Sauteing: meaning, definitions and examples

Typically used when cooking small pieces of food quickly in a shallow pan with a small amount of oil or butter over medium-high heat. This method is often used to cook vegetables, thin pieces of meat, or seafood.

• I will be sautéing some vegetables for our dinner
• She is sautéing garlic and onions for the pasta sauce

General term for cooking food in hot oil or fat. It includes methods like deep frying, shallow frying, and pan frying. Commonly used for cooking foods until they are crispy and golden brown.

• She loves frying chicken for family gatherings
• They were frying donuts in the backyard

Specific type of frying where the food is cooked in a frying pan with enough oil to cover the bottom. Often used for foods like steaks, chops, or fillets that are cooked on one side and then turned over to cook the other side.

• He is pan-frying the fish for dinner
• Pan-frying gives the chicken a nice crust

Usually describes the sound food makes when it’s cooking in very hot oil or fat. It often has a mouth-watering, appetizing connotation and is used to indicate that food is being cooked at a high temperature and potentially quickly.

• The bacon was sizzling in the pan
• I heard the steaks sizzling as soon as they hit the hot grill