Distributing small amounts of oil around a non-stick pan

There is no really good solution for this, as non-stick pans are by nature slick, and oils bead on them.

My preferred solution is to use the right tool/technique for the job. Breaded items are normally meant to be fried in a puddle of oil at least half as high as the item (so it will have been submerged after flipping). If you insist on frying them in less oil, you should use non-coated pans. The items meant for non-stick (eggs, pancakes, etc.) do well without any fat. Dishes which indeed need a little bit of oil, but not too much, tend to be stir-fry or sautee type, and there you can start in a coated pan with the food on the bottom, then drizzle the oil on it and start stirring.

But if you don't want to change the technique or the pan, you can try distributing the fat. As long as the pan still works well, you will get disconnected beads as opposed to a thin film. The usual option is to use a silicone brush (non-silicone works too, but may burn if the pan is already hot). Pour the oil in the pan and brush it everywhere.

The second option, for liquid fats, is to fill your own oil sprayer. Normal water sprayers don't work well due to the viscosity of oil, they create a thin beam of oil as opposed to a spray. But there are special oil sprays on the market, e.g. the Misto one. I hope that they work better (I haven't tried them personally).

For solid fats, just take the block of fat as it is in the packaging and slide it along the room temperature pan bottom, just like using a sponge to clean the pan. It will leave a thin layer of fat which will melt into smallish beads when the pan is heated.

Lastly, if you have older pans where the coating starts to fail, use them for this application. You will get a more even distribution.

@Rumtscho has some good points, especially around using non-non-stick pans. A cast iron frying pan would work better for that. However, if you don't have one my suggestion for pan-frying something like breaded fish would be to pull the fish through the oil puddle with your fingers or tongs as you put it in and then let the fish sit on the non-oily part of the pan. Repeat that for all the pieces.

I think what you'll find doing that though is that the breading will soak up all the oil, and you'll need to add some more in anyway in order to have enough to coat the other side when you turn the fish over. Adding more oil will cool the pan and you won't get as good as a result, so it's counter-productive. You're better off adding more oil at the beginning. If you are worried about health, don't fry in oil!

I think non-stick pans are good for one-off use, quick recipes that don't require a lot of even heat (because they'll have movement). Frying a breaded fish seems reasonable for a non-stick. But if you're reusing the oil between heats, then that's a bad idea. Consider fudging with your dredge techniques to get a better cling when you do your fish and chips. A fry station is also not a bad choice.

Because of the absorption/adhesion of most foods, I don't evenly oil my nonsticks, I heat up oil in the center of the pan (hottest part), and lay my food directly on top of it so that oil spreads out evenly across the surface of the food in contact with the surface of the pan.

A very simple solution.

Put your oil (a little) in the pan, turn the pan a little to distribute as much as possible, then move the pan under the faucet of running water. The water provides a fine distribution.

It is also made with butter. When you make the crepes, use a little butter every two or three crepes and passes the pan again under running water, before continuing with other crepes.

My personal experience.