How to Pan Sear Chicken Without it Splattering

A frying pan with high sides works most effectively with the splatter guard.

When pan-searing chicken, it's common for the butter, oil and grease to splatter out of the pan and make a mess on the stove. The splatters can also burn human skin. Avoid this problem by using a splatter guard. Because of the high temperatures required for searing chicken, it's impossible to stop the butter, oil and grease from popping. Splatter guards sit on top of pans and block any popping liquid from landing outside the pan.

Things You'll Need

• Frying pan
• 1 tbsp. butter or olive oil
• Splatter guard
• Tongs

Instructions

1. Place the frying pan on a stove burner. Heat the pan for 45 seconds, or until hot.

2. Move the pan to another burner. Pour the butter or olive oil into the pan. Place the chicken in the butter or olive oil and move the pan to the hot burner.

3. Cover the frying pan with a splatter cover. Sear the chicken for 3 minutes.

4. Move the pan away from the burner. Remove the splatter cover, turn the chicken over with the tongs and replace the cover. Put the pan back on the hot burner and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, or until the chicken is done.

5. Turn off the stove burner. Wait two minutes before removing the splatter cover.

References

• Martha Stewart: How to Pan-Sear
• Martha Stewart: Pan-Seared Steak