Cooking verbs in Spanish, including essential actions like cortar, mezclar, hornear, and more, with examples to build kitchen vocabulary.
Cooking verbs are essential for describing the steps and techniques used in preparing meals. Here is a list of common Spanish cooking verbs along with their English equivalents and example sentences.
- cortar — to cut
- mezclar — to mix
- hornear — to bake
- freír — to fry
- hervir — to boil
- asar — to roast/grill
- batir — to beat/whisk
- pelar — to peel
- licuar — to blend
- sazonar — to season
- revolver — to stir
- triturar — to crush
- derretir — to melt
- envolver — to wrap
- cocinar — to cook
- escurrir — to drain
- guardar — to store
- calentar — to heat
- servir — to serve
- congelar — to freeze
What is the correct English translation of 'hornear' in a cooking context?
to bake
'Hornear' means 'to bake,' referring to cooking food in an oven.
Common kitchen tools and utensils in Spanish, including words like cuchillo, sartén, horno, and more.
Knowing the names of kitchen tools and utensils helps you follow recipes and understand cooking instructions. Here are some common items in Spanish and English.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| cuchillo | cuchillos | knife | knives | El cuchillo está afilado. | The knife is sharp. |
| sartén | sartenes | frying pan | frying pans | Uso la sartén para freír. | I use the frying pan to fry. |
| olla | ollas | pot | pots | La olla está en la estufa. | The pot is on the stove. |
| horno | hornos | oven | ovens | Precaliento el horno a 180°C. | I preheat the oven to 180°C. |
| batidora | batidoras | mixer/blender | mixers/blenders | La batidora está sucia. | The mixer is dirty. |
| cuchara | cucharas | spoon | spoons | Necesito una cuchara grande. | I need a big spoon. |
| tenedor | tenedores | fork | forks | Uso el tenedor para comer. | I use the fork to eat. |
| tabla de cortar | tablas de cortar | cutting board | cutting boards | La tabla de cortar es de madera. | The cutting board is made of wood. |
| colador | coladores | strainer | strainers | Uso el colador para escurrir. | I use the strainer to drain. |
| rallador | ralladores | grater | graters | Rallo queso con el rallador. | I grate cheese with the grater. |
Essential cooking ingredients in Spanish, like tomate, aceite, azúcar, and more.
Knowing basic ingredients allows you to understand recipes and shop for groceries. Here are some common cooking ingredients in Spanish and English.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tomate | tomates | tomato | tomatoes | Corto un tomate. | I cut a tomato. |
| aceite | — | oil | — | Uso aceite de oliva. | I use olive oil. |
| azúcar | — | sugar | — | Añade un poco de azúcar. | Add a little sugar. |
| sal | — | salt | — | Sazona con sal. | Season with salt. |
| cebolla | cebollas | onion | onions | Puedo oler la cebolla. | I can smell the onion. |
| ajo | — | garlic | — | Pica un diente de ajo. | Chop a clove of garlic. |
| huevo | huevos | egg | eggs | Rompe dos huevos. | Break two eggs. |
| harina | — | flour | — | Necesito harina para el pastel. | I need flour for the cake. |
| leche | — | milk | — | Añade leche a la mezcla. | Add milk to the mixture. |
| mantequilla | — | butter | — | Derrite la mantequilla. | Melt the butter. |
Common cooking methods in Spanish, such as al horno, a la parrilla, and more.
These terms describe how food is prepared or cooked. Understanding them helps you follow recipes and order dishes.
| Spanish | English | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| al horno | baked | El pollo está al horno. | The chicken is baked. |
| a la parrilla | grilled | Hicimos bistec a la parrilla. | We made grilled steak. |
| frito | fried | El pescado está frito. | The fish is fried. |
| hervido | boiled | Los huevos están hervidos. | The eggs are boiled. |
| al vapor | steamed | Cocino verduras al vapor. | I cook vegetables steamed. |
| guisado | stewed | El guiso está listo. | The stew is ready. |
| asado | roasted | El cerdo está asado. | The pork is roasted. |
| salteado | sautéed | Vegetales salteados con ajo. | Vegetables sautéed with garlic. |
| crudo | raw | Como zanahorias crudas. | I eat raw carrots. |
| cocido | cooked | El arroz ya está cocido. | The rice is already cooked. |
Essential action verbs for cooking in Spanish, such as preparar, combinar, añadir, and more.
These are some of the most common verbs used in cooking instructions. They help you describe the process and follow recipes confidently.
| Spanish | English | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| preparar | to prepare | Voy a preparar la cena. | I’m going to prepare dinner. |
| combinar | to combine | Combina los ingredientes. | Combine the ingredients. |
| añadir | to add | Añade sal al gusto. | Add salt to taste. |
| remover | to stir | Remueve la sopa. | Stir the soup. |
| esperar | to wait | Espera cinco minutos. | Wait five minutes. |
| probar | to taste | Prueba la salsa. | Taste the sauce. |
| servir | to serve | Sirve caliente. | Serve hot. |
| calentar | to heat | Calienta el horno. | Heat the oven. |
| dejar | to let | Deja reposar la masa. | Let the dough rest. |
| cortar | to cut | Corta las verduras. | Cut the vegetables. |
Building your cooking vocabulary in Spanish involves learning verbs, tools, ingredients, and methods. Practice using these words in simple sentences to increase your confidence in the kitchen and enjoy the process of cooking in a new language.
Flashcards (1 of 40)
- English Singular: knife
- English Plural: knives
- English Example: The knife is sharp.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
