It is better to pan fry instead of deep fry.
Pan frying is better than deep frying as pan frying uses less oil and is healthier and less messy than deep frying foods.
Deep frying though can be better for foods where you want consistently thick, crispy and even coatings on foods such as fully breaded chicken or French fries.
Pan frying uses a thin layer of cooking oil, which results in less oil absorption into the foods and also results in fewer calories.
With deep frying the foods are fully submerged in the cooking oil and so the foods absorb more of the cooking oil, which makes the foods more fattening and less healthy.
Pan frying is also simpler in most cases and easier to manage and often creates less mess than deep frying foods.
Pan frying also highlights the natural flavors in foods instead of a heavy coating of oil as the food is not submerged in oil.
And pan frying also is perfect for creating a desirable crust on foods such as chicken breasts or fish, while also keeping the inside of the foods moist.
Deep frying is best for foods such as onion rings, battered chicken, French fries and other similar foods, as deep frying these foods ensures full submersion and a hard crispy shell of the food all around.
Deep frying foods also means that the entire food is surrounded by the hot cooking oil, which leads to more consistent cooking and browning when compared to pan frying.
And although it does take time to heat the large volume of oil, deep frying can also cook foods more quickly than pan frying after the oil is hot, which makes it efficient for cooking certain foods.