Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

pan-fry

American  
[pan-frahy, -frahy] / ˈpænˈfraɪ, -ˌfraɪ /

verb (used with object)

pan-fried, pan-frying
  1. to fry in a small amount of fat, as in a skillet or shallow pan; sauté.


Etymology

Origin of pan-fry

First recorded in 1940–45; pan 1 + fry 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

In addition to eggs, toast and copious amounts of coffee, my husband, Tom, decided to try out the suggestion made by our friends the previous evening and pan-fry slices of cake in butter.

From Salon Jan. 29, 2025

And finally, we pan-fry the patties until browned and crisp.

From Washington Times May 25, 2023

“If you grew up in a Korean household,” he wrote, “then the dish wasn’t just occasional barbecue; it was dinner on the regular, a quick pan-fry on the stovetop.”

From Seattle Times May 1, 2023

I patted it dry, moved right along, and loved the dish that resulted: A quick pan-fry gets the tofu wonderfully crisp-chewy, then it quickly simmers in a spicy soy sauce that becomes a glaze.

From Washington Post Mar. 13, 2022

All that's left is to dip it in beaten egg, tumble it in crackly panko, and pan-fry it in a skillet.

From Salon Oct. 5, 2021

So the 33-year-old found himself eating pan-fried noodles 200 miles north of the megalopolis in a restaurant shaped like a carousel.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 26, 2025

The Kazan kebab entrees are slight variations in which pan-fried beef or lamb, fragrant with cumin, are spooned atop your choice of rice or naan, either of which becomes enriched with drippings.

From Washington Post Apr. 3, 2023

Of all the ways to use a sheet pan, “frying” rice on it might be the least intuitive — which is why Hetty McKinnon’s sheet pan-fried rice is so brilliant.

From New York Times Mar. 18, 2023

A staple of midnight noshing in Thailand, this pan-fried pancake tilts on the greasy side, but it’s still an irresistibly crackly bite.

From Seattle Times Jan. 12, 2023

Pouches of pan-fried shredded coconut Tamarind paste on banana leaf Steamed corn on the cob Rounds of fried dough Wedges of pineapple on a stick And of course cubes of papaya tender and shiny.

From "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai

And when deep-frying or pan-frying, starting with an empty pan and superhot oil is integral to the cooking process.

From Seattle Times Apr. 13, 2024

Thus, we wouldn't recommend deep frying as the method of choice, but rather baking or pan-frying.

From Salon Oct. 27, 2022

Marchetti finishes them off by dusting with flour, for a bit more binding insurance and a delicious crispy crust, and a 20-minute chill to firm up, before pan-frying them crisp.

From Slate Jan. 31, 2019

How many proteins taste all that great after a mere pan-frying?

From Washington Post Jan. 5, 2015

The real cooking took place in his narrow open kitchen, where she started pan-frying the zucchini with garlic, parsley and mint.

From New York Times Nov. 19, 2014

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training