Some say cooking is a skill while other say cooking is an art. Either way, there are always some incredible cooking tips from chefs who know what they’re doing.
And even if you feel unconfident in the kitchen, these professional cooking techniques and chef tips will help you out.
You can develop certain skills in the kitchen that’ll help you to level up as a cook. So see cooking as an experiment, have fun with it, and know that you can always get better over time.
1. Tiana Gee
“Season every step of the way, as you go. Don’t just season all at the end. Make sure you season every component. And that’s what makes a super well rounded dish.”
I love this cooking tip from seasoned chef, Tiana Gee. I’ve always been curious about the best way to season a dish. I normally season right at the beginning, but now I’ll be doing it bit by bit.
2. Jamie Oliver
Jamie’s habit is to keep an organized kitchen. He stocks up on the essentials, such as dried herbs and spices, to make sure every dish is both healthy and full of flavor.
He also likes to source the freshest of foods and pre-plan meals so he can save time. Very simple but solid advice from Oliver.
3. Josh Capon
“Pat meat dry with paper towels. You don’t want moisture when you cook things; you want things dry when you cook them to get a nice sear, nice caramelization.”
I always love good tips on how to best cook your meat so it turns out great, so I’ll probably be trying out this cooking tip in the future.
4. Clemens Wilmenrod
This German Chef believed that “no rules should block a cook’s inspiration.”
And I agree whole-heartedly. Changing and adapting current recipes creates innovation for new dishes. And while you may have some failures, they’ll always be worth it when you come up with something incredible.
5. Lucas Billheimer
“With picky eaters, keep it simple. Serve their sauce on the side, vegetables on the side, plain chicken on a plate. It’s there. It’s about availability. If you’re eating it, show that you enjoy it. Kids and people who are not into saucy stuff or vegetables, if it’s sitting there, maybe you can convince them to try it. My wife has unbelievably good recipes for burgers, meatloaf, and spaghetti sauce, and it’s got ground mushrooms in it. You also fold in some spinach to wilt. It’s definitely a good way to go, but we try not to hide things.”
If you want to master cooking techniques from famous chefs, then this might just be the most important one. Kids are notorious for being picky eaters, and with a tip like this, you might just win the battle! 😉
6. Art Smith
Art loves to recreated dishes from other countries he’s been to.
You may not be able to travel to those locations, but you certainly can explore their cuisine and see how people from around the world eat breakfast or dinner.
And as someone who travels full-time and experiences incredible dishes from around the world, I definitely say this is worth it. Your world opens up so much when you try new things.
7. Joel Robuchon
“I cook what I like. I will never cook something I do not like. If there is an element I cannot appreciate, I will not use that to make a recipe. So I only cook something with the elements I love. The only advice I can give, with a lot of humility, is do the cooking you love.”
You don’t have to fall into the trap of trying new food trends you know you won’t like. And you should never feel pressured from others to eat certain ingredients or dishes. So always make cooking enjoyable by making what you know you’ll love.
8. Tom Cenci
Tom likes to keep things simple by doing his prep the day before he makes a meal.
This involves weighing, cutting, marinating, and baking. And by getting this out of the way, he has more time to focus on the recipe itself without having to give more time to smaller, tedious prep tasks that can often be time-consuming and frustrating.
I love this chef tip because I think about all the different times I’ve made a big meal, and it took way longer than I thought it would. So I know this is gonna save me a lot of time, and especially when I’m having guests over.
Grace Moser is the author and founder of Chasing Foxes, where she writes articles to help women create a life they love in big and small ways. She's been a full-time traveler since 2016 and loves sharing her experiences and exploring the world with her husband, Silas. Her lifestyle and travel advice can also be seen on sites such as Business Insider, Glamour, Newsweek, Huffpost, & Apartment Therapy.