Cooking Techniques

There are many cooking techniques and the goal of this section is to bring you an overview and basic information about the most common ones.

Tom Founder

Published:
September 29, 2023

Fire safety

Before you start focusing on specific cooking techniques, let’s spend some time talking about how to prevent fire hazards. Grease fires happen when collections of oil or grease on a stove, oven, or fryer get hot enough to ignite. Never leave a pot cooking unattended. It can quickly turn from smoke to a full fire.

Different oils burn at different temperatures (called the flash point), but every oil you can purchase can catch fire. Grease fires are very hot and can spread to cabinets or other flammable areas in the kitchen.

Steps if you have a grease fire:

Evaluate the fire. If it is contained to a single pot, it may be safe to extinguish it yourself. If it has already spread, get everyone out of the house and call emergency services.
Turn off the heat source.
Cover the flame with a metal lid or baking pan or sheet.
● Fire needs oxygen to continue.
● By smothering it you cut off the oxygen.
● Do not cover with a glass or ceramic lid as these can shatter under high heat .
If a lid is not available, use a class B fire extinguisher.
● A class B fire extinguisher is designated for kitchen and grease fires.
You can also use baking soda on the fire, but you need a lot of it to smother a grease fire.

Never try to douse a grease fire with water or other liquid substances since these can cause a flare-up and can spread and increase the fire. Never try to carry the pot outside because the oil and fire can spill on you (or your surroundings) and spread throughout the house.

Disclaimer: I have provided just a basic list, which doesn’t include all possible safety precautions or requirements. I’m not responsible for the results of your actions even if my list is followed.

Pan Frying

Pan frying is for preparing full (not chopped) pieces of food in a pan (for example, a whole chicken breast or salmon fillet).
It is commonly performed with meat, fish, or vegetables.
The temperature needs to be equal to the thickness of the food to not overcook the food before the food gets cooked through.
It is usually performed on a fry pan or sauté pan.
It is a dry-heat cooking method, so just enough oil is used to lubricate a pan (your food is never immersed in oil).
Discover recipes here.

Searing

Searing is performed most commonly to lock the juices in (meat), create a nice color – sear (meat and vegetables), and add more flavor to the exterior of food.
It is commonly performed on meat or fish or vegetables.
It is an incomplete action, which needs to be followed by other cooking techniques that fully finish the cooking, such as braising, roasting, etc.
In my recipes, you will often find a cooking technique called pan searing with finishing in the oven (finishing in the oven describes following up the pan searing with roasting in the oven).
Searing is performed on medium-high to high heat and any kind of pans or pots can be used. It can also be performed on a grill (some grills even have a specialized searing section).
Because it is a dry-heat cooking method, you only need to use enough oil to just lubricate the pan (your food is never immersed in oil).
Discover recipes here.

Finishing in the Oven

Finishing in the oven is a technique usually used after searing or pan-frying.
Prior searing or pan-frying allows us to cook the surface to our liking, which in the case of meat provides us with locking in juices. Following finishing in the oven provides us with even cooking thanks to the heat surrounding the food in the oven.
Best is to use the same fry or sauté pan that you used for prior searing or sautéing. Just make sure to use an oven-proof pan and be especially careful when handling the pan if the handle is hot (after being in the oven).
Discover recipes here.

Stir Frying & Sautéing

Sautéing and stir frying are preparing chopped pieces of food (meat, fish, vegetables) or small food (shrimp, peas, corn, etc.) in a pan.
Sautéing and stir frying are essentially identical and either can be used to explain this cooking technique. In some cases, the major difference can be that stir frying requires preparation in a stir fry pan on a higher temperature.
These can be performed on a fry pan, sauté pan, or stir fry pan (wok).
They are commonly performed on high heat.
Because it is a dry-heat cooking method, you only need to use enough oil to just lubricate the pan (your food is never immersed in oil).
Discover stir frying recipes here.
Discover sautéing recipes here.

Basting

Basting is preparing food in a pan (usually a fry pan) when food is cooked with smaller amounts of juices (usually the juices from the meat in combination with some additional fat, e.g., butter and frying fat) that are often infused (e.g., rosemary, garlic, thyme, etc.).
While cooking with this technique the juices mainly stay to the side of the cooked object, are need to be periodically poured over the object.
This leads to the cooked object being cooked by the bottom of the pan and from the juices on top.
Basting is most common for all kinds of meat preparation but can also be used for preparing fish or even vegetables.
Discover recipes here.

