chicken in vegetable oil or olive oil....is this bad?

Question

i'm new cook - anyway i like puttin pieces of chicken, pork chop, etc. in a skilet on stovetop then puttin olive oil or veget. oil in the pan and eating the food when done. i put some onions n' celery n garlic in there too. anyway is this BAD for my health?

* i forget to add that i flour n' breadcrumbs sometimes on the meat THEN put it in skillet.

Answer 1

Olive oil is a healthy oil (healthier than vegetable oil) and you don't need much of it - a measuring Tablespoon or less for a chicken breast. And this is a healthy way to eat.

As long as you are not 'frying' the meat, only searing it, you are fine - and like I mentioned - just one tablespoon is all you really need. You can use olive oil cooking sprays - also a good way if you are not good at measuring, so that you can cook your chicken properly. Grilling (beit on a George Forman grilling maching or in a grill pan is even better) and you can top your boneless, skinless chicken breast or extra lean pork loin with fresh salsa or serve with vegetables - very healthy.

If you are a new cook - consider cooking fish, too. Not only is fish healthy, but it's easy to cook a fresh fillet - wait til it's opaque and it's done. You can also cook using fat-free chicken or vegetable stocks or wines for different flavors, too.

Have fun!

Answer 2

To add a few opinions to all this. Yes olive oils (esp virgin and extra virgin) are healthier to use but don't work as well in some dishes, so it depends on what you are preparing. Veg oil will give you a crunchier result, where olive oil is more for flavoring and texture.

If you want to focus on healthier foods remember you don't need to fry or add oils to all meals/meats to make them taste good. My rule of thumb is if I am breaking and frying the main course then I use oil. If not then I generally use a good pan sprayed with pam and at most add a little of oil or butter for flavor. And did you know that if you use half olive oil and half butter (or fake like I can't believe it's not butter...but no margarine that stuff is wax!), then it adds a nice flavor to what you are cooking, you need very little and it can be the base of a good sauce.

If you are a new cook I'd suggest you call family, friends or even post here and ask from some tried and true good recipes. Try them and feel comfortable with that AND the point of this is to see different styles of cooking. To be a really good cook you need to get the feel of what works and doesn't and soon you will just be tossing things together!

Heck, modesty be damned (hehehe) I consider myself an excellent cook (as do almost all my friends so I hope I am lolol), but often I go with a super simple recipe just to save time and not blow calories etc.

For examle say you want to make a pork chop. You could bread and coat and sure it would be yummy. But if you like sweet w/meat as I posted recently one of my fav ways to make them is to season the pork lightly w/salt and pepper. Then I coat with a medium thin layer of Apple butter, often flavored such as Pumpkin or Peach apple butter. It creates a natural seal and locks in moisture so you get a succulent, juicy tasty chop. And prep time is about 2 minutes lol. Works great with skinless chicken breasts too!!!

So just a few thoughts. There are tons of recipes online...you could just poke around for easy recipes. I think I even have an ebook about this.

Relax, have fun and enjoy!

Answer 3

You have worked out a nice & easy method of preparing your meal,you have expressed health consciousness too,here are a few suggestions to improve on this style.Use a non stick pan to reduce your requirment of olive oil,increase & vary the vegetables that go with it,include a green salad with the meal,space out the meat ,occasionally fish or egg would provide variety as well as balance the diet.Include bread & end with fruit & your meal is well rounded off.Oil in moderation is fine& olive oil is best.

Answer 4

Oh my god..... you'll kill yourself doing it thaht way......




Just kidding. Actually, thats pretty close to how my wife and I cook our chicken. I use about a tablespoon worth in the skillet, just enough to give the chicken some flavor, and not dry it out, or have it be tough. Onions, celery and garlic.... YUM... Funny you should say this as my wife was just goanna make a roasted chicken using almost the same ingredients.

Just keep doing what you are doing, you're fine....

Answer 5

You can use either, but always, over low medium flame, heat the pan first, then add the oil and heat it. Once this is done you may then add the chicken or meat.
Try to avoid adding the meat first, otherwise you're doing just fine. Get your self a good cookbook or cooking magazine. Food & Wine is an excellent monthly. Good luck.

Answer 6

TIP: cook with a lower temperature when using Olive oil, it burns at a lower temperature than vegetable oil.

A tablespoon in the pan is not bad.

Answer 7

Olive oil is a good fat but it depends on how much you use. A teaspoon or two is acceptable. A cup of it, not so good! Stick to the olive oil and only use a bit!

Answer 8

I'd say olive oil is much healthier than regular vegetable oil. You can never really tell what's in vegetable oil.

Answer 9

Your body craves the healthy stuff,,,,,so if you only have 1 tsp of olive oil, you won't be hungry anymore,,,,,

Answer 10

olive oil is much better for you than vegetable