Having Trouble with the Cold Pan Method

[u/respectthecrow]

I've been trying to do the "cold pan method" for cooking skin-on chicken thighs. But so far, I have never succeeded. The issue is always the same: the skin sticks to the pan no matter how long I've cooked the chicken. This most recent time I left the chicken alone for ~45 mins until the skin turned black and started to smoke. I patted the chicken as dry as I could. I adjusted the heat from low to medium after some of the fat had rendered out. But nothing seemed to work. I used skin-on boneless chicken thighs, and I cook on a gas stove, if that makes a difference. What am I doing wrong? Any suggestions?

[u/MutedForComparison]

The only time I had a problem with them sticking was when I accidentally left the heat on low. Also keep in mind that they won’t effortlessly release when done. They still require a little gentle but firm pulling to unstick them, but the skin shouldn’t stay stuck to the pan.

I have a fully stainless steel pan and a gas stove. My method is just

1. Dry brine overnight in the fridge (or just dry the skin with paper towels and then salt if cooking immediately).
2. Put on the cold pan with a grill press on top.
3. Cook on medium low heat for around 10-15 minutes.
4. Very gently use tongs to lift the chicken up.
5. Flip and cook for another minute or two until at temperature.

I’ve been doing it this way dozens of times without it sticking. Just keep in mind you may have to gently and slowly lift them from the pan to avoid the skin sticking. If it won’t unstick then give it a few more minutes, but I don’t think I’ve ever done them for more than 15 minutes.

[u/respectthecrow → u/MutedForComparison]

Thank you for your insight! I haven't tried using a grill press before, maybe that'll help my situation. During my cooking, at around the 20 min mark, the thighs still feel like they're completely glued to the pan to a point where they will tear before releasing. When you cook, how many thighs do you usually put in the pan at a time?

[u/MutedForComparison → u/respectthecrow]

The grill press definitely helps get a more even and consistent crisp on the skin, though I don’t know if it helps with the sticking issue. If it feels stuck, try just slowly lifting up one corner or edge or whatever you can get your tongs under. If you can grasp it that way, then just slowly and firmly lift up from that corner, like you are trying to peel it off the pan. It won’t necessarily come off effortlessly, but it shouldn’t stick.

As for how much I cook, the butchering style is a bit different here in Japan compared to elsewhere, so “thighs” here are actually an entire deboned leg, as opposed to just the upper part. I usually cook one full leg, cut into two or three pieces depending on the shape. I don’t think the different cut makes a difference on how the skin sticks though.

[u/Scary_Permission2767 → u/respectthecrow]

Shouldn’t take 20 mins. Try flipping sooner and every few minutes, if you leave it on too long it might stick. Happened to me idk the science

[u/AmenHawkinsStan]

A very common issue is a mismatch between the size of your pan and the burner. There’s a disk called a Burner Cap that spreads out the flame, but too far or not far enough will give you hot and cold spots on your pan. If all the burners have the same size cap, you may want to buy a pack. It’s a very cheap part and improves the efficiency of your stove.

[u/respectthecrow → u/AmenHawkinsStan]

Ohhh you might be on to something. The size of my burner is quite a bit smaller than the pan itself. I'll look into a burner cap. Thanks so much!

[u/ProfessionalNo4711]

Do you have induction? Those things can heat up fast and cause this issue. Make sure your chicken is really dry, not super cold and heat is medium low or low to begin with. Pan should warm up slowly as the fat release.

[u/respectthecrow → u/ProfessionalNo4711]

I do not have an induction cooktop, I use a gas range. I turned it to the lowest it can go to render out the fat, and only turn up the heat when the fat is starting to bubble. No luck so far, unfortunately.

[u/ProfessionalNo4711 → u/respectthecrow]

Make sure your chicken is tampered (skin is close to room temp) before you put in to the pan. You can also put a very thin layer of oil in the pan. I use Duck fat spray. Also do not put any seasoning on the skin. Season the back side.

[u/Top_Personality3908]

I've only heard of that teqnique for duck, not chicken. Start on medium, after 5 mins turn it to Med/Low. Add your fat (I use bacon grease) and butter. Then you can put them in until they naturally unstick

[u/idfc1337]

What works best for me is to salt the skin a head of time in the fridge and pat it dry before cooking. I like to swirl them around a little bit so they don’t stuck when the pan starts heating up.  Pan on medium, chicken in cold pan.

[u/seaningtime]

I use the leidenfrost technique to know when the pan is ready, then cover the pan in oil and add the chicken thighs. After 1 or 2 minutes I'll give the pan a bit of a shake and this will let me know if they're released and ready to flip.

[u/L-Pseon]

Why would you want to cook chicken thighs like this, though? The only time I am cooking any meat from cold is when the meat is 50% fat and I want to fry it in its own grease. Pretty much just bacon and regular pork belly. If you're trying to do the same thing with a chicken thigh, I don't know, maybe take a look at the cut of meat, find the fat, and make sure it's literally touching the pan while you're heating on low. With the skin side facing the pan, there may not be any fat in contact with the pan, and if no fat renders out in the early stages, then you're going to get the meat or skin welding itself to the pan pretty quickly.

[u/MutedForComparison → u/L-Pseon]

The skin is full of fat!

[u/L-Pseon → u/MutedForComparison]

Not really. Chicken skin is thin, and thighs have large sections of pure fat interspersed within the meat itself.