corta las verduras en la tabla. (Cut the vegetables on the board.)
el horno	oven	Hornea a 180 grados. (Bake at 180 degrees.)
la estufa/la cocina	stove	Cocina en la estufa. (Cook on the stove.)

Measuring Tools

Spanish	English	Example
la taza	cup	Una taza de harina. (One cup of flour.)
la cucharada	tablespoon	Dos cucharadas de azúcar. (Two tablespoons of sugar.)
la cucharadita	teaspoon	Una cucharadita de sal. (One teaspoon of salt.)
la balanza	scale	Pesa en la balanza. (Weigh on the scale.)

Appliances (Electrodomésticos)

Spanish	English	Example
el refrigerador/la nevera	refrigerator	Guarda la leche en el refrigerador. (Keep the milk in the fridge.)
el microondas	microwave	Calienta en el microondas. (Heat in the microwave.)
la licuadora	blender	Licúa las frutas. (Blend the fruits.)
el procesador de alimentos	food processor	Usa el procesador para picar. (Use the food processor to chop.)
la tostadora	toaster	Tuesta el pan. (Toast the bread.)
la cafetera	coffee maker	Prepara café en la cafetera. (Make coffee in the coffee maker.)

Cooking Methods (Métodos de Cocción)

Basic Cooking Verbs

Spanish	English	Example
cocinar	to cook	Cocino todos los días. (I cook every day.)
hervir	to boil	Hierve el agua. (Boil the water.)
freír	to fry	Fríe las papas. (Fry the potatoes.)
hornear	to bake	Hornea el pan. (Bake the bread.)
asar	to roast/grill	Asa el pollo. (Roast the chicken.)
cocinar al vapor	to steam	Cocina al vapor las verduras. (Steam the vegetables.)
saltear	to sauté	Saltea las cebollas. (Sauté the onions.)
tostar	to toast	Tuesta el pan. (Toast the bread.)

Cooking Techniques

Spanish	English	Example
a fuego lento	on low heat	Cocina a fuego lento. (Cook on low heat.)
a fuego medio	on medium heat	Cocina a fuego medio. (Cook on medium heat.)
a fuego alto	on high heat	Cocina a fuego alto. (Cook on high heat.)
bien cocido	well done	Me gusta bien cocido. (I like it well done.)
término medio	medium	Término medio, por favor. (Medium, please.)
poco cocido	rare	Poco cocido para la carne. (Rare for the meat.)

Food Preparation Actions (Acciones de Preparación)

Cutting and Chopping

Spanish	English	Example
cortar	to cut	Corta las verduras. (Cut the vegetables.)
picar	to chop/mince	Pica el ajo. (Chop the garlic.)
rebanar	to slice	Rebana el tomate. (Slice the tomato.)
pelar	to peel	Pela las papas. (Peel the potatoes.)
rallar	to grate	Ralla el queso. (Grate the cheese.)

Mixing and Combining

Spanish	English	Example
mezclar	to mix	Mezcla la harina y el azúcar. (Mix the flour and sugar.)
revolver	to stir	Revuelve la sopa. (Stir the soup.)
batir	to beat/whisk	Bate los huevos. (Beat the eggs.)
agregar	to add	Agrega sal. (Add salt.)
combinar	to combine	Combina los ingredientes. (Combine the ingredients.)

Other Preparations

Spanish	English	Example
lavar	to wash	Lava las frutas. (Wash the fruits.)
secar	to dry	Seca las verduras. (Dry the vegetables.)
escurrir	to drain	Escurre la pasta. (Drain the pasta.)
marinar	to marinate	Marina la carne. (Marinate the meat.)
sazonar	to season	Sazona con sal y pimienta. (Season with salt and pepper.)

Common Ingredients (Ingredientes Comunes)

Basics

Spanish	English	Example
la sal	salt	Añade sal al gusto. (Add salt to taste.)
la pimienta	pepper	Usa pimienta negra. (Use black pepper.)
el aceite	oil	Aceite de oliva. (Olive oil.)
el vinagre	vinegar	Vinagre balsámico. (Balsamic vinegar.)
el azúcar	sugar	Una cucharada de azúcar. (One tablespoon of sugar.)
la harina	flour	Dos tazas de harina. (Two cups of flour.)
el huevo	egg	Tres huevos. (Three eggs.)
la mantequilla	butter	Derrite la mantequilla. (Melt the butter.)
la leche	milk	Media taza de leche. (Half a cup of milk.)

Seasonings and Spices

Spanish	English	Example
el ajo	garlic	Dos dientes de ajo. (Two cloves of garlic.)
la cebolla	onion	Pica la cebolla. (Chop the onion.)
el orégano	oregano	Una pizca de orégano. (A pinch of oregano.)
el comino	cumin	Comino molido. (Ground cumin.)
el perejil	parsley	Perejil fresco. (Fresh parsley.)

