The Secret To Better Seared Chicken Is Not What You'd Expect

Although there are many chicken dinner recipes so good you'll want to make them every day, it's hard to beat the satisfying comfort of a simple pan-seared chicken thigh, breast, or drumstick. Achieving a perfect sear on your meat is a common goal of home cooks. However, most are likely going about it all wrong. Although many choose to get a pan as hot as possible before adding their chicken, the reality is those looking for better seared poultry should actually do precisely the opposite.

The secret lies in a simple but unexpected element: a cold pan. In the most common cold pan method, chicken pieces are placed in a room-temperature skillet with no oil. This is set on a cold burner, which is then turned to medium heat for about 15 minutes.

In that time, the slowly rising heat gently renders the fat from the chicken, which crisps its exterior without risking burning it. Meanwhile, it also avoids a common issue with adding cold chicken to a hot pan, where the exterior overcooks and toughens long before the interior reaches a safe temperature. All that's left is to flip the chicken and cook for another few minutes until it's heated through.

An alternative technique also starts with chicken placed in a room-temperature pan. However, this time, the burner is preheated to high heat before placing the pan on it. The cold pan (and the chicken) is blasted with this high heat for about two minutes to drive away any remaining moisture on the surface. Then, the heat is reduced to medium, and the chicken is cooked until done, flipping every two minutes. The result is similar to the previous method: a crispy, ideally seared outside with a juicy, perfectly cooked inside.

Of course, a better sear also requires avoiding the other mistakes you're making when preparing chicken. The most critical of these is failing to thoroughly pat dry the surface of your poultry, which allows residual moisture to hold back the chemical reactions that create the crispy, flavorful crust. In addition, it's vital to avoid cooking your chicken directly from the fridge. While you might be able to develop a solid sear, chicken that hasn't been briefly allowed to come to room temperature before it hits the pan risks burning on the outside before the interior is fully done.

Of course, a delicious pan-sear isn't the only way to enjoy chicken — or the only method with some unexpected tips or pitfalls. After mastering this technique, take some time to learn how to cook perfect chicken in eight different ways.