Cooking and Recipe Vocabulary

Comprehensive vocabulary for cooking, following recipes, and discussing food preparation.

Kitchen Tools

la olla (pot) la sartén (frying pan) el cuchillo (knife) la tabla de cortar (cutting board) la cuchara (spoon) el tenedor (fork) el plato (plate) el tazón/bol (bowl) la taza (cup) el vaso (glass) la licuadora (blender) el horno (oven) la estufa/cocina (stove)

Cooking Verbs

cocinar (to cook) hornear (to bake) freír (to fry) hervir (to boil) asar (to roast/grill) cortar (to cut) picar (to chop/mince) pelar (to peel) mezclar (to mix) batir (to beat/whisk) revolver (to stir) agregar/añadir (to add) calentar (to heat) enfriar (to cool)

Basic Ingredients

la sal (salt) la pimienta (pepper) el azúcar (sugar) la harina (flour) el aceite (oil) la mantequilla (butter) el huevo (egg) la leche (milk) el agua (water) el ajo (garlic) la cebolla (onion)

Measurements

una cucharada (tablespoon) una cucharadita (teaspoon) una taza (cup) un litro (liter) un kilo/kilogramo (kilogram) un gramo (gram) una pizca (pinch)

Agrega dos cucharadas de azúcar. (Add two tablespoons of sugar.)

Recipe Instructions

Primero... (First...) Luego... (Then...) Después... (After...) Finalmente... (Finally...)

Common phrases: Precalienta el horno a 180 grados. (Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.) Pela y pica la cebolla. (Peel and chop the onion.) Bate los huevos. (Beat the eggs.) Mezcla los ingredientes. (Mix the ingredients.) Cocina a fuego lento. (Cook on low heat.)

Cooking Methods

a fuego lento (on low heat) a fuego medio (on medium heat) a fuego alto (on high heat) al horno (in the oven) a la parrilla (on the grill) al vapor (steamed)

Tastes and Flavors

dulce (sweet) salado (salty) amargo (bitter) ácido/agrio (sour) picante (spicy) sabroso/rico (tasty) delicioso (delicious)

Food States

crudo (raw) cocido (cooked) fresco (fresh) congelado (frozen) maduro (ripe) podrido (rotten)

Preparation Styles

frito (fried) asado (roasted) hervido (boiled) al vapor (steamed) a la plancha (grilled)

Common Recipe Phrases

Sirve para 4 personas. (Serves 4 people.) Tiempo de preparación: 30 minutos. (Preparation time: 30 minutes.) Deja reposar por 10 minutos. (Let rest for 10 minutes.) Sirve caliente. (Serve hot.) Decora con perejil. (Garnish with parsley.)

Kitchen Actions

lavar (to wash) secar (to dry) guardar (to store) servir (to serve) probar (to taste/try)

Describing Texture

crujiente (crispy) suave (soft) duro (hard) cremoso (creamy) jugoso (juicy)

Practice