Side by side chicken thighs: baked vs pan fried for budget meals

I spent last Sunday testing two cheap chicken thigh recipes to see which was better for meal prep. Baked them at 400 degrees on a sheet pan with some oil and seasoning, took about 35 minutes. Pan fried them in a cast iron skillet with the same stuff, took maybe 15 minutes total. The pan fried ones came out way crispier on the outside and juicier inside, plus they used less electricity. Has anyone else found pan frying beats baking for keeping cheap cuts of meat tasty?

2 comments

2 Comments

aaron_wilson1718d agoTop Commenter

Same with most things honestly. Less effort usually means better results.

alicea2618d ago

Gotta push back on that one. Baked thighs come out more evenly cooked and way less greasy since the fat renders off onto the pan instead of sitting in hot oil. Pan frying also means you're stuck standing over the stove flipping things instead of tossing them in the oven and walking away for 35 minutes. Does the extra crisp really beat having less mess and attention needed?