27 March, 2022
Alternative Cooking Methods to Frying Food – with recipes
Frying food in a skillet is a method of cooking in which the food is cooked by the heat of hot fat.
Fat or oil’s (refined for high heat cooking) can be heated to a much higher temperature, as compared to water and thus, as the food comes in contact with this heated fat, it gets cooked quickly.
Fried foods are very tasty and are popular way of cooking in typical American cooking.
Smoke Point Of Cooking Oils
Pros and Cons Of Frying Food
Pros
Frying food is a quick method of cooking. And it is very appetizing and tasty.
Fried foods have a higher satiety value and it increases the calorific value of food.
That could be a good thing if you need to increase your calorie intake.
But if you are watching your weight, fried foods would not particularly help with weight control.
Cons
Fried foods are difficult to digest as the food gets covered with a layer of fat first.
Also due to high temperature used in frying food, the nutrient losses are higher particularly of fat-soluble nutrients.
There are alternatives to frying food. Alternatives that can also give you deliciously yummy cooked food.
Alternative Cooking Methods to Frying Food
Sautéing
Sautéing food requires high heat with very little oil or fat.
Use a skillet made with a nonstick surface, so you will need to use little or no oil when cooking.
As an alternative to cooking oil or fat, you can use a small amount of broth or wine.
Before sautéing, rub the vegetable oil onto the skillet with a paper towel. Rub oil to both the sides and bottom of pan.
Baking or Roasting
Baking or roasting is a much healthier alternative to deep-frying because it is an entirely different cooking method that uses convection and heat to cook the food.
Pan Searing
Pan searing meats are an excellent way to get that charred, crispy texture when you are in the mood for something that’s deep-fried.
The caramel that occurs on the edges of the meat will trap in the juices and flavor of the meat and seasoning added.
Grilling or Barbecuing
One of the healthiest ways to eat is to grill your food. Not only does it add a great smoky flavor and charred texture, but grilling also melts the fat off of meats keeping them nice and lean.
Grilled vegetables also retain their flavor full and are very nutritious.
Broiling
Broiling is another means of cooking with a heat source. The difference here is that with broiling, the heat comes from above instead of below.
Most meats recipes that are broiled are asked to first pan sear the meat. Doing so will help to retain juices and flavor.
Marinating your meat before grilling provides amazing smoky flavor.
Examples of marinating meat before grilling is Mexican recipes like Carne Asada (BBQ Beef) or Pollo Asada (BBQ Chicken).
Two other alternatives are steaming and pouching. Both are oil free and tenderizes food extremely well.
Try This Poached Chicken Recipe – Asian Spicy Poached Chicken
These methods mentioned above are all healthy alternatives and the provide for juicy meats and deliciously yummy vegetables.
More Deliciously Yummy Recipes
- Lemon Artichoke Chicken
- Apple Cinnamon Upside-Down Cake
- Warm Brussels Sprouts & Dilled Potato Salad
- Chocolate Mexican Coffee Cake
- Slow Cooking, is it Safe?
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