Stir Fry without a mess? I stir fry on a home gas range. I use a fry pan, but oil splatters everywhere. Is there a neater way?

I read home ranges aren't hot enough for woks, and splatter screens don't work when you're trying to stir fry. Am wondering whether a deeper frying pan might help.

TucsonTerry
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5 Comments

BonnieC. May 19, 2019
Proper stir-frying in a regular frying pan is an exercise in futility. Get thee a wok - at this point ANY type of wok. I stir-fry in a wok (both carbon steel & cast iron) at least once a week & frankly have either very minor or zero splatter problems regardless of how high the heat is.

The amount of oil used in a proper stir-fry recipe is really small, & if - apart from marinated proteins - most of your ingredients aren't soaked in water, you shouldn't have much splatter. I've even deep-fried in my wok & still didn't have any splatter. Those high sloping sides are your friend, & good carbon-steel woks are very reasonably priced.
 
BakerRB May 14, 2019
I agree with both comments, but I'll add that I finally tried a Frywall and it worked well (for sale here and elsewhere in various colors, sizes and prices). It took a long time, but my intense dislike of oil spatters finally outweighed my cheapskate nature and overcrowded cabinet, and the first time I pan-seared fish it was worth every penny.
 
Mike P. May 14, 2019
Thanks for recommending Frywall! You can find it here on Food52: https://food52.com/shop/products/3729-frywall

Frywall fits the skillets and pans you already have, and eliminates virtually all splatters and spills while giving you access to stir and flip your food. It cleans up in the dishwasher and rolls up into a sleeve for storage.
 
HalfPint May 13, 2019
I would stir-fry in a deeper pan like a wok. But even with the deepest pan you can find, there will still be splattering but it should not be a total mess of oil, just a light spraying. I agree with Smaug, make sure that the non-liquid elements of your ingredients are as dry as possible.
 
Smaug May 13, 2019
Making sure your ingredients are as dry as possible on the outside helps.
 
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