Saute

/soʊˈteɪ/

Meaning & Definition

verb

To cook food quickly in a small amount of oil or fat over high heat.

I like to sauté vegetables to preserve their crunchiness.

To brown or cook food lightly, often used for meats or seafood.

She sautéed the chicken in olive oil until it was golden brown.

To prepare by frying ingredients in a pan.

The recipe calls for you to sauté garlic before adding the tomatoes.

French 'sauter', meaning 'to jump', which refers to the jumping motion of food in the pan.

sautéing onions

Cooking onions in a little oil until they become translucent and caramelized.

sauté and serve

To quickly cook a dish and then serve it immediately.

frying

Cooking food in hot fat or oil.

stir-frying

Quickly cooking food in a wok or pan over high heat while stirring constantly.

browning

Cooking food until it develops a brown crust.

To get something done quickly or efficiently.

I need to sauté this report before the deadline.

To enhance the flavor of a situation or event.

Let’s sauté this party with some good music.