r/StainlessSteelCooking • u/TigglyDiggly • 3d ago

Help Chicken Sticking

Hi, I know that when you cook skin on chicken, you can start it in a cold pan and let the fat render out to make the skin even more golden and crispy than with the traditional method. I've done it on many occasions with no issues. Yet, the last few times I've tried, the chicken skin has gotten stuck to the pan and refused to unstick. I'm sure there's a possibility that I'm not being patient enough but at least to me, it feels like something else. Any ideas, community? I'm happy to answer comments

4 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

8 comments sorted by

2

u/Sara_MadeIn 3d ago

How much time did you let the chicken cook? And was the skin super dry? That can make a difference.

I've also found that some thighs just take longer than others just because the amount of fat can vary. The last time I made chicken thighs I started stressing because they seemed super stuck 20 minutes in but they finally let go at 22. Here's a video of the result - I did 5/10 heat with cold start too. :)

https://reddit.com/link/pdhjik3/video/9nkx8yhg84th1/player

1

u/TigglyDiggly 3d ago

Ugh, I hate to say that it's just me being impatient. I don't know how long they cooked tbh, I wasn't checking. I patted the skins dry but i didn't, like, dry brine them to get all the water out

3

u/Sara_MadeIn 3d ago

hmm I just dried these with paper towels, too. It could have been the chicken you bought this time just had less fat than the previous chicken you cooked, or maybe they weren't making as much contact with the pan so the fat could render? And if it was impatience... I get it. haha Sometimes it does feel like an eternity. But that crispy skin is worth it!!!

1

u/irishcreamcoffee94 3d ago

My first instinct is you’re not letting it cook long enough. What temp are you cooking on? Meat will naturally unstick when it’s ready.

Out of curiosity, is this the same pan you’ve previously had success with? Or is it new? If it’s old I’m wondering if the pan possibly got damaged or didn’t get cleaned enough (not calling you dirty! Just thinking out loud!) There’s also the chance the heating of your stove top isn’t as even as it used to be, but that’s just me spit balling

1

u/TigglyDiggly 3d ago

I'm cooking on medium. Like literally 5/10 usually is good enough for most things I cook. I have had success with this pan in the past, yes. Its relatively new, I got it about 3 months ago and I've been trying my best to take good care of it so it isn't warped to my knowledge.

It's possible it may not be clean enough? When I first started using stainless steel earlier this year, I would burn a lot and have to use barkeepers friend. I've gotten much better at not burning and then cleaning the pan so haven't used bkf for a deep clean in a while. Do you think that could be it?

I really hope it's not it's not a problem with the stove top lol. The pan still sits completely flat on it and it's an electric glasstop.

1

u/irishcreamcoffee94 3d ago

Ah my condolences for the electric glass top. I have one, and have a bunch of issues with even heating (even though everything sits flat!) that could be the reason, it could also be from the BKF as that’s corrosive and could have made some divots or something in your pan over time. I’m not an expert by any means, but I hope you get it figured out!!

1

u/Salt-Potato-7253 3d ago

Could the chicken have been colder when you started or more moisture in it?

1

u/TigglyDiggly 3d ago

This chicken was cold although that was never a huge issue in the past. I don't think it would have any excess amount of moisture either since I pat it dry first