How To Use Vodka For Cooking

Everything You Need To Know About Cooking With Vodka 

Vodka can be used for enhancing flavor and improving texture in many dishes. Unlike other wines and spirits, vodka offers the benefits of cooking with alcohol without changing the taste or appearance of the food as red wine or Bourbon would do, for example. 

What Are The Benefits of Cooking With Vodka?

Vodka is a natural emulsifier, bridging the gap between water and fat molecules. This is important because it keeps liquids together that tend to separate when mixed. You see this effect in salad dressings, sauces, and marinades. Beyond that, alcohol enhances the aroma of food, which impacts your perception of taste. For instance, when deglazing a roasting pan with vodka, more flavor will be extracted from the drippings creating a more flavorful gravy than deglazing with water.   

Added to pastry dough,vodka will produce a noticeably moister, flakier crust by preventing gluten from developing. And when frying chicken or making schnitzel, vodka helps produce a crispier coating because it evaporates at a lower temperature than water.

Are There Any Safety Considerations When Cooking With Vodka? 

When cooking with vodka it’s a good idea to keep the flame on medium to low. Most vodkas are 80 proof, which means they are 60% water and if ignited, will only burn for a few seconds. Higher ABV vodkas are more flammable and will sustain a flame for a few minutes.

What Are The Most Popular Dishes That Use Vodka? 

Want to start cooking with vodka? Here are some delicious recipes from some of the great chef: 

Perhaps the most popular vodka dish is Penne alla Vodka, here alla Ina Garten. Thomas Keller ups the game with Penne alla Vodka and mozzarella stuffed meatballs. 

From J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, a 5-star, foolproof pie crust recipe. 

Another amazing recipe from J. Kenji Lopez-Alt for schnitzel. 

Can You Get Drunk From Cooking With Vodka?  

You probably won’t get drunk cooking with vodka, but you may be surprised to learn how long it takes to reduce the alcohol content in a given preparation. The amount of time it takes depends on the amount of alcohol added to the dish, temperature, cooking method, and surface area of the pot or pan. A study by the USDA showed that some, but not all, of the alcohol evaporates during cooking and in some dishes can take up to 3 hours.

What Are Some Helpful Tips For Cooking With Vodka? 

For best results when cooking with vodka, use:

  • A good quality vodka – if you wouldn’t drink it, don’t cook with it

  • A lower proof, less flammable vodka (80 proof or less)

  • Vodka sparingly in marinades, as it can change the texture of the protein

  • Vodka when you want to enhance the flavor of your ingredients but not add an additional flavors


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