It’s okay to cook with alcohol when serving sober guests, children and pregnant women because the alcohol burns off during cooking.
Alcohol does partially evaporate during cooking, but not as much as you might think. Depending on the cooking method and how much alcohol is used, anywhere from 4 to 85 percent of the alcohol may remain.
After 15 minutes of cooking, about 40 percent of the alcohol remains. Even after an hour of cooking, about 25 percent is left, and 10 percent remains after two hours. The alcohol retained in a given dish depends on the amount and type of alcohol, the cooking method, the container used and whether the dish is covered or open.
A roast in a covered slow cooker simmering in a wine or beer broth is going to retain more alcohol than a dish that’s cooked uncovered for two hours in a hot oven. Alcohol retention during cooking also depends on the size of the pan or dish. The smaller the cooking vessel, the more alcohol will be retained.
For sober guests in recovery with alcohol-use disorder, experts advise against cooking with alcohol or serving food that has the taste of alcohol.
Harry Haroutunian, an addiction medicine physician in Rancho Mirage, Calif., said home chefs can be dismissive of concerns about cooking with alcohol because they wrongly believe small amounts in cooked food don’t matter.
But for sober guests, he said, the taste of alcohol in food can be triggering. And another concern: Some of his patients use voluntary or court-ordered monitors that can detect even small amounts of alcohol through skin sensors.
“For some people, zero blood alcohol is critical,” Haroutunian said. “We have patients all the time on monitoring devices that pick up alcohol from meals that people thought had all burned off.”
Those who are pregnant or breastfeeding should be aware if the food they are served has been cooked with alcohol. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there is no safe level of alcohol during pregnancy. Parents of young children should also ask if foods, particularly desserts, are prepared with alcohol.
If you’ve recently eaten coq au vin (a classic French stew of chicken braised in red wine and a little brandy), and you want to know how much alcohol ended up on your plate, do some simple math. For instance, if a recipe calls for two cups of wine, remember that alcohol content in wine can vary but often is around 10 to 14 percent. Some will cook off, and any alcohol that remains will be divided across the number of servings in the dish.
What else you should know:
Some desserts have uncooked alcohol, meaning they retain most of it. They should not be served to sober guests, pregnant or nursing mothers, children, people with alcohol allergies or anyone else who chooses not to consume alcohol. Some alcohol-laced desserts may include rum balls, bourbon truffles, bananas foster, tiramisu and Crêpes Suzette, among others. Vanilla extract also contains alcohol.
Becky Krystal, a food reporter and recipe developer for The Post, wrote a useful guide on how to substitute for alcohol in foods. Unless you’re planning to set fire to the food, the alcohol typically is there to add flavor, which can be accomplished with easy substitutes. For red wine, try beef broth, unsweetened cranberry juice, tomato juice or even coffee. Instead of beer, use chicken broth or ginger ale. Apple cider can replace brandy, and rice vinegar can substitute for sake. The website Spruce Eats also lists several alcohol substitutes.
Don’t cook with alcohol if you’re serving sober guests or anyone else who doesn’t want to consume alcohol. Even though some of the alcohol does dissipate, under normal cooking methods, it never disappears entirely.
FAQs
A study from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Nutrient Data lab confirmed this and added that food baked or simmered in alcohol for 15 minutes still retains 40 percent of the alcohol. After an hour of cooking, 25 percent of the alcohol remains, and even after two and a half hours there's still 5 percent of it.
Does alcohol burn off when cooking? ›
A study from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Nutrient Data lab confirmed this and added that food baked or simmered in alcohol for 15 minutes still retains 40 percent of the alcohol. After an hour of cooking, 25 percent of the alcohol remains, and even after two and a half hours there's still 5 percent of it.
Does alcohol burn off in a slow cooker? ›
So, for recipes that use alcoholic ingredients, it's important to avoid over-pouring, as the alcohol will not burn off in the pot like it would in other cooking vessels. A slow cooker's lid will trap in that condensed alcohol and simply drop it back into the pot.
Can kids eat food cooked with wine? ›
Per the USDA, you have to cook, simmer or boil a dish that contains wine for more than 2 1/2 hours to remove the alcohol. Accordingly, if you must prepare a dish with wine, only give it to your kids if it's been cooked longer than that so the alcohol evaporates.
