verb

sauté

soh-TAY

Sauté (verb) means to cook food quickly in a shallow pan over fairly high heat in a small amount of fat, tossing or stirring it so it browns without stewing. Example: “Sauté the onions until they are soft and golden.”

verb

To cook food quickly in a shallow pan over fairly high heat in a small amount of fat, tossing or stirring it so it browns without stewing.

"Sauté the onions until they are soft and golden."

"Sauté the prawns for two minutes a side and take them straight off the heat."

noun

A dish made by this method, usually meat or vegetables cooked in a pan with their sauce.

"We had a sauté of chicken and mushrooms."

ballet In ballet, a jump straight upwards from and back onto both feet or one foot.

"The class finished with sautés in first position."

How to use sauté

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishCook something fast in a hot pan with a little oil or butter, keeping it moving.

When to use it

Neutral culinary vocabulary; universal in recipes.

Memory tip

Inflected forms keep the accent: sautés, sautéed, sautéing.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

stir-fry sear → sweat →

Common pairings

sauté pan sauté the onions lightly sautéed

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

_____ the onions until they are soft and golden.

Etymology

From French sauté, the past participle of sauter, meaning to jump, because the food is tossed and made to jump in the pan.

Origin: French

Synonyms

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pan-fry fry toss sear

Antonyms

boil steam braise

Related words

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Rhymes for sauté

taut Kraut beaut astronaut cosmonaut juggernaut sauerkraut

See all rhymes for sauté →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between sauté and fry?

Sautéing uses a small amount of fat, high heat and constant movement, so the food browns fast and stays dry. Frying is the wider term and includes shallow and deep frying, where the food usually sits still in more fat.

What is the difference between sauté and sweat?

Sweating is done over low heat with a lid or a pinch of salt to draw moisture out, and the vegetables should stay pale. Sautéing is hotter and uncovered, and colour is the point.

Do you need the accent in sauté?

It is standard in careful writing and on menus, and it also signals the pronunciation soh-TAY. Everyday recipe writing and packaging often drop it, and saute is widely accepted.

What is the meaning of sauté?

"sauté" (verb) means to cook food quickly in a shallow pan over fairly high heat in a small amount of fat, tossing or stirring it so it browns without stewing.

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