Recipe Language (Lenguaje de Recetas)

Recipe Instructions

Spanish	English
Ingredientes:	Ingredients:
Instrucciones:	Instructions:
Preparación:	Preparation:
Tiempo de preparación:	Prep time:
Tiempo de cocción:	Cooking time:
Porciones:	Servings:
Paso 1:	Step 1:

Common Recipe Phrases

Spanish	English
Precalienta el horno.	Preheat the oven.
Mezcla bien.	Mix well.
Deja reposar.	Let it rest.
Sirve caliente.	Serve hot.
Deja enfriar.	Let it cool.
Al gusto.	To taste.
Hasta que esté dorado.	Until golden.
Por ambos lados.	On both sides.

Describing Food

Taste (Sabor)

Spanish	English	Example
dulce	sweet	El pastel es dulce. (The cake is sweet.)
salado/a	salty	Está muy salado. (It's very salty.)
amargo/a	bitter	El café es amargo. (The coffee is bitter.)
ácido/a	sour	El limón es ácido. (The lemon is sour.)
picante	spicy	La salsa está picante. (The sauce is spicy.)
sabroso/a	tasty	Está muy sabroso. (It's very tasty.)
delicioso/a	delicious	¡Está delicioso! (It's delicious!)

Texture

Spanish	English	Example
crujiente	crispy/crunchy	El pan está crujiente. (The bread is crispy.)
suave	soft	La carne está suave. (The meat is soft/tender.)
duro/a	hard	El pan está duro. (The bread is hard.)
cremoso/a	creamy	La sopa es cremosa. (The soup is creamy.)
jugoso/a	juicy	La fruta está jugosa. (The fruit is juicy.)

Practical Dialogues

Dialogue 1: Following a Recipe

English: A: What are we cooking today? B: Pasta with tomato sauce. First, boil the water. A: How much water? B: Fill the pot halfway. Then add salt. A: And the pasta? B: Add the pasta when the water boils. Cook for 10 minutes.

Spanish: A: ¿Qué cocinamos hoy? B: Pasta con salsa de tomate. Primero, hierve el agua. A: ¿Cuánta agua? B: Llena la olla hasta la mitad. Luego agrega sal. A: ¿Y la pasta? B: Agrega la pasta cuando hierva el agua. Cocina por 10 minutos.

Dialogue 2: Asking for Help

English: A: Can you help me cut the vegetables? B: Sure! Do you want me to chop or slice them? A: Chop the onion and slice the tomatoes. B: Do you have a sharp knife? A: Yes, use that knife on the cutting board.

Spanish: A: ¿Puedes ayudarme a cortar las verduras? B: ¡Claro! ¿Quieres que las pique o las rebane? A: Pica la cebolla y rebana los tomates. B: ¿Tienes un cuchillo afilado? A: Sí, usa ese cuchillo en la tabla de cortar.

Dialogue 3: Seasoning Food

English: A: Try this. Does it need more salt? B: Yes, it needs a bit more salt. And maybe some pepper. A: Like this? B: Perfect! Now it's delicious. A: Great! It's ready to serve.

Spanish: A: Prueba esto. ¿Necesita más sal? B: Sí, necesita un poco más de sal. Y tal vez un poco de pimienta. A: ¿Así? B: ¡Perfecto! Ahora está delicioso. A: ¡Genial! Está listo para servir.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Mistake 1: Confusing COCINAR (to cook) and COCINERO (cook/chef)

COCINAR: to cook (verb)
COCINERO/A: cook/chef (noun)
"Cocino todos los días" (I cook every day) ✓

❌ Mistake 2: Using wrong gender for kitchen items

Wrong: "La cuchillo"
Right: "El cuchillo" (knife is masculine)
Wrong: "El sartén" (in most regions)
Right: "La sartén" (pan is usually feminine)

❌ Mistake 3: Confusing PROBAR (to try/taste) and APROBAR (to pass/approve)

PROBAR: to taste/try
APROBAR: to pass (test)/approve
"Prueba la sopa" (Taste the soup) ✓

❌ Mistake 4: Wrong preposition with cooking methods

"Cocinar EN el horno" ✓ (in the oven)
"Cocinar EN la sartén" ✓ (in the pan)
"Cocinar A fuego lento" ✓ (on low heat)

❌ Mistake 5: Confusing CALENTAR (to heat) and CALENDARIO (calendar)

CALENTAR: to heat
CALENDARIO: calendar
"Calienta el agua" (Heat the water) ✓

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Match Spanish to English

cocinar
hervir
cortar
mezclar
agregar
la olla
el cuchillo
sabroso

a) to cut b) knife c) tasty d) to add e) to cook f) pot g) to boil h) to mix

Exercise 2: Fill in the Blanks

Complete with the correct cooking verb.

