Deep frying is a great way to impart flavor and get crispy meals every time.
It’s also known to load food with extra calories while increasing the risk of obesity and heart disease.
If you’re looking for healthier ways to cook, you might have considered baking.
You’ve probably asked the question; can I bake instead of deep frying?
The short and sweet answer is that yes, you can bake instead of deep frying.
Best of all, you won’t have to give up on flavor.
What’s the Difference Between Baking and Deep Frying?
Deep frying is a cooking method where food is heated relatively quickly while immersed in boiling oil.
It can allow for an excellent crispy texture with great flavor.
But with all the heat and oil, the chemical composition of food changes, making it less healthy and increasing the calorie count significantly.
Baking is quite different.
Food is cooked with indirect dry heat, and there’s much less oil needed in the process.
Some recipes can be baked without adding any additional oil.
Even if you do add oil, the calorific density will be much lower when compared to deep frying.
Baking, like deep frying, can impart wonderful flavor, especially when you get the seasoning right.
And you can still get crispy ingredients when you bake with dry indirect heat.
Cooking times are typically longer when baking, but it’s worth it for healthier meals that your whole family will enjoy.
Try Breading Your Ingredients Before Baking
Breading is popular for deep frying.
You can follow the same process for baking, and you’ll get excellent results with chicken, fish, pork, and even vegetables like eggplant.
Chicken is by far the most popular ingredient to bake.
Breasts and thighs are wonderful when breaded and baked, although you can use any cut, including wings and legs.
Bake between 350°F to 400°F for the best results.
Cooking times will vary depending on the size and weight of your ingredients.
The best way to check baked chicken for doneness is to use a cooking thermometer.
The ThermoPro TP03 is a reliable and hugely popular cooking thermometer.
It can instantly read the internal temperature of any ingredient.
When checking chicken, push the probe end into the middle of the thickest part of boneless chicken, or next to the bone of bone-in chicken.
Chicken is fully cooked and safe to eat when the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Try Seasoning Chicken Instead of Breading
Baking is a great way to retain moisture in chicken.
When you bake chicken instead of frying it, you can use a seasoning rub or marinade rather than a traditional breading.
There is a whole world of flavors that you can explore for chicken, and it’s worth trying different ingredients to see what you like.
If you simply want to get started with something delicious, try this Traeger Chicken Rub.
The tangy citrus and black pepper will bring plenty of lively zest to your chicken.
It’s also a great rub for chicken and fish on your outdoor grill.
Make Wedges by Baking Instead of Frying
French fries are one of the most common deep-fried foods. You can cook French fries in the oven, but you could also up your game and make seasoned wedges.
Simply cut potatoes into large wedges, toss in a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper (or your preferred spice seasoning rub), and bake at 350°F.
Turn them once during the cooking process.
The wedges will be ready when they turn golden brown and reach an internal temperature of 210°F.
Wedges should be arranged on a shallow baking pan.
Be careful not to overlap any of your wedges.
These Wilton Sheet Pans are perfect for wedges, other vegetables, cookies, and more.
Baking is a Healthier way to Cook
You can bake instead of deep frying and enjoy healthier meals at home.
Because baking works better for seasoning rubs that would burn in a deep fryer, you can also enjoy more variation in flavor.
Try baking your favorite ingredients and expand your cooking skills at home.
