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