What's the Difference Between Searing, Sautéing, and Pan-Frying? (2024)

Sometimes a recipe's directions can be confusing. When you're told to sauté, or pan-fry, or sear, whatexactlyis the difference? And which technique is healthier? Pan-frying (or any kind of frying) is bad for you, isn't it?

Most of these terms are related to the amount of oil or fat that you use, and all of them can be made more or less healthy (even frying) depending on your technique. So here it is, your definitive list of every open-pan stovetop cooking technique, from toasting to deep frying, including tips on how to make the methods a little bit healthier.

Toasting

This method is used for browning items like nuts, coconut flakes, grains, and dried chile peppers in order to release their oils and fragrance. It’s a low-fat method, since you don’t use any oil in the pan while you toast.

This is an inherently healthy technique. But there is one caveat: avoid toasting in a cast iron pan that’s not properly cleaned and seasoned, as bits of char or iron residue could transfer to the food.

Searing

This technique puts that delicious, deep-brown crust on meat. When you heat a cast iron skillet until it’s smoking hot, then brown a steak or a roast in it, you’re searing. Contrary to popular belief, the method won’t "seal in juices,"but it adds delicious deep flavor and mouthwatering texture to the meat’s surface.

Be careful not to burn the meat. In addition to adding bitter flavors, scorching may introduce carcinogens to the meat,according to the National Cancer Institute.

Sautéing

Here’s a technique you probably use often—heat the skillet over medium-high, add a few teaspoons of fat (or up to 2 tablespoons) to the pan, put in your food and stir or toss every so often. This method is generally low-fat, since you only need enough oil or butter to lightly coat the surface of the pan to prevent sticking.

If using a nonstick pan, you may be able to use even less fat than the recipe calls for since food will slide on the nonstick surface anyway. Also, recipes that call for butter to grease the pan can usually work just as well with a mix of butter and oil, or just oil alone.

Pan-Frying and Deep Frying

Pan-frying, a.k.a. shallow-frying, calls for filling a skillet to a certain depth (generally around 1/3 full) with oil heated to a specific temperature — often between 325 and 400 degrees F. If you fry chicken in a pan with oil that comes halfway up the sides of the pieces, then turning them partway through cooking, you’re pan-frying. Deep-frying, of course, is when your food is completely submerged in the oil.

The best way to keep food from soaking up lots of frying oil is to make sure the oil stays hot enough. That’s because with oil-submersion cooking, food releases water content in the form of steam (the reason for the wild bubbling). The outgoing steam prevents excess oil from seeping into the food.

We find 375 degrees F is ideal for quick-frying items like veggies and dumplings, while 340 degrees F is best for meats. When you first add food to the pan, the oil temperature will drop. Adjust the burner as needed to return to the target temp. It also helps to have the oil 5° to 10 degrees F hotter than the target temperature before you add food, so you won’t have to raise the temperature much after (if at all).