Does Alcohol Really Cook Out of Food?

You Should Know: Love a good chicken marsala, bananas foster, or penne alla vodka? The common thinking is that the alcohol in dishes like these evaporates during cooking, making it OK for kids and non-drinkers to consume. While heat does reduce the alcohol content, it doesn’t always remove it completely.

Going Deeper: Not all of the alcohol dissipates during cooking — and a substantial amount could remain. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Nutrient Data lab, you’d need to cook a dish for at least three hours to fully eliminate any trace of booze. How much alcohol remains in the finished meal depends on the cooking temperature, length of cooking time, and the surface area of the pan.

Takeaway: Every dish is different. Long-simmered recipes like beef bourguignon lose most of their alcohol, but dishes cooked or baked for 15 minutes retain 40% of the alcohol, and even after an hour, about 25% may remain. Dishes that have alcohol added near to the end of cooking could retain as much as 85%. 
 
Bottom Line: If you’re cooking for children or for someone who’s sober, skip these and prepare one of the scores of dishes that don’t contain any alcohol instead.