sauté

verb

sau·​té sȯ-ˈtā  sō- 

variants or less commonly saute

sautéed also sauteed; sautéing also sauteing

transitive verb

: to fry (food, such as small pieces of meat or vegetables) in a small amount of fat

Sauté the mushrooms in 3 tablespoons of the butter until they are golden.

—Nika Hazleton

Examples of sauté in a Sentence

Sauté the onion and garlic.

peppers sautéed in olive oil

Recent Examples on the Web

In this recipe from The Vegetable Butcher cookbook, Cara Mangini sautes grated carrot, pine nuts, and garlic in olive oil, then stirs the mixture into Greek yogurt. —Ginger Crichton, Midwest Living, 21 May 2026

Brown some breakfast sausage, saute the peppers and onions, and pour into your casserole dish along with a cheesy egg mixture. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 14 May 2026

Try lightly sauteing it in a bit of oil or simply microwaving it. —Carrie Madormo, Verywell Health, 22 Apr. 2026

The long simmered with the quickly sauteed! —Michelle Huneven, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026

Tedla said a base of onions and berbere, sauteed for several hours, help create the dish’s rich flavor. —Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2026

The Wildcats appeared poised to end the streak after reaching the Final Four as co-favorites for the trophy but were sauteed by Michigan in the semifinals Saturday night. —Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026

Maybe reformed the sausage into meatballs and sauteed them? —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2026

Divide sauteed peppers and onions and shredded Monterey Jack cheese between tortillas. —C.w. Cameron, AJC.com, 15 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

sauté

verb

sau·​té

sȯ-ˈtā, 

sō-

sautéed or sautéd; sautéing

: to fry in a small amount of fat