Cooking in Spanish: Learn to cook in Spanish

'Cocer' (to boil), e.g., 'cocer pasta' (to boil pasta).

'Asar' (to roast or grill), e.g., 'asar pollo' (to roast chicken).

'Freír' (to fry), e.g., 'freír patatas' (to fry potatoes).

✅ Essential cooking verbs in Spanish

To follow a recipe in Spanish, it is important to know some key verbs:

🍏 'Pelar' (to peel): To remove the skin from fruit or vegetables. 🍏

🔪 'Picar' (to chop): To cut into small pieces. 

🥚 'Batir' (to whisk): To mix quickly.

🥄 'Mezclar' (to mix): To combine ingredients. 

♨️ 'Hervir' (to boil): To cook in boiling water. 

🍞 'Hornear' (to bake): To cook in the oven. 

🍳 'Sofreír' (to sauté): To fry over low heat. 

🌿 'Aliñar' (to season): To add condiments or spices. 

♨️ Essential kitchen utensils in Spanish

'Cuchillo de chef' (Chef’s knife): Used for cutting, chopping, and slicing. 

'Cuchillo para pelar' (Paring knife): Small and precise, ideal for fruits and vegetables.

'Tabla de cortar' (Cutting board): A surface for cutting without damaging the countertop.

'Rallador' (Grater): Used to grate cheese, vegetables, or spices. 

'Pelador' (Peeler): Used to remove the skin from fruits and vegetables.

🔥 Utensils for cooking: 

'Sartén' (Frying pan): Ideal for frying, sautéing, and browning food. 

'Olla' (Pot): Used for boiling, slow cooking, and preparing broths or soups. 

'Cazo' (Saucepan): Smaller than a pot, useful for sauces and heating liquids.

'Horno' (Oven): Used for baking bread, cakes, meat, and vegetables. 

'Vaporera' (Steamer): Used to cook food healthily by steaming.

📓 Common expressions in recipes

Spanish recipes often include certain recurring terms and expressions that are useful to know:

🧂 'Una pizca de...' (A pinch of...): Used to indicate small amounts of spices or condiments. 

♨️ 'A fuego lento' (On low heat): Indicates that the cooking should be done at a low and constant temperature. 

🔥 'A fuego medio' (On medium heat): Cook at an intermediate temperature. 

🔥🔥 'A fuego alto' (On high heat): Indicates that cooking should be done at a high temperature. 

🧂 'Salpimentar' (To season with salt and pepper): Add salt and pepper to taste. 

🍞 'Enharinar' (To flour): Coat food with flour before frying or cooking. 

🍷 'Macerar' (To marinate): Let food rest in a liquid to absorb flavour. 

🥖 'Dorarse' (To brown): Cook until the surface of the food turns golden brown. 

🍰 'Montar claras a punto de nieve' (To whip egg whites to stiff peaks): Beat egg whites until they become firm and fluffy. 

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📋 Sentence structures and verb tenses in a recipe

Spanish recipes use a combination of verb tenses and specific structures to give instructions clearly and precisely. Some of the most common tenses are:

🫵​ Imperative tense: Used to give orders or direct instructions.

Example: 'Pela las patatas y córtalas en trozos pequeños' (Peel the potatoes and cut them into small pieces) 🔪

👇​ Present tense: Used to describe the general process of a recipe.

Example: 'Se añade el azúcar y se mezcla bien' (The sugar is added and mixed well) 🍰

👈​ Present perfect: Sometimes used to indicate a completed action.

Example: 'Una vez que has mezclado los ingredientes, viértelos en el molde' (Once you have mixed the ingredients, pour them into the mould) 🥄

👉​ Future simple: In some recipes, it is used to indicate the result of a step.

Example: 'Después de 20 minutos, el bizcocho estará dorado' (After 20 minutes, the cake will be golden brown) ⏳

It is also common to see passive structures such as:

'Se' + verb: 'Se corta la cebolla en rodajas' (The onion is cut into slices). 

Use of connectors to structure the steps: 'Primero' (First), 'A continuación' (Next), 'Después' (Then), 'Por último' (Finally).

👩‍🍳 Our recipes in Spanish

Carpaccio de higos - Fig Carpaccio

Berenjenas glaseadas - Glazed aubergine

Bizcocho esponjoso - Sponge cake

Tortilla de patatas española - Spanish potato omelette

⭐ Share your signature recipe!  

Now that you know the verbs and kitchen utensils, we invite you to share your signature recipe in Spanish. It can be a traditional dish from your country or a recipe you have created. Tell us the ingredients and steps, and let's learn to cook in Spanish together!

Ready to cook and learn Spanish at the same time? Let's go! 👩‍🍳👨‍🍳

Share your signature recipe!