1 B1 neutral
For food to be fully cooked with no raw or undercooked portions remaining in the center.
"Make sure the pork chops cook through before you serve them."
inseparable
cook through
B1 neutral inseparable transitive/intransitive
To cook food completely so that the heat reaches the center and no raw parts remain.
In plain English
To cook something all the way through so no part is still raw.
What does "cook through" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 neutral
To heat something fully so that warmth or heat penetrates to the core.
"Let the casserole cook through on low heat for about an hour."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
For heat to travel through the entire piece of food.
Actually means
To cook something all the way through so no part is still raw.
Usage tip
Very common in cooking instructions and recipes. Often appears in the imperative ('Make sure the chicken cooks through') or in questions ('Is it cooked through?'). Essential vocabulary for discussing food safety.
Words that pair with "cook through"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
chicken meat fish pork burger sausage
How to conjugate "cook through"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
cook through
I/you/we/they
3rd person
cooks through
he/she/it
Past simple
cooked through
yesterday
Past participle
cooked through
have + pp
-ing form
cooking through
continuous
Hear "cook through" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "cook through" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "cook through"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
cook all the way through cook completely cook fully cook thoroughly
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