If you master one cooking technique, make it sautéing. It’s fast, versatile, and gives vegetables, shrimp, and thin cuts of meat a golden, flavorful sear in minutes. The sautéing cooking method cooks small pieces of food in a thin film of hot fat over medium-high heat, tossing or stirring so they brown evenly. Here’s how sautéing works, which pan and oil to use, and the steps for browned, never-soggy results.
Jessica’s Recipe Science
- A hot pan evaporates surface moisture quickly, so food browns through the Maillard reaction instead of steaming.
- Crowding the pan releases more moisture than can evaporate, which drops the temperature and turns browning into steaming.
- Seared food releases from the pan on its own once a crust forms, so wait a moment before you stir or flip.
Featured Comment 4
“Very well written. Perfect reference material for our cooking course.”—Dennis
Jump To a Section
What is Sautéing?
Sautéing is a dry-heat cooking method that quickly cooks small, evenly cut pieces of food in a small amount of hot oil or butter in a wide, shallow pan. You stir, toss, or flip the food so it browns on the outside while the inside cooks through. The name comes from the French word sauter, “to jump,” for the way food leaps in the pan when it’s tossed.
Sautéing uses less fat than pan frying, which cooks larger, often breaded pieces in a shallow layer of oil. A stir-fry uses even higher heat and keeps the food moving constantly, while a sauté can rest between stirs to brown.
Sautéing at a Glance
| Factor | Details |
|---|---|
| Heat type | Dry heat (a thin film of fat) |
| Heat level | Medium-high, with the oil shimmering but not smoking |
| Amount of fat | Just enough to coat the bottom of the pan, about 1 to 2 tablespoons |
| What happens | Surface moisture evaporates fast, so the food browns while the inside cooks through |
| Best foods | Tender vegetables, mushrooms, greens, shrimp, and thin, tender cuts of meat |
| Typical time | A few minutes for shrimp and tender vegetables, longer for heartier vegetables |
| Equipment | A wide, heavy sauté pan or skillet and a spatula or tongs |
How to Sauté
These steps work for most sautéed vegetables, shrimp, and thin cuts of meat. Check your recipe for specific times.
Choose a Wide, Heavy Pan
- Sauté pan: Straight sides and a wide, flat bottom hold more food and keep liquids in, so it’s great for searing and pan sauces.
- Skillet: Sloped sides make it easy to toss and stir food as it cooks. A cast iron skillet browns beautifully over high heat.
- Nonstick: A nonstick pan helps with delicate foods, but it doesn’t build up as much fond for a pan sauce.
Pick a pan big enough to hold the food in a single layer without much empty space, which can let the oil burn. Greens and mushrooms shrink a lot as they cook, so they can start in a fuller pan.
Cut and Dry the Food
Cut food into even, bite-size pieces so everything cooks at the same rate, and cut dense foods like carrots smaller than tender ones like mushrooms. Pat the food dry, and let any marinade drip off, since water makes the food steam instead of brown.
Heat the Pan, Then the Oil
Preheat the pan over medium-high heat for a minute or two, then add just enough oil or butter to coat the bottom, about 1 to 2 tablespoons. Use an oil with a smoke point comfortably above sautéing heat, like avocado, canola, grapeseed, or light olive oil, or clarified butter. The fat is ready when it shimmers, or the butter stops foaming. If it smokes, it’s too hot.
Add the Food in One Layer
Add the food in a single layer with a little space around each piece, and cook in batches if needed. Crowding the pan lowers the temperature, so the food releases its moisture and steams instead of browning.
Stir, Toss, or Flip
For small pieces, let them brown for a moment, then stir or toss the pan with a quick flick of the wrist so they cook evenly. Don’t stir constantly, since the food needs contact with the hot pan to brown. For larger pieces like a fish fillet or chicken cutlet, cook until a golden crust forms and the food releases easily, then flip it once.
Deglaze for a Pan Sauce
The browned bits left in the pan, called fond, are packed with flavor. After removing the food, pour in a splash of broth, wine, or juice and scrape up the fond as it simmers and reduces. Finish with fresh herbs and a pat of butter for a quick sauce, or use it to make a pan gravy.
Best Foods for Sautéing
Sautéing works best for small, tender foods that cook through in the time it takes the outside to brown.
