# Pan-fry is bad for you?



## Rido (Jun 28, 2018)

Hello everyone, I am new to this website and I am curious as to why people say that "frying is bad". I am referring to pan frying - putting just enough oil to cover the pan surface then cooking food on it, specifically, lean chicken. I don't add any batter or other ingredients on it. I put a bit of salt, some seasoning then boom, cook it on pan fry.

So are there any other reason why pan-frying is bad besides:

-The oil pack extra calories on the food being cooked.
-When the oil is smoking, there are chemicals being released that are harmful to the body.
-Or, is it only bad because the batter they(restaurants) use contains trans fat.

Besides these 3 reasons that came on top of my head. Why is pan-frying bad, or can anyone elaborate any of these listed above as to why it's bad to pan-fry. 

Thank you, can't wait for the response.


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## dragnlaw (Jun 28, 2018)

Here is a very informative article about pan-frying - hope this answers your question. 

to pan or not to pan

and Welcome to DC!


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## jennyema (Jun 28, 2018)

Rido said:


> Hello everyone, I am new to this website and I am curious as to why people say that "frying is bad". I am referring to pan frying - putting just enough oil to cover the pan surface then cooking food on it, specifically, lean chicken. I don't add any batter or other ingredients on it. I put a bit of salt, some seasoning then boom, cook it on pan fry.
> 
> So are there any other reason why pan-frying is bad besides:
> 
> ...




What you describe is sauteeing, not pan-frying.  To me, at least.

https://www.finecooking.com/article/sauteing-vs-pan-frying

https://www.dartagnan.com/pan-frying-basics-and-techniques.html

What's the Difference Between Searing, Sautéing, and Pan-Frying? - Cooking Light


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## Rido (Jun 28, 2018)

jennyema said:


> What you describe is sauteeing, not pan-frying.  To me, at least.
> 
> https://www.finecooking.com/article/sauteing-vs-pan-frying
> 
> ...



That would make a lot of sense. I wasn't 100% sure if it was pan frying. That's why I had to describe it.


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## roadfix (Jun 28, 2018)

Hi !!


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## jennyema (Jun 28, 2018)

The difference is in the amount of oil you use.  A tablespoon or so to coat the bottom of the pan is sauteeing.

Make sure the oil is hot but don't heat the oil till its literally smoking.  Food doesn't absorb much oil if the oil is hot.


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## caseydog (Jun 28, 2018)

Frying anything in hot oil is going to make it less healthy, especially if it is coated in breading or batter. I have found that the key to keeping it "relatively" healthy is to fry hot and fast. The hotter and faster you can fry the food, the less the food soaks up the fat. 

If your fried food turns out "greasy," then you didn't get it cooked fast enough, which means the fat wasn't hot enough. 

CD


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## Mad Cook (Jun 28, 2018)

Rido said:


> Hello everyone, I am new to this website and I am curious as to why people say that "frying is bad". I am referring to pan frying - putting just enough oil to cover the pan surface then cooking food on it, specifically, lean chicken. I don't add any batter or other ingredients on it. I put a bit of salt, some seasoning then boom, cook it on pan fry.
> 
> So are there any other reason why pan-frying is bad besides:
> 
> ...


Anything consumed to excess is bad for you!


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## Caslon (Jun 29, 2018)

Try and do the same thing twice with success.


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## Mad Cook (Jul 3, 2018)

Rido said:


> Hello everyone, I am new to this website and I am curious as to why people say that "frying is bad". I am referring to pan frying - putting just enough oil to cover the pan surface then cooking food on it, specifically, lean chicken. I don't add any batter or other ingredients on it. I put a bit of salt, some seasoning then boom, cook it on pan fry.
> 
> So are there any other reason why pan-frying is bad besides:
> 
> ...


What else would you fry things in if not a pan? 

OK, silly comment over.....

Assuming one is normally healthy and not over-weight, I don't suppose the occasional fry-up will do much harm (can't remember when I last used my frying pan!) but if you have a fry-up every day or twice a day the you're probably asking for trouble. 

I much prefer  bacon, sausages, steak, etc., grilled (broiled) than fried but that's a taste thing for me not a health thing.


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## caseydog (Jul 3, 2018)

So Rido, you live in Texas, as do I. I love chicken fried steak, but it is an occasional treat. I eat it with mashed potatoes, fried okra and white gravy. That's a "heart attack on a plate," if it is staple of your diet. But, once in a while, it is not likely to kill you. 

CD


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## Farmer Jon (Jul 4, 2018)

If pan frying is bad then so be it. I won't stop doing it. I use lard, Crisco and saved bacon grease.


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## RPCookin (Jul 4, 2018)

Mad Cook said:


> What else would you fry things in if not a pan?
> 
> OK, silly comment over.....
> 
> ...



My 12" and 14" nonstick fry pans are my most used pans.  Frying doesn't always mean that you use 1/2" of oil.  Most of the time I'll be making some sort of meat/veggie combo where I sauté in a small amount of oil or butter.  The total amount of fat per serving is really not that much - not like you are eating a spoonful of oil with each bite.  

