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German Cooking Instructions: 50 Common Verbs and Phrases Found in German Cookbooks 🍳🇩🇪

A Comprehensive Guide for German Learners

If you enjoy cooking and you’re learning German, reading recipes in German is a fun and practical way to expand your vocabulary. German cookbooks and recipe websites use a special set of verbs and expressions—short, clear commands like Schneiden Sie die Zwiebeln fein! (“Chop the onions finely!”) or Den Teig ruhen lassen (“Let the dough rest”).

In this guide, you’ll learn 50 of the most common German cooking verbs and instructions, grouped by actions such as preparing, mixing, frying, and serving. Each includes its English translation, example sentences, and usage notes so you can confidently follow any deutsches Kochbuch.


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🔪 Preparation Verbs (Vorbereitungsverben)

These are the first steps in most recipes—washing, peeling, chopping, and slicing.

German

English

waschen

to wash

schälen

to peel

schneiden

to cut / slice

hacken

to chop

reiben

to grate

wiegen

to weigh

messen

to measure

abtropfen lassen

to drain

entkernen

to remove the seeds

pressen

to squeeze / press (e.g., garlic, lemon)

Example sentences:

  • Die Kartoffeln schälen und in Stücke schneiden. – Peel the potatoes and cut them into pieces.

  • Die Zwiebeln fein hacken. – Finely chop the onions.

  • Den Knoblauch durch eine Presse drücken. – Press the garlic through a garlic press.

Grammar tip: In German recipes, the imperative (command form) or infinitive is used. Both are understood as instructions:

Schneiden Sie die Tomaten fein. (imperative polite)Tomaten fein schneiden. (infinitive construction)

🥣 Mixing and Combining (Mischen und Verrühren)

These verbs describe actions for combining ingredients when cooking or baking.

German

English

mischen

to mix

verrühren

to stir/blend

unterrühren

to fold in / stir in

schlagen

to beat/whisk

kneten

to knead

aufgießen

to pour in (liquid)

vermengen

to combine/blend thoroughly

anrühren

to mix (with liquid)

auflösen

to dissolve

würzen

to season

Example sentences:

  • Eier und Zucker cremig schlagen. – Beat the eggs and sugar until creamy.

  • Mehl vorsichtig unterrühren. – Carefully fold in the flour.

  • Mit Salz und Pfeffer würzen. – Season with salt and pepper.

Note: Prefixes like ver- and unter- change the meaning subtly—rühren (stir) vs verrühren (mix together thoroughly).


🍳 Cooking Methods (Kochmethoden)

Now for the heat! These verbs describe how ingredients are cooked, boiled, or fried.

German

English

kochen

to boil/cook

braten

to fry / roast

backen

to bake

dünsten

to steam gently / braise

frittieren

to deep-fry

grillen

to grill / barbecue

rösten

to roast (nuts, coffee)

anbraten

to sauté / brown lightly

aufkochen

to bring to the boil

köcheln lassen

to simmer

Example sentences:

  • Das Gemüse kurz anbraten. – Lightly sauté the vegetables.

  • Die Suppe zehn Minuten köcheln lassen. – Let the soup simmer for ten minutes.

  • Die Zwiebeln in Öl braten, bis sie goldbraun sind. – Fry the onions in oil until golden brown.

Grammar tip: When you see lassen in a recipe (e.g., köcheln lassen), it means “let something do something”—literally “let it simmer.”


🍲 Assembling and Combining Dishes (Zubereiten und Zusammenstellen)

These verbs describe how dishes come together—layering, filling, arranging, and coating.

German

English

füllen

to fill

belegen

to top/cover (e.g. a pizza)

bestreichen

to spread

überziehen

to coat/cover

schichten

to layer

vermischen

to mix together

anrichten

to plate/arrange

abschmecken

to taste and season

servieren

to serve

garnieren

to garnish

Example sentences:

  • Den Boden mit Marmelade bestreichen. – Spread jam on the base.

  • Das Dessert in Gläsern anrichten. – Arrange the dessert in glasses.

  • Vor dem Servieren mit frischer Petersilie garnieren. – Garnish with fresh parsley before serving.

