What's the Difference between Searing and Sautéing?

When it comes to cooking, people oftentimes confuse "searing" with "sautéing" and vice versa. While both terms involve cooking at very hot temperatures, the goals of each are very different. Let's explore both terms in more detail.

Searing

This method involves cooking at high temperatures to brown food and create a delicious crust. This is often done with steaks and some vegetables. Browning food creates a chemical reaction known as the Maillard reaction which is responsible for creating hundreds of super tasty flavor compounds. So when you're looking to brown food at high temperatures, you're going to sear your food.

Sautéing

This method is similar to searing in that it involves cooking food at high temperatures, however, there is a key difference. When sauteing, the goal isn't necessarily to brown food. When sauteing onions for example, you're typically looking to soften them, not brown them. This technique typically involves working with small, sliced, or diced foods. To sauté efficiently, your food can't be too large, or the outside will cook too quickly before the inside has a chance. This also is what sets this method apart from searing, where the size of food doesn't matter so much. Think of how often steaks are cooked to medium rare, where the outside is nicely browned, but the inside is much cooler. When you're cooking food in a little oil at high temperatures, without trying to brown the food, you're sauteing.

Ready to get Cooking?

I hope you found some good nuggets to help your cooking. Understanding the difference between searing and sauteing helps you communicate better, follow recipes correctly, and makes you aware of these techniques to keep in your toolbelt (or apron). If you enjoy cooking and want to learn how to be a better cook, subscribe to our email list. I look forward to continuing the conversation in your inbox!