10 Ways to Put Alcohol to Use While Cooking

Time to booze your food with these hacks that are through the roof.

1. Tequila-Spiked Salsa

Tequila tequila! This one is super easy. When making your salsa, you can add two tablespoons of tequila! Oh, and Mexican tequila is known to lower your glucose levels and even makes you feel fuller! Bonus!

2. Liquid Smoke Grill Flavor

Here’s how to infuse your food with instant smoke. All you need for this is vodka (my fave), vegetable oil, and smoked salt. Add 1/2 cup of oil, 2 tablespoons smoked salt, and 1 teaspoon of vodka to a pot and let simmer for 4 minutes. Once the oil has cooked, remove from heat and let steep for one hour before you strain it. You can add this to meats or sauces to get that grilling flavor.

3. Red Wine Grilled Cheese

Yeah, you read that right. To make this scrumptious meal, add 3/4 cup of red wine, a tablespoon of flour, and 2 tablespoons of butter to your pan. Mix all the goodness up before you plop your bread and cheese on top. Wait for the melty melt and crispy crisp to happen so you can fully enjoy the red wine grilled cheese.

4. Dark Beer for Dark Desserts

Have you ever tried a Guinness chocolate cake? Just mix in the beer with the butter in a large saucepan and add it to your wet ingredients. That’s all there is to it! Why not even try a little Bailey’s in the frosting? I can’t get this taste out of my mind.

5. Homemade Apple Cider

Mmm cider. For this beauty, all you need is your choice of apple juice and some active dry bread yeast. Start by adding 1 teaspoon of bread yeast to the apple juice bottle and leave the cap slightly loose to help the carbon gas escape. That’s it! Your homemade apple cider will be ready in about 3-4 days.

6. Deglaze with Wine

If you aren’t aware of this hack, where have you been? All you have to do is pour your choice of wine or beer on your pan to scrape up all those caramelized goodies leftover from your sauteed meats or veggies. It deglazes and makes for the perfect base for your pan sauce.

7. Boozy Melon Salad

This is the only salad I will eat. You ready for this one? Choose your melons like honeydew, watermelon, or cantaloupe. Use an ice cream scoop if you don’t have a melon baller. Soak the fruits in triple sec, fruity vodka, and some pineapple juice for 2-5 hours. Next thing you know, you’ll have a boozy melon salad.

8. Tenderize Cheap Meat

Ready to try a beer-soaked steak? Just replace your usual tenderizer with beer before you start grilling. What’s your favorite beer for grilling?

9. Crispy Chicken and Liquor

By adding an ounce of alcohol (preferably vodka or bourbon) to your marinade, it will create a light crispy crust when frying. The liquids in the crust evaporate and bring a toasty brown to the skin. Alcohol helps this process happen faster and eliminates a chance for moisture to sneak in.

10. Instant Pot Wine

This trick has been in the news lately. Fill your Instant Pot with grape juice, sugar, and red wine yeast while on the yogurt setting which will keep the mixture at a good temperature. The yeast will do its thing in the first 48 hours and all you have to do is let it breathe every 6 hours or so. Then, BAM—INSTANT WINE NIGHT!