Vegetables and Greens
Tender vegetables like green beans, asparagus, mushrooms, zucchini, and peppers sauté in minutes, and greens like kale wilt down quickly. For firmer vegetables like potatoes and carrots, cut them smaller or par-cook them first. Try my Sautéed Green Beans, Green Beans and Mushrooms, Sautéed Mushrooms, Sautéed Asparagus, or Sautéed Kale.
Onions and Aromatics
Onions, garlic, shallots, carrots, and celery are often sautéed first to build flavor for soups, sauces, and braises. Cook garlic briefly over lower heat, since it burns quickly. For deeply browned, sweet onions, cook them low and slow; see my guide on how to caramelize onions.
Shrimp and Thin Cuts of Meat
Shrimp, scallops, thin fish fillets, and tender meat cut into strips or thin cutlets cook through quickly in a hot pan. Tough cuts with lots of connective tissue, like brisket or shanks, need slow, moist braising instead, and thick steaks are better seared and finished in the oven. Try my Shrimp Scampi, Honey Garlic Shrimp, or Garlic Butter Shrimp.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Sautéing
Advantages
- Fast: Most sautéed foods are done in minutes.
- Big flavor: High heat browns the surface and builds savory flavor.
- Little fat: A thin film of oil or butter is all you need.
- Built-in sauce: The browned bits in the pan make a quick pan sauce.
Disadvantages
- Needs attention: Food can go from browned to burnt quickly, so stay at the stove.
- Small batches: Crowding the pan causes steaming, so larger amounts take longer.
- Not for tough cuts: Quick dry heat makes tough meats chewier.
- Splatter: Hot oil and wet food can pop and splatter.
Recipes That Use Sautéing
Try sautéing with these reader favorites, or make my Sautéed Cabbage for an easy side dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sautéing is a dry-heat cooking method that quickly cooks small pieces of food in a small amount of hot oil or butter in a wide pan over medium-high heat. The food is stirred or tossed so it browns evenly.
Sautéing uses just enough fat to coat the pan and small pieces of food that are stirred or tossed. Pan frying uses more oil, about one-third to halfway up the food, and larger pieces that are often breaded and flipped once.
Both cook small pieces quickly in a little oil. Stir-frying uses even higher heat, usually in a wok, and keeps the food moving constantly. Sautéing uses medium-high heat and lets the food rest between stirs so it can brown.
Use an oil with a smoke point well above medium-high heat, like avocado, canola, grapeseed, or light olive oil. Clarified butter also works well. Regular butter adds flavor but burns more easily, so pair it with oil or use lower heat.
Heat the pan first, then add the oil. It’s ready when the oil shimmers and flows easily, or when butter stops foaming. If it smokes, the pan is too hot, so lower the heat.
The pan was probably crowded or not hot enough, so the vegetables steamed in their own moisture. Dry them well, preheat the pan, and cook in a single layer, in batches if needed.
Tools for Sautéing
- Sauté pan: Straight sides and a wide base give food room to brown and hold in a pan sauce.
- Stainless steel skillet: Sloped sides make tossing easy, and stainless steel builds flavorful fond.
- Silicone spatula: Stirs and scrapes up browned bits without scratching the pan.
- Tongs: Flip cutlets and shrimp quickly and safely.
Find all of my favorite kitchen tools on my Shop page.
Some of the links above are affiliate links, which pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you! Thank you for supporting my website.
More Cooking Method Guides
Learn how each technique works and when to use it, or start with the types of cooking methods overview:
Moist heat: Poaching · Simmering · Boiling · Steaming · Blanching
Combination heat: Braising · Stewing
Dry heat: Roasting · Baking · Sautéing · Pan Frying · Stir Frying · Deep Frying · Grilling · Broiling · Searing
Latifa says
thank you very much but please can I get examples of cereals product that can be sauteed
Jessica Gavin says
Are you looking to saute cereals to add more flavor to the surface than add liquid to cook it through?
Jessica Bentson says
I just found your blog and I am so excited! I have already learned a lot from just reading a couple posts. I feel certain I will be coming back repeatedly!
Dennis Murphy says
Very well written. Perfect reference material for our cooking course. I also have your book as a course reference. Thank you, Dennis