What does sauted mean?
Sauted is the past tense and past participle of sauté, a verb meaning to cook food lightly in a small amount of fat. The food is usually turned, shaken, or otherwise moved in a shallow pan so that it cooks evenly and may acquire a lightly browned surface. Sautéed is especially frequent in descriptions of vegetables, onions, garlic, mushrooms, and similar ingredients, but it can apply to many foods. In menus and recipes, the term often suggests relatively light cooking with butter or oil rather than deep-frying. The word has also become an adjective in expressions such as “sautéed onions.” Its unusual history comes from French culinary vocabulary: the French term was originally associated with the action of jumping or tossing, which describes how food moves during the cooking process.
To cook food lightly in a small amount of fat, usually in a shallow pan.
"He sautéed the onions in olive oil."
The past tense and past participle are “sauted”; the spelling “sautéed” is also widely used.
Cooked lightly in a small amount of fat.
"Sautéed spinach makes a simple side dish."
This attributive use is especially common in recipes and menus.
The word’s surprising ancestry is culinary: it ultimately comes from the French word for “to jump,” referring to the food being tossed in the pan.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sauted come from?
The English word comes from French sauté, the past participle of sauter, “to jump.” In culinary use, the term refers to tossing food in a pan. French sauter derives from Latin saltare, “to leap,” which also underlies cognates such as saltatory and saltation. The shortened English form is also written “sauteed.”
Related word forms
How sauted is actually used
The word is common in British and American culinary writing, especially when describing vegetables. It normally implies relatively light cooking in butter, oil, or another fat, rather than deep-frying. Pronunciation stress varies somewhat by region: British speakers commonly give the first syllable more emphasis, while American usage commonly stresses the second.
Easily confused with sauted
Sauted describes food cooked in a small amount of fat, whereas salted describes food seasoned with salt.