browning chicken challenged

cookinfreak · ‎03-31-2010

Hi everyone. I am not a gourmet cook by any means, but love to cook. Don't have any problems in the kitchen EXCEPT when it comes to browning chicken. I love to make chicken dishes with the skin on for the flavor, and then remove it when the dish is complete. I cannot get the chicked to release from the pan, and the skin ends up stuck to the bottom no matter what I try. I've increased the heat, and I've decreased the heat. I've increased the time I have it in the pan and I've decreased the time in the pan. The chicken never burns but it just drives me nuts!

What are your thoughts?

Thank you so much!

cookin

poohbear1 · ‎03-09-2010

the secret to browning is a good (lodge) cast iron frying pan. just put a small amount (too much and the chicken wont brown) of butter in the pan. Brown on med-high flame (watching and loosening it as it cooks).. my chicken browns beautifully tobi

PinkyPetunia · ‎03-09-2010

What kind of pan are you using? Do you preheat the pan first? Chicken should be patted dry with a paper towel. Are you cooking this in the oven or on the stove top?

RedTop · ‎09-01-2010

What I learned from my grandmother about frying chicken: use a cast iron skillet. Heat the skillet, then add the oil and let it get almost smoking hot.

You must keep the level of heat consistent; the skillet must start hot and stay hot, do not turn heat up or down during the process. Do not add more oil after you start frying; better to start with too much, than decide you don't have enough and try to add more. Add pieces slowly, as the temperature of the chicken brings down the oil temperature. Breast and thighs first, leave room around each piece, cook several minutes before adding smaller pieces like legs and wings. Do not overcrowd the skillet. Have patience and let the chicken cook! My breast and thigh pieces usually cook 6 minutes before I turn them. Develop your technique, and ALWAYS use the same skillet.

I cook my chicken 12 minutes total, depending on when the smaller pieces are brown and ready to turn, then I cover, heat is turned off and steam for 3 minutes.

IamMrsG · ‎08-29-2010

I have a couple of ideas for you:

Wet meat will not brown -- it will steam itself. Be sure to dry the meat first with paper toweling.
"Hot pan, cold oil, food won't stick." -- Chef Jeff Smith Preheat your pan until a drop of water sizzles in it, then add your oil and chicken.
Put the chicken into the pan skin side down. If you wait for the skin to caramelize, it will release from the pan.

I hope this helps.

Strive for respect instead of attention. It lasts longer.

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

My Mom hated chicken so when I got married I had no clue how to cook it because I never had. An older lady I worked with told me to coat it with flour and brown it on fairly high heat in melted butter then put it in the oven to finish cooking. Works for me every time.

chickenbutt · ‎03-09-2010

I guess I'm pretty different than most in that I don't use high heat. I'd be pretty much medium or just very slightly above medium. Heated pan and fat before putting it in, of course.

But I agree about the pans - I'd use either cast iron or nonstick. Both will do the job. I also agree about the butter but I'd probably do a combination of butter and olive oil. Great flavor and the olive oil brings up the flash point of the butter. You don't want to use butter together with higher heat unless it's a super fast deal like cooking abalone, which needs to be done quickly to keep it tender. Otherwise, the flash point of butter is just too low for higher heat.

That's my input, anyway, FWIW

Abrowneyegirl · ‎03-15-2010

@IamMrsG wrote:
I have a couple of ideas for you:

Wet meat will not brown -- it will steam itself. Be sure to dry the meat first with paper toweling.
"Hot pan, cold oil, food won't stick." -- Chef Jeff Smith Preheat your pan until a drop of water sizzles in it, then add your oil and chicken.
Put the chicken into the pan skin side down. If you wait for the skin to caramelize, it will release from the pan.
I hope this helps.

What she said.

sfnative · ‎03-10-2010

@PinkyPetunia wrote:
What kind of pan are you using? Do you preheat the pan first? Chicken should be patted dry with a paper towel. Are you cooking this in the oven or on the stove top?

@PinkyPetunia

I can brown chicken in just about any pan with the exception of thin, cheap aluminum ones.

I use either my Weis or any size of Calphalon or like pan. The chicken, if previously frozen, should be thoroughly thawed. Are you pan roasting/frying or on the range? The rules vary for each of those techniques.

On the range top, preheat the burner to medium high (on my range that would be an 8 out of 9). Straighten your hand over the pan and

inch over the surface after 2 minutes to see how much heat you feel. If it's medium-hot to just about hot, put the oil in the pan. It won't take long for the oil to heat up.

Many folks add an egg wash or buttermilk wash to the mix, if frying in deeper oil.

Towel off the chicken. With tongs, pick up one piece of chicken, dredge it in flour or rice flour and place in the pan with heated oil. Continue until there are 6 to 7 pieces of chicken in the pan, providing there is space between each piece. Leave the chicken alone and let it fry for about 6 minutes. Turn each piece and fry for an additional 6 minutes. NOTE: Chicken will not entirely cook in 12 minutes, so must be tended in the pan with additional turns. Make sure your chicken breasts are cooked all the way through. (I would not recommend butter as it can burn; however, oil and butter can be used together.)

*Take care not to over-crowd the pan. You may need to do your chicken in two stages.

*Do not place a lid on the pan. If done this way, you'll end up with steamed chicken which won't brown.