I can see limiting breaded or battered deep fried foods, but light sautéing in olive oil or butter isn't all that bad for you, and a big fry pan is a really versatile piece of cookware.


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## GotGarlic (Jul 4, 2018)

RPCookin said:


> My 12" and 14" nonstick fry pans are my most used pans.  Frying doesn't always mean that you use 1/2" of oil.  Most of the time I'll be making some sort of meat/veggie combo where I sauté in a small amount of oil or butter.  The total amount of fat per serving is really not that much - not like you are eating a spoonful of oil with each bite.
> 
> I can see limiting breaded or battered deep fried foods, but light sautéing in olive oil or butter isn't all that bad for you, and a big fry pan is a really versatile piece of cookware.


+1. Probably because fat is so inexpensive in developed countries, most people don't realize it's essential in order to survive. 

Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble, so they *cannot* be absorbed by the body without fat. I found this out the hard way when I had a severe deficiency of these vitamins - D was undetectable and K was so low, my body wasn't able to make clotting factor to stop bleeding. 

It turned out my pancreas doesn't make the enzymes that break down fat - therefore I wasn't able to absorb the vitamins. I've been taking Rx pancreatic enzymes ever since.

So pan-frying, aka sautéing, food in a little butter or fat is very good for you.


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## GotGarlic (Jul 4, 2018)

dragnlaw said:


> Here is a very informative article about pan-frying - hope this answers your question.
> 
> to pan or not to pan
> 
> and Welcome to DC!


Quora doesn't publish articles. It's a site where people ask each other questions about all kinds of things. The answers may or may not be accurate.


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## Rido (Jul 5, 2018)

RPCookin said:


> My 12" and 14" nonstick fry pans are my most used pans.  Frying doesn't always mean that you use 1/2" of oil.  Most of the time I'll be making some sort of meat/veggie combo where I sauté in a small amount of oil or butter.  The total amount of fat per serving is really not that much - not like you are eating a spoonful of oil with each bite.
> 
> I can see limiting breaded or battered deep fried foods, but light sautéing in olive oil or butter isn't all that bad for you, and a big fry pan is a really versatile piece of cookware.



And @gotgarlic

Yes, fat is very important, and for me, I measure how much I'm putting in my pan. It's usually 1 serving which is 120 calories. And it's not like I consume the whole 1 serving when I'm eating the chicken cause there'd still be some oil on the pan. 

And thanks for all the answers, very helpful!!


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## powerplantop (Jul 5, 2018)

Woks are great for cooking in small amounts of fat.


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## JustJoel (Jul 5, 2018)

After doing exhaustive research on the internet (I skimmed two or three articles), I have come to the conclusion that if you’re using hot oil to cook your food, it’s frying, and that sautéing, stir-fry, shallow frying, pan frying, and deep frying are all subcategories of “fry.” 

According to some, the difference between sauté and pan fry is the size of the food being fried and how often the food needs to be moved. In sautéing, the food is usually in small pieces, while pan frying involves larger pieces of food, like whole fillets. Sautéed foods are generally moved around in the pan more frequently with your spoon or spatula. 

The difference between shallow and deep frying is obvious, although until recently, I wasn’t really familiar with the term “shallow fry” and thought that deep fry meant frying something for a longer time rather than the depth of the oil. 

All of this info leaves open the question of whether “oven fried” is really fried at all. I prefer this method for to deep frying for, say, chicken; I don’t have to mess with large amounts of used oil, I can control the cooking more easily because the outside and inside of the food tend to cook more evenly - if the outside is golden brown, the inside is usually done as well, and it’s pretty much guaranteed that the food won’t be greasy because such a small amount of oil is used. Battered food pretty much has to be deep fried, though; I don’t think it’s possible to make tempura in the oven! But when you “oven fry” something, is it the oil that’s delivering the heat to the food, or is it just assisting the coating to brown and crisp?

As far as health questions come into play, I think it’s just a matter of what kind of oil or fat is used and how much of it the food absorbs. It’s unfortunate that some of the least healthy fats produce the best tasting fried food. I was really p.o’ed when Mickey D’s Stopped using lard to make french fries. The taste really suffered!


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## CraigC (Jul 6, 2018)

JustJoel said:


> After doing exhaustive research on the internet (I skimmed two or three articles), I have come to the conclusion that if you’re using hot oil to cook your food, it’s frying, and that sautéing, stir-fry, shallow frying, pan frying, and deep frying are all subcategories of “fry.”
> 
> According to some, the difference between sauté and pan fry is the size of the food being fried and how often the food needs to be moved. In sautéing, the food is usually in small pieces, while pan frying involves larger pieces of food, like whole fillets. Sautéed foods are generally moved around in the pan more frequently with your spoon or spatula.
> 
> ...



I'd agree about health, but only if you eat deep fried food every day. Emeril is right "Pork Fat Rules!"


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## Mad Cook (Jul 7, 2018)

CraigC said:


> I'd agree about health, but only if you eat deep fried food every day. Emeril is right "Pork Fat Rules!"


