Stocks, soups, sauces, and tender beans all start with the simmering cooking method, one of the most useful techniques in the kitchen. Holding liquid just below a boil cooks food gently and evenly, melds flavors in the pot, and tenderizes tough cuts and dried beans without falling apart.
Jessica’s Recipe Science
- A simmer holds liquid at about 180 to 205ºF, hot enough to cook food steadily but below a boil, so gentle bubbles won’t tumble delicate foods apart.
- During a long, low simmer, collagen in bones and tough cuts dissolves into gelatin, which gives stock body and makes meat fork-tender.
- Keeping stock at a bare simmer instead of a boil stops fat and proteins from emulsifying into the liquid, so the stock stays clear.
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“I just wanna thank you for helping me understand cooking methods clearly, and I’m no longer confused about most of the cooking methods during my theory class!!”—Brenda
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What is Simmering?
Simmering is a moist-heat cooking method that cooks food in liquid held just below the boiling point, about 180 to 205ºF (82 to 96ºC). Small bubbles rise gently and break the surface now and then, instead of the large, rolling bubbles of a boil.
It sits between poaching and boiling: hotter and more active than poaching at 160 to 180ºF (71 to 82ºC), but gentler than a full boil at 212ºF (100ºC) at sea level. That gentle movement cooks food evenly without tossing it around, so tender foods stay intact, and meat doesn’t tighten up and turn tough.
What Does a Simmer Look Like?
The easiest way to judge a simmer is by eye. Watch the size of the bubbles and how often they break the surface:
| Stage | Looks Like | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Slow simmer | Wisps of steam, a bubble or two | Stocks, braises |
| Simmer | Small, steady bubbles | Soups, sauces, beans, grains |
| Rapid simmer | Livelier, but still small bubbles | Reducing sauces |
| Boil | Large, rolling bubbles | Pasta, blanching |
While you’re learning, an instant-read thermometer helps: a simmer reads about 180 to 205ºF (82 to 96ºC).
Simmering at a Glance
| Factor | Details |
|---|---|
| Heat type | Moist heat |
| Cooking liquid | Water, stock, broth, wine, or sauce, usually enough to cover the food |
| Temperature | About 180 to 205ºF (82 to 96ºC), just below a boil |
| Best foods | Stocks, soups, sauces, dried beans, lentils, grains, root vegetables, poultry, and tough cuts of meat |
| Typical time | About 10 minutes to thicken a sauce; 20 to 45 minutes for chicken pieces; 1 to 1½ hours for soaked beans; 2 to 5 hours for chicken stock; 4 hours or more for large, tough cuts |
| Equipment | A heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, a heat diffuser for hot burners, and an instant-read thermometer |
How to Simmer
Simmering takes three steps: bring the liquid to a boil, lower the heat until only small bubbles remain, then hold it there.
Add the Food and Liquid
Use a pot with enough liquid to cover the food so it cooks evenly. Grains, beans, and rice swell as they cook, so leave extra room and liquid in the pot.
The liquid adds flavor, too. Broth, stock, wine, or tomatoes season the food as it cooks, and aromatics like onion, garlic, and herbs add even more dimension. Apple cider is a nice way to add a touch of natural sweetness to grains.
When making stock, start the bones or meat in cold water and bring it up slowly. The proteins release gradually and clump into foam that’s easy to skim off the surface, for a clearer stock.
Bring to a Boil, Then Lower the Heat
Bringing the liquid to a boil first is simply the fastest way to heat it. Water can’t get hotter than 212ºF (100ºC) at sea level, so once you see large, rolling bubbles, turn the heat down until only small bubbles remain.
Hold a Steady Simmer
Simmering takes a little attention at first, since stovetops, especially gas burners, can run hot even on the lowest setting. These tricks keep the pot right where you want it:
- Leave the lid off until the simmer is steady. A lid traps heat and can push the pot back to a boil.
- Once it’s steady, set the lid slightly ajar to slow evaporation, or leave it off when you want a sauce to reduce and thicken.
- If the pot gets too hot, slide it to the side of the burner or give it a stir to release some heat.
- Add a splash more broth or cooking liquid to cool it down quickly.
- Use a heat diffuser (flame tamer) on a burner that won’t hold a low, even heat.
For long cooks like braises, you can also cover the pot and move it to a low oven, where the heat stays steady with only occasional checking, much like a slow cooker.
Best Foods for Simmering
Simmering suits foods that need gentle, steady heat to soften or to give their flavor to the liquid.
Stocks, Soups, and Sauces
Stocks need a slow, bare simmer for hours to pull flavor and gelatin from the bones. My homemade chicken stock simmers for 2 to 5 hours at no more than 185ºF (85ºC). Here’s the difference between stock and broth.
Soups and sauces simmer at a steady, gentle pace so the flavors meld, and a rapid simmer reduces a sauce to thicken it. Try my homemade chicken noodle soup or marinara sauce.
Beans, Lentils, and Grains
Dried beans, lentils, and grains soften best at a gentle simmer, which cooks them evenly so the outsides don’t turn mushy before the centers are tender. Soaked black beans and pinto beans take about 60 to 90 minutes, and lentils take about 15 to 30 minutes. Barley, farro, millet, quinoa, and spelt can all be simmered with aromatics until tender; times vary by variety.
Meat and Poultry
Tough, well-worked cuts like lamb shank, osso buco, and corned beef turn fork-tender with a long, low simmer as their collagen melts into gelatin. Large cuts can take 4 hours or more. Boiling them instead tightens the muscle fibers and leaves the meat dry and tough.
