MSU Extension Extension Recipes

The way a food is cooked can affect its flavor, texture, and nutrition. Some cooking methods add moisture, others use dry heat for crispiness, and some involve cooking with fat or special appliances. The choice of method may depend on the type of food, available equipment, cultural traditions, available time or even the season. Regardless of the method, it is important to cook with food safety in mind and to use the proper temperature to prevent foodborne illness.

Common Cooking Methods

Cooking methods that use a standard oven or stovetop include moist and dry heat cooking, and frying.

Moist Heat

Moist heat cooking uses water, broth, or steam to cook food. It allows food to absorb liquid during the cooking process, which can soften tough foods like meat and coarse vegetables. It also helps rehydrate foods such as rice, pasta, and dry beans. Added fat is not needed, and while some vitamins may leach into the cooking liquid, most nutrients are generally maintained. Moist heat cooking includes these methods:

• Boiling: Cooking in rapidly bubbling water
• Simmering: Cooking in liquid at a temperature just below boiling
• Poaching: Cooking in a hot liquid, carefully retaining the shape of the food (like eggs)
• Steaming: Cooking in steam over boiling water
• Pressure cooking: Cooking food quickly in a sealed pot using steam and high pressure

See these food safety guidelines for pressure cooking.

Dry Heat

Dry heat cooking does not use added liquid. It browns the food and keeps it moist inside by creating a crust on the outside. Dry heat cooking methods require longer cooking times and higher temperatures, which may result in some nutrient loss. Added fat is rarely needed. Dry heat cooking includes:

• Baking: Cooking by surrounding food with dry heat in an oven
• Roasting: Cooking food in an oven, often at a higher temperature than baking
• Broiling: Cooking with direct heat from an element above the food
• Grilling: Cooking with direct heat on a grate, from an element beneath the food
• Griddling: Cooking food on a flat, heated surface such as a griddle or pan

Frying

Frying cooks the food relatively quickly using hot oil or fat. Some fat is absorbed during cooking, which makes the food moist, but can also increase its fat content. Frying includes these cooking methods:

• Pan frying: Cooking food in a small amount of fat, typically in a shallow pan
• Sautéing: Cooking or browning food quickly in a small amount of fat
• Stir-frying: Cooking thinly sliced food quickly in a small amount of oil, usually in a wok
• Deep-fat frying: Cooking food by submerging it in hot oil (350°F to 375°F)

Deep frying in hot oil should be used with caution, as it is highly flammable and can cause burns and fires. Learn more about deep fat fryer safety.

Other Cooking Methods

Specialized equipment can be used to cook food. These appliances may add cost or take up space but offer quick and/or energy-efficient ways to cook food. Like traditional cooking methods, these appliance-based methods can influence a food’s taste, appearance and nutrition.

Microwaving

Microwaving cooks the food by vibrating food molecules, which generates friction and heat. After microwaving, a "standing time" allows the food to continue cooking as energy is released. Stirring is important to help reduce hot spots, which may occur in pockets of water, fat or sugar. Using a food thermometer can help detect cold spots, which may harbor bacteria. Use containers labeled "microwave-safe" to prevent melting or leaching of chemicals into the food and avoid metal dishes.

Learn more about safe microwave cooking.

Convection Oven Cooking

A convection oven circulates heated air throughout the oven, cooking food more evenly and quicker than a conventional oven. It can help with browning and crisping. When following a recipe for a regular oven, it is recommended to decrease the convection oven temperature by 25° to 50°F to prevent overcooking.

Learn more about convection oven cooking.

Slow Cooker Cooking

A slow cooker operates at low temperatures, typically between 170° to 280°F, and cooks the food over an extended period, usually 4 to 12 hours. It is designed to allow for early preparation and unattended cooking. The low heat helps meat become tender and shrink less. In the summer, using this countertop appliance can avoid introducing heat from a hot oven, and it also takes less electricity. Always thaw meat or poultry before putting it into a slow cooker. Learn more about safe food practices with slow cookers.

Air Fryer Cooking

Air fryers are essentially countertop convection ovens and cook the food faster and consume less energy than conventional ovens. They have a heating mechanism that circulates hot air rapidly around food placed in a fryer basket, making it crispy without the added fat often used in other cooking methods. Foods generally require 5 to 25 minutes of cooking at a temperature range of 350°F to 400°F. With limited space inside, air frying works best for smaller batch cooking. However, overcrowding the basket can lead to improperly cooked food.

Cooking with a Smoker

Smoking is slowly cooking food indirectly over a fire. This can be done by using a "smoker," which is an outdoor cooker especially designed for this purpose. A covered grill can also be used for smoking food by placing a drip pan of water beneath the meat on the grill. A thermometer is needed to monitor the air temperature in the smoker or grill to be sure the heat stays between 225° and 300°F throughout the cooking process. It can take anywhere from 4 to 8 hours to smoke meat or poultry.

Learn more about how to use a smoker safely.

For all Cooking Methods: Practice Food Safety

No matter which cooking method you use, be sure to follow safe food handling practices and check that food reaches a safe minimum internal temperature with a food thermometer.

Take pleasure in creating the food you enjoy in your kitchen or backyard, with a bit more knowledge about how the cooking method impacts your result.