What does alcohol do in cooking? ›
Whether it's beer, sake, rum or Cabernet, using alcoholic beverages in cooking can act as a flavor enhancer. It can also be used to tenderize meat in marinades or concentrate flavor when simmered down into sauces. What's even more fun about cooking with alcohol is how versatile it can be.
Can kids eat vodka sauce? ›
We reached out to a few experts to find out if we'd be better off fixing a simple tomato sauce on the side for the kids, or if vodka sauce is OK for the littles when consumed in moderation. The general consensus was that a vodka pasta sauce should be safe for children, if cooked thoroughly.
Can Muslims eat food cooked with alcohol? ›
Halal consumers should simply not cook with alcohol. In addition, for multiple reasons, it's not advised for Muslims to bring alcohol into their homes for cooking. When eating in restaurants, Halal consumers are advised to ask if the food contains alcohol and to avoid it.
Can toddlers eat stew with wine? ›
The choice is up to you. You may choose to use cooking methods that help to reduce the alcohol content and use less alcohol in a dish to make it safer for your child. Otherwise the safer option is to choose to leave out alcoholic drinks when preparing food for babies and children.
How long does it take to cook off alcohol in a sauce? ›
It usually takes around 2 to 3 hours for the alcohol to evaporate completely when added to a dish that is cooking on a low heat. When cooking at high heat, e.g. frying or sautéing, it can take as little as 30 seconds for the alcohol to evaporate.
Can toddlers eat beef and ale stew? ›
And if you simmer a stew with wine, cider or beer for 90 minutes to two hours, most of the alcohol content will be burned off (Ryapushkina et al 2016). Some alcohol may remain, but not in any quantity that's likely to harm your baby.
Even small amounts of alcohol can trigger cravings in recovering alcoholics. This is because the taste, smell, or even the thought of alcohol can be a powerful reminder of past habits. Consuming food cooked with wine could lead to a relapse, jeopardizing the hard work put into recovery.
How long does wine take to cook off? ›
The conventional wisdom accepted by just about everyone in the food world is that all the alcohol you add to a dish evaporates or dissipates during cooking. It is wrong. In fact, you have to cook something for a good 3 hours to eradicate all traces of alcohol.
Can kids eat bourbon chicken? ›
Bring it to a simmer and continue cooking until the sauce thickens. The heat will cook off any alcohol content from the bourbon making it safe to eat for children.
At what temperature does alcohol burn off? ›
Its molecules will evaporate not just when alcohol reaches its boiling point, a chilly 173 degrees Fahrenheit compared to water's 212 degree Fahrenheit boiling point, but any time it is exposed to the air. Despite its ability to dissipate, “it's impossible to cook out all of the alcohol [in a dish],” says McGee.
Why do chefs drink alcohol? ›
While alcohol may be used to help chefs relax in a stressful environment, exhaustion can lead to chefs seeking out stimulants instead. Cocaine and speed are the most common ones, which help to keep tired and overworked chefs on their feet throughout a busy day and night.
Why does alcohol catch fire when cooking? ›
For that to happen, three things are needed: a concentration of alcohol vapors between 3.3 percent and 19 percent by volume of air; a source of oxygen; and an ignition source (such as a hot coil in an oven). When alcohol is heated in an oven, as in our recipe, the alcohol evaporates and forms combustable vapors.
How long does isopropyl alcohol take to evaporate? ›
50% or 70% Isopropyl Rubbing alcohol evaporates in minutes (5-7 min) after disinfecting the surface. The Fumes are not hazardous, so you can safely use it repeatedly.
Does flambe burn off alcohol? ›
Hate to disappoint if you were thinking the alcohol would 'burn off', but a study by the USDA's Nutrient Data Laboratory found that in dishes that are flambéed only 25% of the alcohol burns off, which means most of it (75%) sticks around.
How long does it take to burn off alcohol calories? ›
You'd need to do a 45 minute walk to burn off one large glass of wine. If you drink four large glasses of wine a week, you'd need to do over 4 x 30 minute swims or 4 x 30 minute high impact step workouts a week to burn it off.
