Pan frying gives you the crispy, golden crust of fried food with a fraction of the oil you’d use for deep frying. The pan frying cooking method cooks food in a shallow layer of hot oil in a skillet, so breaded cutlets turn crunchy outside while staying tender and juicy inside. Here’s how it works, which oil to use, and the steps for crisp, never-greasy results.
Jessica’s Recipe Science
- The sizzle you hear is water in the food turning to steam, and that escaping vapor helps keep the oil from soaking into the coating while it fries.
- Crowding the pan drops the oil temperature, so the coating absorbs oil and turns greasy instead of crisp.
- Much of the oil a fried food absorbs soaks in after it leaves the pan, so moving it straight to a wire rack helps it stay crisp.
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What is Pan Frying?
Pan frying is a dry-heat cooking method that cooks food in a shallow layer of hot oil, usually enough to come one-third to halfway up the sides of the food. The bottom browns in direct contact with the hot oil and pan, then you flip the food to cook the other side. A coating of flour or breadcrumbs crisps into a golden crust while the inside stays moist.
It sits between two related methods. Sautéing uses just a thin film of oil for small pieces that are stirred or tossed, while deep frying fully submerges the food in oil so it cooks on all sides at once.
Pan Frying at a Glance
| Factor | Details |
|---|---|
| Heat type | Dry heat (cooking in fat) |
| Oil temperature | About 350ºF (177ºC) for most coated foods, between 325 and 375ºF (163 to 191ºC) |
| Oil depth | One-third to halfway up the sides of the food |
| What happens | The coating dries, crisps, and browns while the inside cooks through gently |
| Best foods | Thin cutlets, fish fillets, crab cakes, fritters, and dumplings |
| Typical time | About 2 to 5 minutes per side for most thin cutlets, fillets, and fritters |
| Equipment | A wide, heavy skillet, tongs or a fish spatula, an instant-read thermometer, and a wire rack |
How to Pan Fry
These steps work for most pan-fried foods, from breaded chicken to crab cakes. Check your recipe for specific times and temperatures.
Choose the Right Pan
Use a wide, heavy-bottomed skillet or sauté pan that holds heat evenly and has slightly sloped or straight sides. Cast iron and stainless steel hold their heat well when food goes in, and a nonstick skillet helps delicate coatings release cleanly. Go bigger than you think you need, like a 12-inch pan, so the food has room to brown instead of steam.
Pick an Oil with a High Smoke Point
Choose an oil with a smoke point comfortably above your frying temperature. Neutral oils like vegetable, canola, corn, and peanut oil (about 400 to 450ºF) and refined avocado oil (520 to 570ºF) are all good choices. Clarified butter (450ºF) adds rich flavor, while regular butter (300 to 350ºF) and extra-virgin olive oil (325 to 410ºF) work best for lower-heat frying.
Coat the Food
Pat the food dry first, since surface moisture causes splattering and keeps coatings from sticking. Many pan-fried foods get a coating of flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs, panko, or cornmeal. The coating crisps into a crust and insulates the food so it doesn’t overcook.
Heat the Oil to About 350ºF
Add enough oil to come one-third to halfway up the side of the food, then heat the pan over medium-high heat for several minutes. The oil is ready at about 350ºF (177ºC), which you can check with a thermometer, or when the handle end of a wooden spoon dipped into the oil forms steady bubbles.
Fry in Batches and Flip Once
Lay the food in the pan presentation-side down, since the first side usually looks best. Leave room between pieces, because crowding cools the oil and makes the coating soggy. Let the food fry undisturbed until the bottom is golden, then flip it once so the coating stays on. For thicker pieces, lower the heat slightly after browning so the inside cooks through.
Cook to a safe internal temperature: 165ºF (74ºC) for chicken and turkey, 145ºF (63ºC) for fish, and 145ºF (63ºC) for pork with a 3-minute rest. An instant-read thermometer takes out the guesswork.
Drain on a Wire Rack
Placing fried food directly on paper towels can trap steam and soften the crust. Instead, set a wire rack over a sheet pan lined with paper towels, so the oil drips away and air circulates underneath. To keep batches warm, put the rack and pan in a 200ºF (93ºC) oven until everything is ready.
Pan Fry Safely
Stay at the stove while the oil is hot. If the oil starts to smoke, lower the heat. Keep a lid or sheet pan nearby, and if a small grease fire starts, turn off the burner and cover the pan; never use water on burning oil. A splatter screen helps contain popping oil.
Best Foods for Pan Frying
Pan frying works best for thin, tender foods that cook through in the time it takes the outside to brown.
Chicken and Pork Cutlets
Pound chicken breasts or pork into thin, even cutlets so they cook quickly and evenly under a crisp coating. Try my Chicken Piccata, Chicken Parmesan, Chicken Schnitzel, or Chicken Milanese.
Fish and Seafood
Thin, flaky fish fillets and seafood cakes cook in just a few minutes, and a fish spatula makes them easier to turn without breaking. Try my Crab Cakes, which get a crisp panko crust in a shallow layer of oil.