Chicken pieces simmer in about 20 to 45 minutes, depending on their size and whether they’re on the bone. Simmering is also the heart of stewing and braising. Try my corned beef and cabbage or chicken andouille sausage gumbo.
Fish and Seafood
Fish and shellfish cook quickly and can break apart in a rolling boil, so keep the liquid at or below a gentle simmer, or poach them. For large pieces of fish, start them in cold liquid and bring it up to a simmer.
Root Vegetables
Dense vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, rutabagas, and turnips cook evenly at a simmer. Times vary with size, so check with the tip of a sharp knife; when it slides in easily, they’re done.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Simmering
Advantages
- Even, gentle cooking: Steady heat cooks food through without tossing it around, so delicate foods stay intact.
- Better flavor: Everything in the pot seasons the liquid, and as some of it evaporates, the flavors concentrate.
- Tender texture: Beans, grains, and tough cuts of meat soften without turning mushy or tough.
- Flexible timing: Simmering works for a 10-minute sauce or an all-afternoon stock.
Disadvantages
- Needs attention: Burners, especially gas, can drift back to a boil even on low, so check and adjust the heat.
- Slower than boiling: The lower temperature means foods take longer to cook through.
- No browning: Simmering won’t create a golden crust or roasted flavor; sear meat first if you want it, as in stewing and braising.
- Easy to overcook delicate foods: Fish and tender vegetables turn soft if they simmer too long.
Recipes That Use Simmering
Put the simmering method to work with these reader favorites, or try my chicken vegetable soup for a cozy weeknight dinner.
Frequently Asked Questions
A simmer is about 180 to 205ºF (82 to 96ºC), just below the boiling point of water, which is 212ºF (100ºC) at sea level.
Boiling at 212ºF (100ºC) makes large, rolling bubbles that move food around. Simmering is a few degrees cooler, with small, gentle bubbles that cook food more evenly.
Poaching uses even lower heat, about 160 to 180ºF (71 to 82ºC), with barely any bubbles, and is best for delicate foods like eggs and fish. Simmering is slightly hotter and more active.
Leave the lid off until the simmer is steady, since a lid traps heat and can bring the pot back to a boil. Then set the lid ajar to slow evaporation, or leave it off to reduce and thicken a sauce.
Simmering is a moist-heat cooking method, because the food cooks in hot liquid.
Stocks, soups, sauces, dried beans, lentils, grains, root vegetables, poultry, and tough cuts of meat like corned beef and lamb shank are all cooked by simmering.
Tools for Simmering
- Stockpot: A heavy-bottomed pot, like my All-Clad stockpot, spreads heat evenly, so the liquid holds a steady simmer without scorching. A Dutch oven works well too.
- Heat diffuser: It sits between the burner and the pot to soften a flame that runs too hot, even on the lowest setting.
- Instant-read thermometer: Use it to check that the liquid stays between 180 and 205ºF while you learn what a simmer looks like. Read more about choosing a thermometer.
- Slotted spoon: Skim foam from the surface of stock and lift simmered food out of the liquid.
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.
Sources: America’s Test Kitchen (boil vs. simmer).
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
Edward Amick says
Thnx 4 sharing
Rickey Lee says
Hello Jessica, I teach English in an Asian university. Due to the covid pandemic, more and more courses are going online. ESL teachers are teaching subjects we are not fully qualified to be teaching. Hence, I am more than just a ‘regular’ reader of your “101” articles. I have been given cooking courses to teach international students. I like cooking at home, but have never studied culinary arts. You have no idea how much I have used your writings–I have no idea how much!!! Your articles use easily understandable language for ME to understand, thereby I am able teach students something I really do not know. I appreciate your website. Forgive me for plagiarizing what I don’t know. And THANK YOU for being my teacher.
Tammy says
I forgot to bring my raw pork hock to a boil before simmering on very low for over 9 hours on the stovetop will they still be okay I also have beans in the pot that I soaked all night? I should mention that they are still on the stove. How will I know when they are done?
Jessica Gavin says
Does the meat look cooked, falling off the bone? The beans should be tender when ready.
Robert McDonald says
Very helpful – I wonder about cooking Great Northern Beans with Ham Hocks on a stovetop. I did the last batch uncovered and I think I went way too long on the simmering time… I think 4 or 4.5 hours total stovetop and the beans were soaked overnight and drained before I began cooking. By the end of the process there were no visible beans they had all liquified completely. The flavor was fantastic, but I got complaints “where’s the BEANS?” Could you give me a closer time estimate on how long to simmer the beans? The Ham Hocks were ‘partially pre-cooked’ and vacuum sealed from the grocery store. Would 1 1/2 or 2 hours simmer time be sufficient to ensure the Ham Hocks are fully cooked (safe to eat)? Thanks for your advice and assistance!
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Robert- If the beans have already been soaked, I would definitely reduce the cooking time. I cover the beans with a lid and simmer on low, check and stir every 30 minutes. Typically 60 to 90 minutes the beans are tender. May be on the higher end for Northern beans because they are larger. The hammocks should cook through by then as well.
Brenda Kong says
I just wanna thank you for helping me understand cooking methods clearly, and I’m no longer confused about most of the cooking methods during my theory class!!
Jessica Gavin says
I’m so happy to help you Brenda!
Cong Yu Chen says
When simmering, the liquid should cover the food for the entire cooking process, is that right?
Jessica Gavin says
For most instances yes, the liquid should cover the food. Unless you are cooking a large piece of meat for a braise, that is partially submerged.
Kris says
This all falls inline with everything I’ve learned from the Rouxbe cooking classes I’ve taken. <($_$<) I even learned a few things. Very informative. : D
angelica geiger says
gr8 information
Jessica Gavin says
Thanks!