Can You Fry In A Pot? 

Last updated on August 23rd, 2022 at 06:41 pm

Life happens, and as much as we know we should do the dishes, our time is split in a million different directions. You used your skillet in the morning to make fried and scrambled eggs for the family and you have been non-stop ever since. 

You had great intentions of placing the skillet in the dishwasher because you knew you needed it for dinner, but the kid’s bus actually came on time this morning. You get them and yourself out the door and head to work. 

There in the unstarted dishwasher sits the egg-crusted skillet. 

You get the kids from school and start meal-prepping, checking ingredients in your head. As you’re going through everything you need, you remember that you put the skillet in the dishwasher, but don’t remember if you actually started it. You get home, go to the dishwasher and find that the dishes are, in fact, dirty. 

Your heart sinks because now you need to wash a few dishes in order to make dinner, or do you? 

If you plan on frying some chicken up for dinner, can you still do that in a pot? Does the frying process need to be done in a skillet or can you fry in a pot? 

You can fry in a pot and the process is still the same. The pot can handle just as much heat as a skillet can. 

When frying with a pot you will need to make sure to use plenty of oil or butter on the pot to ensure that the food won’t stick to the bottom or the sides.

Can You Deep-Fry Food In A Pot? 

Deep-frying foods somehow make them taste much better. You can bake tater tots in the oven, but the extra crisp you get from deep-frying them is worth it. You can bake mozzarella sticks in the oven, but they won’t taste the same as making them in the deep-fryer. 

The same is true for fries and any other food that can be enjoyed deep-fried. 

If you don’t have a deep-fryer, does this mean that you are doomed to only eat oven-heated tater tots and french fries? Can you use a pot to deep-fry the food instead of purchasing a deep-fryer? 

You can use a pot to deep-fry food. The pot you choose should be at least five inches deep and you need about four to six cups of oil. 

As long as your pan is big enough to hold four to six cups of oil and you can add food without spillage, you are good to deep fry in the pot. 

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to use your pot as a deep-fryer. 

• Allow the oil to heat: Turn the burner to medium heat and let the pot of oil heat up for about five to ten minutes. You’ll want the heat to be between 350ºF-400ºF. The heat requirement depends on what you plan on cooking. The preferred temperature can usually be found in the recipe or on the bag of food you intend on frying. 

• Add the food: You’ll want to add the food slowly and carefully. The oil is very hot and you don’t want any backsplash to pop out of the pot and burn you. Be sure the oil level doesn’t rise any higher than a half an inch when the food is placed in the pot. Make sure you leave plenty of room in the pot for the food to float around as well. If you have too much food in the pot, the food won’t be able to move around and fry evenly. You’ll end up with a half mushy, half crispy tater tot. 

• Leave the food until it’s golden brown: When the food starts turning golden brown, that is when you know it is ready to come out of the oil. If it starts turning too deep of a brown color, the food has been in the oil for too long. You want the food to be deep-fried, but not so fried it ends up inedible. 

• Allow the food to cool: You can use either tongs or a slotted spoon to remove the food from the oil. You can place it on a cooling rack until you are ready to eat your delicious, pot-made, deep-fried food. 

• Let the oil reheat before adding more food: If you have more than one pot’s worth of food to deep-fry, you need to allow the oil to reheat before adding more. Any food you add to the pot of oil will result in a temperature drop to the oil. Allow the oil time to get back up to the appropriate temperature, otherwise, the next batch might not turn out as well. 

Is A Saucepan A Frying Pan? 

If you purchased your cookware from a set, you typically get a few pots and pans, lids, and utensils. But, if you were to go to a store and purchase each pot and pan individually, you would end up with several more pots and pans. 

For example, when you purchase the box set of pots and pans, you typically won’t receive a cast-iron skillet. The same is true with a wok or a dutch oven, they’re usually bought separately. There are several different types of pans and pots and each can be used for one specific thing and others can be interchangeable.

What about a saucepan and a frying pan? If you didn’t receive a saucepan from your wedding but you did get a frying pan, is that okay? Do you need both a saucepan and a frying pan? Is there a difference? 

There are a few differences between saucepans and frying pans. Frying pans are shallow, have a wide base, and are designed to get rid of the liquid. The shorter sides of the frying pan let the water evaporate easily so the pan will fry and the food will become crispy. A saucepan is deep, comes with a lid, and is designed to keep all the liquid in. 

You can still fry food in a saucepan, but it might not taste as crispy as it could if you were to use a frying pan. You can make the sauce in a frying pan, but it will be difficult since frying pans are shallow and designed to release moisture. 

Final Thoughts

Whether you are looking to deep-fry dinner or fry up some chicken and veggies in a pan, you can fry them in a pot. If your skillet is not available for use at the time of cooking, you can reach for a pot instead and still enjoy the fried food.