10 Common Mistakes When Preparing a Recipe

Have you ever prepared a meal for friends and it didn't go as you expected? If yes, then check out the 10 common mistakes when preparing a recipe.

10 Common Mistakes When Preparing a Recipe

Whether you're just learning to cook or have been doing it for years, it's inevitable that you'll make your fair share of mistakes in the kitchen.

Yes, even good cooks and experienced professionals make mistakes. It happens when we're in a hurry, feeling a bit lazy, or are simply new to the kitchen.

Have you unintentionally made some cooking mistakes? You can become a better cook by knowing how to avoid the 10 common mistakes when preparing a recipe.

Check it out now!

1. Starting to prepare the recipe without reading it

I've made this mistake before and it's very important to read the recipe before you start cooking, as you'll avoid many mistakes. 

Professional Tip: It's worth reading the recipes thoroughly before you start, to make sure you're well prepared and know what your cooking plan is, as well as whether you have all the ingredients available or whether you need to go out and buy any that are missing.

2. Using a chopping board that's too small

Chopping boards, when they are very small, are great for everything we do, although they are ideal for chopping small ingredients such as fruit.

However, if you need to cut up a turkey, duck or even a chicken, the board will be too small to work efficiently and safely.

Professional Tip: Give yourself plenty of room to work, and make sure your cutting board is big enough for the job in hand. 

You'll be much more comfortable chopping and mincing, and it's safer than stuffing everything onto a board that's too small.

3. Using the wrong size knife

Before choosing your knife, think about what you are going to use it for.

Are you crushing something small, like garlic? Or are you working with something bigger, like a whole chicken?

You may love working with your paring knife, but it's not an all-purpose tool and it doesn't work well when it comes to large foods.

Professional Tip: Always use the right size knife for what you intend to do. 

In home kitchens, this is the tool to use when cutting meat, slicing fruit and vegetables and chopping herbs. 

Look for a serrated bread knife when it's time to slice a baguette or other hearty breads. And opt for a paring knife when you're working with a particularly small piece of food.

4. Preparing recipes in an unorganized place

Sometimes we get into the habit of working in our kitchen when it's messy, perhaps because then we know where we have all the utensils we need to start preparing a recipe. 

However, it will never be productive, efficient or safe to work in a disorganized environment.

 It may be difficult to understand the obvious, but it's the purest of realities, because we usually don't know where we put this or that utensil, where I put that ingredient that was here.... and time goes by and the recipe gets delayed...

So it is always recommended to have the space where you are going to cook fully organized, where you will have easy access to the necessary utensils, as well as all the ingredients for the recipe.

Professional Tip: Give yourself plenty of room to work, and make sure your cutting board is big enough for the job in hand. 

You'll be much more comfortable chopping and mincing, and it's safer than stuffing everything onto a board that's too small.

5. Place the ingredients in the cold skillet

One of the most common mistakes I see is putting the ingredients in the frying pan when it's still cold, because this usually results in food that's burnt on the outside and undercooked on the inside. For example, if you put a tall steak in the frying pan when it's not very hot, the inside of the steak will be raw.

Professional Tip: Make sure the oil is hot before adding any ingredients to the pan.

It is important that the frying pan is hot to prevent your food from sticking and to achieve a good result when preparing your recipe.

6. Cook food directly from the fridge or freezer

This is one of the most common mistakes, and I think we've all made it, which is to go to the fridge or freezer and cook directly in the frying pan, saucepan or oven.

The problem is that we will have a piece of meat that is burnt on the outside and undercooked or even raw on the inside.

Professional Tip: I recommend that you take the meat out of the fridge and leave it to rest at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes, this will ensure that the food is cooked evenly.

7. Don't season food while it's cooking

A huge mistake that many people make is not seasoning the food as it's being cooked, usually everything is done by eye, and almost always the seasoning isn't spot on. Then when you take the prepared food to your guests, usually instead of being a success, it's more of a culinary failure.

The key to a good dish lies in the seasoning. 

Professional Tip: It's the ingredients that make meals delicious and memorable. If you're cooking, it's important to season the food while you're cooking so that every dish is just right.

8. Too many ingredients in the skillet or pan

When we put too many ingredients in the pan, it's a beginner's mistake, because it will reduce the cooking temperature and increase the humidity. In other words, the food will be steamed due to the humidity instead of being cooked through frying.

As a result of the excess ingredients in the skillet we end up having difficulty cooking the ingredients due to the heat being very uneven.

Remember to use the right size pan. For example, if you're cooking minced beef, make sure none of the pieces are touching; there should be space between the pieces to ensure even cooking.

Professional Tip: Remember to use the right size pan. For example, if you're cooking minced beef, make sure none of the pieces are touching each other; there should be space between the pieces of meat to ensure even cooking.

9. Don't taste food when it's being cooked

This is perhaps one of the biggest mistakes that amateur cooks make, not tasting the food when it's being cooked, because they think the recipe always tastes good and so there's no need to keep tasting it.

But the reality is that we are human and as such we make small mistakes throughout the recipe that should be corrected during the preparation of the recipe. Particularly when it comes to salt, which can make your cooking divine or a total failure!

Professional Tip: As you cook your recipe, taste it so that you can add salt, sugar, etc. as needed until the recipe is just right.

10. Not letting food rest after cooking

I understand you, because I also identify with this mistake a lot. Imagine that the food has just come out of the oven or frying pan and you immediately want to put it on the table for your guests to enjoy.

But the problem is that as soon as you cut into that tasty steak, it will get too wet on the plate or even on the platter, ending up soaking everything around it.

Ideally, you should rest the food for at least 5 minutes. In the case of chicken or turkey, the resting time should be at least 20 minutes due to the size of the piece being cooked.

This wait will reward you with much tastier food.

Professional Tip:  Ideally, you should rest the food for at least 5 minutes; in the case of chicken or turkey, the rest should be at least 20 minutes due to the size of the cooked piece.

This wait will reward you with much tastier food.

I hope you enjoyed this article, if you found it useful, share it with your family, friends or even co-workers.