If you're anything like me, you've probably been spending way too much time cooking in your kitchen over the past year. To cut out some of the work that goes into making all those tasty dishes, read on for a ton of super-easy (and super-useful!) cooking tricks. 🔪
1. If you're cooking a recipe that calls for sautéing both onions and garlic, do the onions first.
2. Add brown sugar to your tomato sauce to make the overall flavor even richer.
3. To make oven-baked chicken taste fried, add a bit of mayo to the usual egg–and–bread crumbs coating.
4. When juicing limes or lemons, cut the bottom off first so that all the juice runs through the fruit instead of getting trapped in the rind.
5. Sprinkle flour on your bacon to reduce grease splatters.
6. And for a mess-free bacon experience, cook it in the oven instead of on the stove top.
7. Know when to use ground pepper versus cracked pepper.
8. Remember to season your cold foods more than your hot foods.
9. To make extra-fluffy pancakes, leave a few lumps in the batter.
10. Cracking eggs? Use an eggshell to scoop up any stray broken pieces.
11. Crack eggs on a flat surface instead of the edge of a bowl.
12. For a safer and less stressful cooking experience, sharpen your knives.
13. Rinse your rice before cooking to prevent it from becoming gloopy.
14. Save the stems of herbs and add them to soups, stews, or stocks while cooking.
15. Use a bench scraper to easily transfer food from your cutting board to your pan.
16. Find the sweetest watermelons by looking for a yellow patch and listening for a hollow sound.
17. Use a flexible spatula to neatly flip your over-easy eggs.
18. For extra-creamy scrambled eggs, be sure to stir them constantly while they're on the pan.
19. Freshen up stale cookies by placing a piece of bread in your cookie container.
20. If you want to brown something, don't overcrowd the pan.
21. And be sure to cook all the water off first.
22. After you're finished cooking your steak, let the meat rest.
23. When making pie dough, use a grater to get mini chunks of butter.
24. If you find a recipe online that you want to use, check the comments for any tips or precautions.
25. Use more than one type of vinegar when you're dressing a salad.
26. When making fried rice, prep the pan by cooking an egg in it first.
27. Season your food from a distance to make sure all components get evenly covered.
28. Resize your sheet pan with a bit of aluminum foil.
29. When it comes to heat, don't feel the need to flip things over or stir them constantly.
30. Generously salt your pasta water.
31. Don't add your pasta until the water is already boiling.
32. Lastly, whatever you do: Don't rinse your pasta after cooking it.