Broiling

Broiling is a cooking technique performed by using direct heat above the subject, that is being cooked.
Broiling is most often performed in the oven, but restaurants often also use special broiling equipment called a broiler.
It is a good cooking technique for the preparation of very thin cuts, but it is most often used just as a finishing cooking technique to get a nice color and/or to quickly thicken the sauce.
Discover recipes here.

Grilling

Grilling is preparing food by applying heat to the surface of the food (usually from the bottom).
The most common grilling technique is to use direct heat (the heat source is right under your food), which can be performed with a grill of any kind, but also on a grill pan or griddle.
The less common grilling technique is to use indirect heat (the heat source is not under the food but is on the sides). Indirect heat uses hot air circulation inside of the grill, but still provides a smokiness and creates a burn pattern.
A direct heat method is great for most grilling, and indirect heat is great for thicker cuts of meat or meat with large amounts of marinade (such as my honey – BBQ rib recipe) to prevent a fire on the grill.
Grilling is a dry heat cooking method suitable for preparing meat, fish, and vegetables.
Temperatures for grilling vary. Thinner cuts can be grilled on high heat, thicker cuts should be grilled on medium to medium-high heat, and really thick cuts should be grilled on low heat.
Discover recipes here.

Roasting

Roasting is preparing food by cooking it evenly using dry heat circulation.
Roasting most often describes oven preparation of meat, poultry, some vegetables, and other similar food (why it is often called oven roasting).
Food prepared on a rotisserie on a grill, in the oven, or even over an open fire is considered roasting too. Preparation on a rotisserie is always specified if it’s required for recipe preparation. See section “Rotisserie” here.
Roasting peppers above a gas stove burger or preparing meat on a stick above an open fire is consider roasting too.
The temperature of roasting can vary. There are roasting recipes that require high temperatures, low temperatures, or their combination.
Discover recipes here.

Baking

Baking is preparing food by cooking it evenly using dry heat circulation.
Baking is commonly performed in the oven but can also be performed on a grill (with/without a pizza stone) or in a pizza oven.
Baking refers to preparing casseroles, lasagna, some kinds of vegetables, bread, pastries, cakes, etc. The term baking can be also used to describe oven roasting, such as baked turkey since it is essentially the same process and the rules for terminology in that area are very flexible.
Temperatures for baking vary based on recipe requirements.
Discover recipes here.

Braising

Braising is essentially slow cooking in some amount of liquid to tenderize meat and vegetables (the food is not fully submerged).
It is great for preparing meat or vegetables.
The full process of braising should be a combination of two cooking techniques: searing (or sautéing) on high temperature (dry-heat cooking method) followed by braising on a low heat burner (moist-heat cooking method). Some cooks often skip the first technique and start right away with the second technique.
Braising can be performed in a braising pot (braiser), in any pot or pan with a lid, pressure cooker or slow cooker.
Some recipes also call braising pot roasting.
Discover recipes here.

Stewing

Stewing is essentially slow cooking food, which is fully immersed in liquid to become tender.
This moist-heat cooking method is great for preparing stews with meat or vegetables.
Stewing is usually performed on a low heat burner in a covered pot, but can be also performed in a slow cooker or even in a pressure cooker.
Discover recipes here.

Shallow Frying

Shallow Frying is preparing food on a layer of hot fat (usually oil).
The thickness of the fat layer depends on each cook’s preference (usually between ¼” to ½”), but the food is never fully immersed in oil, which is the main difference when compared to deep frying.
This is a typically used for preparing breaded food to avoid using a deep frying but still reaching similar results.
It is usually performed on a fry pan or sauté pan.
This is a hot fat cooking method.
The burner temperature depends on the thickness of the food and the cook’s preference, but it is usually between medium to high.
Discover recipes here.

Deep Frying

Deep frying is preparing food by submerging food in hot fat (usually oil), which leads to instantly cooking the surface while the moisture is trapped in the food and the food keeps cooking on the inside.
This is easiest for deep frying, but great results can also be reached with a fryer pot or any other pot if used with a deep fry thermometer.
The temperature of the oil while deep frying varies depending on the thickness of the food or the recipe’s requirements, but the most common temperature is 350°F.
This is a hot fat cooking method.
Read more about Deep Frying here.
Discover recipes here.

Air Frying

Air frying is not actually frying, but it is a cooking in the air fryer which is blowing hot air around the food instead.
You can reach similar result as from air frying by utilizing regular oven using forced air program (convection).
Discover recipes here.