Except for chips (= chunky French fries) -In UK the best is said to be beef dripping (rendered beef fat). Not much used these days as only a few old-fashioned, independent British butchers stock the stuff.


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## Chef Kenny (Sep 16, 2018)

I had a customer in the past who is a relatively academically renowned microbiologist. He had me do a lot of work in his house, including stuff in his kitchen (I'm a metal man...stainless steel, etc.). He would often be preparing food for his lunch or breakfast and also otherwise we would just strike up conversations.

On the subject of frying, as I recall, he said frying, of any sort I think, somehow changes the molecular structure of foods, both vegetable and proteins. This change makes the molecules much more in the direction of cancerous, or "carcinogenic". Very similar to some reports about grilling/burning food.

I'm just reporting form memory, I dont know. I'm not going to live my life worrying about stuff like that. I'm only dieting now to lose weight. It has nothing to do with whatever the latest health advice is (it seems to change over time, remember when avocados and eggs were going to clog our arteries and kill us...now super-foods?). I just want to be lighter on my feet and more veral in my 50's.

It was an interesting conversation with him though. The dude has created all kinds of medical breakthroughs so he does know some stuff.

I went home, drank some martinis, deep fried some french fries and smoked a couple self-rolled filter-less cigarettes with some whiskey later!

Eat well, stay fit...and still die in a car crash regardless! Seriously, nobody wants to die, but who wants to live an entire life devoid of some of life's best pleasures? I cook using almost all methods, right, wrong or indifferent.


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## Just Cooking (Sep 16, 2018)

Chef Kenny said:


> Eat well, stay fit...and still die in a car crash regardless! Seriously, nobody wants to die, but who wants to live an entire life devoid of some of life's best pleasures? I cook using almost all methods, right, wrong or indifferent.


 Amen...  

Ross


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## caseydog (Sep 16, 2018)

Rido said:


> That would make a lot of sense. I wasn't 100% sure if it was pan frying. That's why I had to describe it.



Here in Texas, a lot of people refer to sautéing as "pan frying." So, it can be confusing. 

As for health, it is mostly about how much oil (fat) get's absorbed by the food. Breading and batters absorb more fats than plain meat. Cooking with oil that is not hot enough slows down the cooking, which allows more fat to be absorbed. 

Also, the kind of oil you use matters, because they have different kinds of fats. Olive oil and Canola oil are healthier than things like tropical oils, such as coconut oil. Using animal fats to sauté or pan fry would be the worst, health wise. 

So, chicken fried steak cooked in lard would not be very good for you. But, sautéing some lean chicken or pork in olive oil is pretty healthy. 

CD


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## Mad Cook (Sep 16, 2018)

Farmer Jon said:


> If pan frying is bad then so be it. I won't stop doing it. I use lard, Crisco and saved bacon grease.


I'm doubly damned! On the rare occasions I fry anything I often use butter.........the food police probably have me in their sights already!


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## caseydog (Sep 16, 2018)

Mad Cook said:


> I'm doubly damned! On the rare occasions I fry anything I often use butter.........the food police probably have me in their sights already!



Mad Cook and Farmer John, moderation is the key. I sometimes cook with bacon grease and/or butter, but not every day. My most used fat to cook with is olive oil. I like it, and it is relatively healthy. But, there are some times when frying in bacon grease is just the only way to get the flavor I want from a particular dish. 

CD


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## dragnlaw (Sep 17, 2018)

Just Cooking said:


> Amen...
> 
> Ross



+ 1 
hear hear


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## Chef Kenny (Sep 17, 2018)

Chef Kenny said:


> Eat well, stay fit...and still die in a car crash regardless! Seriously, nobody wants to die, but who wants to live an entire life devoid of some of life's best pleasures? I cook using almost all methods, right, wrong or indifferent.






Full disclosure...I AM on a low carb diet though! BUT, thats for weight loss only, it'd be nice if my blood numbers improve as a result, haven't had the lab work since starting, but I simply got tired of being so fat...had nothing to do with trying to "eat right" but some improved eating habits are a decent byproduct.


I use animal fats too. I render beef tallow, chicken fat AND bacon grease...which reminds me, I have some a little long in the tooth in the fridge...been a while since I made a nice warm bacon grease salad dressing!...and the byproduct of making more bacon grease to replace that...of course...is bacon!


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## caseydog (Sep 18, 2018)

Chef Kenny said:


> Full disclosure...I AM on a low carb diet though! BUT, thats for weight loss only, it'd be nice if my blood numbers improve as a result, haven't had the lab work since starting, but I simply got tired of being so fat...had nothing to do with trying to "eat right" but some improved eating habits are a decent byproduct.
> 
> 
> I use animal fats too. I render beef tallow, chicken fat AND bacon grease...which reminds me, I have some a little long in the tooth in the fridge...been a while since I made a nice warm bacon grease salad dressing!...and the byproduct of making more bacon grease to replace that...of course...is bacon!



Like I said before on DC, you have to do what works for you. Listen to your body. It will tell you if you are not feeding it what it needs or wants. 

CD


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