Vegetables and Fritters
Sturdy vegetables like zucchini, eggplant, potatoes, and green tomatoes hold up well to a crisp coating. Fritters do best over medium heat so they cook through before the outside gets too dark. Try my Fried Zucchini or Crispy Vegetable Fritters.
Dumplings and Potstickers
Dumplings are pan fried to crisp the bottoms, then covered with a splash of water to steam the filling through. Try my Shrimp Dumplings or Chinese Potstickers.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Pan Frying
Advantages
- Crisp, golden crust: Direct contact with hot oil and the pan browns coatings deeply.
- Less oil than deep frying: A shallow layer of oil is easier to manage and cleans up faster.
- Fast: Thin cutlets, fillets, and fritters cook in minutes.
- Tender, moist centers: The coating protects the food while the outside crisps.
Disadvantages
- Needs attention: You have to watch the oil temperature and flip the food at the right time.
- Splatters: Hot oil can pop, especially if the food is wet.
- Best for thin foods: Thick cuts can burn outside before they cook through, so finish them in the oven.
- Cooks in batches: Overcrowding drops the oil temperature, so large amounts take longer.
Recipes That Use Pan Frying
Try pan frying with these reader favorites, or make my crispy Chicken Schnitzel for dinner tonight.
Frequently Asked Questions
About 350ºF (177ºC) works for most breaded and coated foods, within a range of 325 to 375ºF (163 to 191ºC). Use a thermometer, or look for steady bubbles around the handle of a wooden spoon dipped into the oil.
Choose a neutral oil with a high smoke point, like vegetable, canola, corn, peanut, or refined avocado oil. Clarified butter adds flavor and handles high heat. Regular butter and extra-virgin olive oil can burn at higher frying temperatures, so use them for gentler cooking.
Add enough oil to come one-third to halfway up the sides of the food. For thin cutlets, that’s usually about ¼ inch of oil in the pan.
Pan frying uses a shallow layer of oil, so you flip the food to cook both sides. Deep frying fully submerges the food in hot oil, so it cooks on all sides at once and often finishes faster, but it uses much more oil.
Sautéing uses a thin film of oil over high heat for small pieces of food that are stirred or tossed. Pan frying uses more oil, larger pieces that are often coated, and the food is cooked on one side and then flipped.
Fry in batches without crowding the pan, then drain the food on a wire rack instead of directly on paper towels. To keep batches warm, hold them on the rack in a 200ºF (93ºC) oven, uncovered.
Tools for Pan Frying
- Cast iron skillet: Holds its heat when food goes in, so the oil stays hot and the crust browns evenly.
- Nonstick frying pan: Helps breaded coatings and delicate fish release cleanly.
- Fish turner: The thin, flexible blade slides under fillets and cutlets so you can flip them without tearing the coating.
- Instant-read thermometer: Check the oil temperature and make sure chicken, pork, and fish are cooked through. Read more about choosing a thermometer.
Find all of my favorite kitchen tools on my Shop page.
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Sources: USDA Food Safety (safe cooking temperatures); U.S. Fire Administration (cooking fire safety).
More Cooking Method Guides
Learn how each technique works and when to use it, or start with the types of cooking methods overview:
Moist heat: Poaching · Simmering · Boiling · Steaming · Blanching
Combination heat: Braising · Stewing
Dry heat: Roasting · Baking · Sautéing · Pan Frying · Stir Frying · Deep Frying · Grilling · Broiling · Searing
kutlwano lilian kaise says
hi
what are specific required temperatures to use while pan frying?
Jessica Gavin says
Typically around 350ºF for pan frying a coated ingredient. But this could range from 325 to 375 degrees as the temperature fluctuates with your stove and when the food is added.
Darlene Thompson says
Hi Jessica! I’m making the blackened salmon and have the ingredients for the dry rub but not sure of the measurements, ie., Tsp or tbsp of…! Also do u recommend a cast iron skillet or regular fry pan? Thank you! I’m also going to make the pan roasted asparagus!
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Darlene- I only use teaspoons for the dry ingredients in the recipe. I like using the cast iron skillet, but a regular frying pan works too if you heat it first, then add the oil to prevent the salmon from sticking.
Crystal says
I need help with a Question what are three Ingrediants used in pan fryed foods
Faoud says
Hi do you have a method for pan frying boneless chicken breast and cooking it right through?
Jessica Gavin says
Check out my chicken piccata recipe for some general guidelines. I like to flatten or slice the chicken breast in half from more even and faster cooking.
Lee says
Hello,
Do you put the paper towel on top of the cooling rack OR underneath the cooling rack?
Jessica Gavin says
I put the paper towel under the cooling rack as it sits between batches. If you’d like you can put it directly on the paper towel first for a few seconds to soak up and excess oil, then transfer to a wire rack.
Dot Harper says
is there a better frying oil for chicken parts for the best taste ?