What You Need To Know Before Frying Up Chicken In Butter

Butter is an unbeatable ingredient for adding a luxuriously rich flavor to so many dishes. But, when it comes to frying chicken — or frying anything, in fact — you need to keep in mind that this particular fat has a low smoke point compared to some oils. While safflower oil can reach a whopping 510 degrees Fahrenheit before it starts smoking, butter has a much lower smoke point of just 350 degrees Fahrenheit. When you're frying, the oil generally needs to be around 325 to 365 degrees Fahrenheit, and sometimes as hot as 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

For fried chicken specifically, the ideal oil temperature is 350 degrees Fahrenheit. That causes a problem when trying to fry with butter, as butter starts burning at that heat. It's the same reason you shouldn't use extra virgin olive oil to fry chicken, since EVOO can start to smoke at just 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

When frying chicken, it's usually best to stick to an oil with a high smoke point, such as vegetable oil or peanut oil, which can be heated to temperatures of around 400 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. You can also use lard or beef tallow (with smoke points of 370 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit) for a fuller flavor and superior crunch. However, if you do want to use butter for frying chicken, it is possible to achieve a sizzling result rather than a smoky mess — you just need to follow a few key tips.

While regular butter has a low smoke point, you can still incorporate its creamy flavor by switching to clarified butter or ghee when frying. These fats are made by heating butter and removing the milk solids, which otherwise burn at lower temperatures. It's why ghee has a higher smoke point than butter and can be heated to between 450 and 485 degrees Fahrenheit.

Clarified butter is ideal for shallow-frying thinner pieces of chicken, such as pounded boneless breasts, which can be cooked hot and fast. The clarified butter adds a beautifully nutty flavor and helps the breadcrumbs become crisp and golden. While you could use regular butter to fry chicken cutlets, you'd need to cook them over a lower heat to stop them burning. This means they'd also take longer — up to around six minutes per side rather than two or three minutes with clarified butter.

Contrary to what you may have heard, mixing oil and butter doesn't change the smoke point, so it's not the best way to incorporate the delicious dairy taste when frying chicken. An alternative approach is to use butter as a sauce rather than for the actual frying. Mix melted butter with honey for a quick and flavorful drizzle — or use hot honey if you want some spice. Amp up the sweet-savory notes further by including soy sauce, brown sugar, or sesame oil in your honey butter. Alternatively, keep things classic with a simple sauce of butter, garlic, chicken stock, and fresh herbs — or try a flavorful cowboy butter sauce with crispy chicken wings.