Cultural note: Anrichten and Garnieren are favourites in German TV cooking shows—they refer to the presentation of the dish, not the cooking itself.


🧂 Seasoning and Enhancing (Würzen und Abschmecken)

Flavour is key in every recipe—these verbs help you talk about seasoning precisely.

German

English

salzen

to salt

pfeffern

to add pepper

würzen

to season

abschmecken

to adjust to taste

marinieren

to marinate

süßen

to sweeten

säuern

to acidify / add acid (e.g., vinegar or lemon)

abschrecken

to blanch / cool quickly

vermengen

to combine (flavour elements)

reduzieren

to reduce (sauce)

Example sentences:

  • Das Fleisch gut marinieren und über Nacht stehen lassen. – Marinate the meat well and leave it overnight.

  • Die Soße leicht reduzieren. – Reduce the sauce slightly.

  • Die Suppe abschmecken und eventuell nachsalzen. – Taste the soup and add more salt if needed.

Language note: Abschmecken literally means “to taste off” – checking and adjusting flavour before serving.


🕒 Finishing and Serving (Fertigstellen und Servieren)

When the cooking is done, these verbs help you finish, cool, and serve your dish like a pro.

German

English

abkühlen lassen

to let cool

abgießen

to pour off / drain

umrühren

to stir (again)

hinzugeben

to add in

abschalten

to turn off (heat)

zugedeckt lassen

to keep covered

aufwärmen

to reheat

abdecken

to cover

verzieren

to decorate

servieren

to serve

Example sentences:

  • Nach dem Kochen zehn Minuten abkühlen lassen. – Let cool for ten minutes after cooking.

  • Die Nudeln abgießen und sofort servieren. – Drain the pasta and serve immediately.

  • Mit frischen Kräutern verzieren. – Decorate with fresh herbs.

Grammar tip: You’ll often see lassen used with an infinitive in instructions (abkühlen lassen, zugedeckt lassen). It translates naturally as “let it …” or “keep it …”.


📘 Summary Table: 50 German Cooking Instructions at a Glance

#

German

English

1

waschen

to wash

2

schälen

to peel

3

schneiden

to cut

4

hacken

to chop

5

reiben

to grate

6

wiegen

to weigh

7

messen

to measure

8

entkernen

to remove seeds

9

abtropfen lassen

to drain

10

pressen

to press

11

mischen

to mix

12

verrühren

to stir

13

unterrühren

to fold in

14

schlagen

to whisk/beat

15

kneten

to knead

16

aufgießen

to pour in

17

würzen

to season

18

auflösen

to dissolve

19

anrühren

to mix with liquid

20

kochen

to boil/cook

21

braten

to fry

22

backen

to bake

23

dünsten

to steam

24

frittieren

to deep-fry

25

grillen

to grill

26

rösten

to roast

27

anbraten

to sauté

28

aufkochen

to bring to a boil

29

köcheln lassen

to simmer

30

füllen

to fill

31

bestreichen

to spread

32

schichten

to layer

33

anrichten

to plate

34

servieren

to serve

35

garnieren

to garnish

36

salzen

to salt

37

pfeffern

to add pepper

38

abschmecken

to adjust seasoning

39

marinieren

to marinate

40

süßen

to sweeten

41

säuern

to acidify

42

reduzieren

to reduce

43

abgießen

to drain off

44

abkühlen lassen

to let cool

45

umrühren

to stir

46

hinzugeben

to add

47

abschalten

to turn off heat

48

zugedeckt lassen

to keep covered

49

abdecken

to cover

50

verzieren

to decorate

👨‍🍳 Learn German While You Cook

Cooking is one of the most enjoyable and effective ways to learn German. Following recipes builds vocabulary, reinforces grammar (especially the imperative and separable verbs), and connects language learning with real-life activities.

To take your learning further, join Olesen Tuition – the top-rated German language school in London, offering:

Learning German doesn’t have to mean sitting at a desk. Try Lesen, Kochen und Lernen—reading, cooking, and learning at once—and you’ll discover how naturally new words stick when they’re linked to taste, smell, and real action.

Guten Appetit und viel Erfolg beim Deutschlernen!Enjoy your meal—and your German learning journey!

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