_____ el agua para la pasta. (Boil)
_____ las cebollas en aceite. (Fry)
_____ el pan en el horno. (Bake)
_____ las verduras. (Cut)
_____ los huevos. (Beat)
_____ sal al gusto. (Add)
_____ la sopa. (Stir)
_____ las papas. (Peel)

Exercise 3: Translate to Spanish

I cook every day.
Chop the onion.
Mix the ingredients.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Add salt to taste.
The food is delicious.
Heat the oil in the pan.
Serve hot.

Exercise 4: Write a Simple Recipe

Write a simple recipe in Spanish for making scrambled eggs. Include:

Ingredientes
Instrucciones (at least 5 steps)

Exercise 5: Describe Your Favorite Dish

Describe your favorite dish using at least 5 cooking vocabulary words.

Answer Key

Exercise 1

1-e, 2-g, 3-a, 4-h, 5-d, 6-f, 7-b, 8-c

Exercise 2

Hierve
Fríe
Hornea
Corta
Bate
Agrega / Añade
Revuelve
Pela

Exercise 3

Cocino todos los días.
Pica la cebolla.
Mezcla los ingredientes.
Hornea por/durante 30 minutos.
Agrega/Añade sal al gusto.
La comida está deliciosa.
Calienta el aceite en la sartén.
Sirve caliente.

Exercise 4

(Example answer - yours may vary:) Huevos Revueltos

Ingredientes:

3 huevos
Sal y pimienta
1 cucharada de mantequilla

Instrucciones:

Bate los huevos en un bol.
Agrega sal y pimienta.
Calienta la mantequilla en una sartén.
Agrega los huevos batidos.
Revuelve hasta que estén cocidos.
Sirve caliente.

Exercise 5

(Answers will vary - check for correct cooking vocabulary!)

Quick Reference: Cooking Essentials

Key Verbs

cocinar (to cook)
hervir (to boil)
freír (to fry)
hornear (to bake)
cortar (to cut)
mezclar (to mix)
agregar (to add)

Kitchen Tools

cuchillo (knife)
sartén (pan)
olla (pot)
horno (oven)
tabla de cortar (cutting board)

Common Phrases

Hierve el agua (Boil the water)
Corta las verduras (Cut the vegetables)
Agrega sal al gusto (Add salt to taste)
Mezcla bien (Mix well)
Sirve caliente (Serve hot)

Pro Tips

💡 Tip 1: Learn Food and Cooking Together Connect cooking verbs with food vocabulary: "picar ajo" (chop garlic), "hervir agua" (boil water).

💡 Tip 2: Watch Cooking Shows in Spanish YouTube has many Spanish cooking channels. Watch and learn vocabulary in context!

💡 Tip 3: Read Recipes in Spanish Find simple Spanish recipes online and try following them. It's practical vocabulary practice!

💡 Tip 4: AL GUSTO "Al gusto" (to taste) is very common in recipes. Learn it: "Sal al gusto" (Salt to taste).

💡 Tip 5: Kitchen Practice Label items in your kitchen with Spanish names. You'll learn faster by seeing them daily!

Cultural Notes

📚 Hispanic Cuisine: Spanish-speaking countries have incredibly diverse and rich culinary traditions. Each country has signature dishes and cooking methods.

🗣️ Home Cooking: In Hispanic culture, home-cooked meals are highly valued. Cooking is often a family activity, and recipes are passed down through generations.

🌍 Regional Ingredients:

Spain: olive oil, jamón, seafood
Mexico: chile, maíz, frijoles
Argentina: beef, mate
Caribbean: plantains, tropical fruits

🍽️ Meal Times: In many Spanish-speaking countries, lunch (la comida) is the main meal and eaten later (2-3 PM), often with multiple courses.

Next Steps

After mastering cooking vocabulary:

✅ Learn specific cuisine vocabulary (Mexican, Spanish, etc.)
✅ Study food origins and ingredients
✅ Practice following full recipes in Spanish
✅ Learn restaurant and menu vocabulary
✅ Explore food culture and traditions

4-Week Action Plan

Week 1: Kitchen Equipment

Day 1-2: Learn basic tools (cuchillo, olla, sartén)
Day 3-4: Add appliances (horno, microondas)
Day 5-7: Label items in your kitchen

Week 2: Cooking Verbs

Day 1-3: Learn basic verbs (cocinar, hervir, freír)
Day 4-5: Add preparation verbs (cortar, mezclar)
Day 6-7: Practice with simple recipes

Week 3: Ingredients and Seasonings

Day 1-3: Learn common ingredients
Day 4-5: Add spices and seasonings
Day 6-7: Read recipes in Spanish

Week 4: Integration and Practice

Day 1-3: Follow a recipe in Spanish
Day 4-5: Describe your cooking process
Day 6-7: Watch cooking videos in Spanish

Remember: Cooking vocabulary is practical and fun to learn! Use it while cooking at home, try Spanish recipes, and watch cooking shows in Spanish. The combination of visual, practical, and linguistic learning will help these words stick. ¡Buen provecho!