1 C1 informal
To return food to a heat source to finish or reheat it.
"The chicken wasn't done, so I cooked it back for another ten minutes."
separable
cook back
C1 transitive
Not a widely established standard phrasal verb; may appear in niche culinary or dialectal contexts meaning to reheat or cook again.
In plain English
To cook something again, or heat it back up.
What does "cook back" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To cook something back to a previous state.
Actually means
To cook something again, or heat it back up.
Usage tip
This is not a recognized standard phrasal verb in mainstream dictionaries. It occasionally appears in culinary writing to mean reheating leftovers or returning food to the heat, but learners should treat it with caution. 'Reheat' or 'cook again' is more natural in most contexts.
Words that pair with "cook back"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
leftovers meat stew rice
How to conjugate "cook back"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
cook back
I/you/we/they
3rd person
cooks back
he/she/it
Past simple
cooked back
yesterday
Past participle
cooked back
have + pp
-ing form
cooking back
continuous
Hear "cook back" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "cook back" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "cook back"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
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