Blanching

Blanching is preparing food (usually vegetables or fruit) by quickly scalding it in boiling water (usually for just 1 minute).
This moist-heat cooking method let’s food keep its natural flavor, color, and nutritious value.
It is commonly used as a pretreatment for canning (for example, it makes it easier to peel tomatoes), or as a first step for further cooking (blanching asparagus or green beans before sautéing).
It is usually performed in a pot that is deep enough to have vegetables/fruit submerged when added to water.
Discover recipes here.

Simmering

Simmering is the preparation of food by cooking it in hot liquid. Simmering occurs prior to the boiling stage, when the temperature is just below the boiling point (between 190 – 200°F).
Simmering is an essential and more gentle way of boiling and is used for preparing soup, sauces, and more.
You can reach a simmer by carefully watching the water get closer to boiling, and when the water starts slightly rolling, reduce the heat to make sure a boil is not reached. Another option is to reach a boil and then reduce the temperature to make the water stop boiling (this is a less gentle technique, which can have big impact on the final product).
Simmering reduces the liquid more slowly than boiling does.
The heat of the burner depends on the amount of water and power of your burner, but in most cases, the heat should be between low to medium.
This is a moist-heat cooking method and can be performed in any kind of pot.
Discover recipes here.

Boiling

Boiling is preparing food by cooking it in liquid which is kept at the boiling point.
It is less gentle than simmering, but it is also more productive in terms or reducing the cooking time.
It is commonly used for cooking potatoes, asparagus, and eggs, but also for quick liquid reduction.
The heat of the burner depends on the amount of water and power of your burner, but in most cases, the heat of the burner should be between medium to high.
This is a moist-heat cooking method and can be performed in any kind of pot.
Discover recipes here.

Steaming

Steaming is preparing food using hot steam.
You can use any pot with a steamer rack, a multi-level steamer pot, or an electric steamer (aside from other solutions).
It is great for preparing dietary food (meat and vegetables), or dumpling preparation.
This is a moist-heat cooking method.
Poaching
Poaching is for preparing delicate food in hot liquid when the temperature makes a light simmer. The temperature of the liquid is between 170° and 190°F.
It is great for delicate food and especially for poaching eggs.
This is a moist-heat cooking method.
Discover recipes here.

Sous-vide

Sous-vide is for preparing food which is placed in a tightly closed plastic pouch and cooked in a water bath at a regulated temperature (usually between 131° to 140°F) for an extended amount of time (at least in comparison to other cooking methods).
The advantage of preparing food in a tightly closed pouch is that the food cooks in its own juices the whole time.
You need to own a sous-vide cooker in order to perform this method.
Discover recipes here.

Double Boiler

Some ingredients or products can be really heat sensitive, so they require a more sensitive approach during cooking.
For that reason, you use sauce pot with a water and mixing bowl (or another fitting pot) with a cooked content on the top.
This cooking technique is esencial for preparation of more delicate sauce and melting chocolate for chocolate coating.
Read about How to Prepare a Water Bath (Double Boiler) here.
Discover recipes here.

Smoking

Smoking is a cooking technique when the food is exposed to smoke from burning or smoldering materials (most often wood).
It is a slow cooking method, which can take up to a whole day to perform.
It is perfect for preparing meat, fish, or even cheese.
Smoking is performed in a closed environment with warm smoke circulation (the ideal temperature for smoking is between 70° and 90°F).
The easiest way to perform smoking is in a smoker or on a grill with a closed lid and equipped with a smoker box. A smoker is a device in which food is exposed to smoke and low temperature heat. A smoker box is an alternative to a smoker. The smoker box is a small metal container that can be used on a gas grill.
Discover recipes here.

Cold Cuisine

Cold cuisine cooking techniques encompass a delightful array of dishes that are served cold and require minimal to no cooking on traditional heat sources like the stove, grill, or oven.
This versatile category includes an assortment of culinary creations, ranging from refreshing cold sandwiches to tantalizing dressings, salads, sauces, glazes, and beyond.
Discover recipes here.

Poaching

Poaching is a gentle cooking method that uses simmering liquid to cook delicate foods like fish, eggs, and fruit. It helps preserve their texture and flavor, resulting in moist and tender dishes.
Poaching is a versatile technique that can be used for a variety of ingredients. Experiment with different poaching liquids like water, broth, milk, or wine to enhance the flavors of your dishes.
The poaching liquid itself becomes infused with the flavors of the ingredients, making it a delicious base for sauces or soups. Don’t let that flavorful liquid go to waste!
Poaching is a healthy cooking method as it requires little to no added fats or oils. It’s a great option for those looking to reduce their calorie intake while still enjoying delicious meals.
Discover recipes here.

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