The Ultimate Vocabulary Guide to Your Kitchen in Spanish

“Kitchen” in Spanish is la cocina. 

La cocina is the base of every home and has the power to transport you with flavors, smells, and delicious preparations. 

If you’re a passionate foodie or love cooking, describing items in your kitchen in Spanish is a smart and useful way to build everyday vocabulary, while improving your fluency and conversational skills. 

Keep reading for a lesson on essential kitchen in Spanish vocabulary, I guarantee it’ll take your Spanish to the next level and prepare you for any kitchen challenge. 

Kitchen in Spanish Vocabulary

A large assortment of items are found in a kitchen. Every plays a part in creating yummy dishes and special memories for you and your family to share. 

Consider bookmarking this post so you can come back to this list of vocabulary when needed. You can also make sticky notes and place them around the kitchen items as a memory and pronunciation exercise. 

Now, let’s begin our lesson on kitchen in Spanish vocabulary!

Me encanta pasar tiempo en la cocina.
I love spending time in the kitchen.

Eres un excelente cocinero.
You’re an excellent cook.

Verbs to Use Around the Kitchen

These “kitchen in Spanish” verbs relate to the art of processing and preparing food. They’ll come in handy for when you’re following a recipe or sharing what goes on in your kitchen in Spanish. 

cocinar – to cook

adobar / marinar – to marinate

sazonar – to season

lavar – to wash

cortar / partir –  to cut

pelar – to peel

picar – to chop

moler – to grind

incorporar / agregar – to add

mezclar – to mix

batir – to whisk

licuar – to blend

combinar – to combine

freír – to fry

hervir – to boil  

colar – to strain

cocer – to cook

hornear – to bake 

asar – to grill / roast

saltear – to saute

preparar – to prepare

descongelar – to defrost

quemar – to burn

tostar – to toast

derretir – to melt

rodajear – to slice

calentar – to warm up / heat

rellenar – to fill / stuff

lavar – to wash

limpiar – to clean

¿A que temperatura tengo que calentar el horno?
At what temperature should I set the oven?

Tienes que picar tres zanahorias.
You have to chop three carrots.

Acabo de tostar el pan.
I just toasted the bread.

Voy a freír los vegetales.
I’m frying the vegetables.

El pastel se hornea en un pirex por 30 minutos.
The cake goes in the oven in a pyrex for 30 minutes.

Kitchen Furniture

The kitchen has specific furniture that you usually won’t find in other parts of the house. Let’s take a look.

La cafetera está en el mostrador.
The coffee maker is on the counter.

La espátula está guardada en la gaveta de los cuchillos.
The spatula is stored in the knife drawer.

La comida se guarda en la despensa.
The food is kept in the pantry. 

Kitchen Appliances

The world of electrodomésticos (kitchen appliances) is quite large and diverse. Let’s examine the different names for appliances you’ll find in your kitchen in Spanish. 

Prendí la estufa para hervir las papas.
I lit the stove so I could boil the potatoes.

¿Dónde está la licuadora?
Where is the blender?

Voy a usar la freidora de aire  para cocinar el pollo.
I’m using the air fryer to cook the chicken.

Kitchen Items

Let’s turn our focus to the many utensilios (utensils) and other items you find in the kitchen. All of these are useful for discussing your kitchen in Spanish. 

Mezcla todos los ingredientes en un bol.
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.

El queso está en el contenedor.
The cheese is in the container.

Me pasas los cuchillos por favor.
Pass me the knives please. 

Spices and Ingredients

The base of any good recipe is seasoning. Talking about your kitchen in Spanish means including the names of the wide array of spices, grains, and ingredients. Let’s examine the different types of staple foods you’ll encounter. 

Spices and Condiments / Especias y Condimentos

La salsa se prepara con orégano, albahaca, ajo y aceite de oliva.
The sauce is made with oregano, basil, garlic, and olive oil.

Los panqueques se comen con miel de abeja.
Pancakes are eaten with honey.

La receta de las galletas lleva vainilla, azúcar y canela.
The cookie recipe has vanilla, sugar, and cinnamon. 

Sauces and Oils / Salsas y Aceite

¿Le puedes poner salsa barbacoa al pollo?
Can you put barbecue on the chicken?

Necesito vinagre balsámico para la ensalada.
I need balsamic vinegar for the salad.

Prefiero cocinar con aceite de canola.
I prefer to cook with canola oil. 

Carbs, grains and seeds / Carbohidratos, granos y semillas

La receta dice dos tazas de harina.
The recipe says two cups of flour.

Después de que hierva, la pasta se debe colar.
After it boils, the pasta should be strained.

Voy a hornear pan con linaza, chía y ajonjolí.
I’m baking bread with flaxseeds, chía, and sesame seeds.

Animal products / Productos de origen animal

Estoy batiendo los huevos para el desayuno.
I’m whisking the eggs for breakfast.

La carne de res se asa en el sartén.
The beef is grilled in the pan. 

La receta lleva tres tazas de leche.
The recipe uses three cups of milk.

Fruits and vegetables / Frutas y vegetales

El pepino de la ensalada se corta en rodajas.
The salad cucumber is cut in slices.

La sopa de vegetales lleva puerro, cebolla, zanahoria y chayote.
The vegetable soup has leek, onion, carrot, and squash.

Voy a licuar naranja, sandía y piña.
I’m blending orange, watermelon, and pineapple. 

Kitchen Cleaning Supplies

It’s essential to keep your kitchen spick and span.  Let’s take a look at the multiple cleaning supplies for the kitchen in Spanish.

Necesito limpiar la cocina.
I need to clean the kitchen.

Gracias por lavar los platos.
Thanks for doing the dishes.

Tenemos que comprar jabón de platos y una esponja.
We need to buy dish soap and a sponge. 

Prepare Recipes in Your Kitchen in Spanish!

Now that we’ve covered nouns and verbs for talking about your kitchen in Spanish, it’s time to take our new vocabulary for a spin! You can practice by preparing a meal for your family, following a recipe, or simply talking about all the things in your kitchen in Spanish.

If you want to learn more phrases and words you can use to talk about your kitchen in Spanish, you can always sign up for a free trial class with a certified, native teacher from Guatemala. We teach over 24,000 students a month and have 10 years of experience. Trust me, it’ll be worth your while. 

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Nicole Canún

Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy

Blogger, content creator, and marketer. Proudly Mexican. Been to 30 countries. I love learning from different cultures and trying their cuisines. Obsessed with Asia. Fluent in Spanish and English, not so much in French.

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