1
Chop
“Please chop the onions into small pieces.”
Cooking Actions
Not things but actions — the verbs a recipe asks of your hands.
Cooking Actions in English: chop, whisk, boil, roast, and more — 31 cooking verbs in one free vocabulary list. Each word includes American and British pronunciation audio, a photo, and an example sentence, a practical resource for ESL learners interested in cooking and food English.
2
Slice
“She sliced the bread very thinly.”
3
Peel
“I peeled the potatoes before cooking them.”
4
Grate
“Grate some cheese over the pasta.”
5
Whisk
“Whisk the eggs until they are smooth.”
6
Stir
“Stir the soup slowly.”
7
Mix
“Mix the flour and sugar together.”
Good to know: Often confused with 'whisk' or 'stir': mixing is a general term, whisking specifically adds air, and stirring uses a gentle circular motion.
8
Boil
“Boil the water before adding the noodles.”
9
Fry
“I usually fry eggs for breakfast.”
10
Bake
“We baked a chocolate cake yesterday.”
11
Grill
“They grilled the chicken outside.”
Good to know: In British English, 'grill' can also mean cooking with heat from above, which American English calls 'broil'.
12
Roast
“We roasted the vegetables for dinner.”
13
Steam
“She steamed the vegetables to keep them fresh.”
14
Simmer
“Let the soup simmer for ten minutes.”
15
Blend
“Blend the fruit until it is smooth.”
16
Knead
“Knead the dough for a few minutes.”
17
Pour
“Pour the milk into the glass.”
18
Marinate
“We marinated the chicken overnight.”
19
Freeze
“You can freeze the leftovers for later.”
20
Mash
“Mash the potatoes with a little butter.”
21
Sift
“Sift the flour before adding it to the bowl.”
22
Dice
“Dice the tomatoes into small cubes.”
23
Flip
“Flip the pancake when the edges turn brown.”
24
Sprinkle
“Sprinkle some cheese on top.”
25
Squeeze
“Squeeze some lemon over the fish.”
26
Crack
“Crack two eggs into the bowl.”
27
Taste
“Taste the soup before serving it.”
28
Serve
“They served dinner at seven.”
29
Wash
“Wash the vegetables before cooking them.”
30
Toast
“I like to toast my bread until it is golden brown.”
31
Drain
“Drain the pasta after it is cooked.”
That's the full set of Cooking Actions in English — the verbs worth knowing before your next recipe.