How to Brown Chicken in Butter
Brown butter imparts a buttery and subtle nutty flavor that can't be achieved when browning chicken in other fats such as vegetable or olive oil. The main challenge is browning the butter without burning it, since burning the butter makes the chicken taste bitter. After browning the chicken, you can employ it in a variety of uses, whether you want to grill a whole piece for a chicken sandwich or cut small pieces to make spiedie sandwiches. For best results, use a stainless steel skillet or other light color so you can easily observe the color change of the butter.
Things You'll Need
- Assorted spices
- Marinade (optional)
- Plastic bag (optional)
- Stainless steel skillet
- Tongs
- Meat thermometer
Instructions
-
Season the chicken with your choice of ingredients. You might prefer basic salt and pepper, a blend of several herbs and spices or a wet marinade. Combine the chicken and marinade in a bag and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
-
Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat until gently bubbling, using enough butter to coat the bottom of the pan.
-
Add the chicken to the pan in a single layer with space between each piece. Work in multiple batches if there isn't adequate space in the pan for all the chicken. The chicken creates steam if overcrowded, causing it to steam or poach in the pan, which makes it nearly impossible to brown while cooking.
-
Monitor the color of the butter carefully while cooking the chicken. Turn the heat down to prevent burning the butter.
-
Allow the chicken to cook, untouched, until the bottom of the chicken develops a golden brown color. This takes about 5 minutes for small cubes of chicken and up to 10 minutes for large chicken breast pieces.
-
Flip the chicken to the other side and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes or until the second side is golden brown. Flip the chicken with tongs instead of piercing it with a fork to avoid losing juices in the pan. Add more butter to the pan if the butter cooks off the pan.
-
Insert a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken to test for doneness. The chicken is done when it reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cooking Techniques
- Can I Replace Tomato Sauce With Condensed Tomato Soup?
- What Does Spit Cooked Mean?
- What can you cook on a two-burner gas stove?
- How to Use Kieffer Pears (7 Steps)
- How to Parboil Artichokes
- Convection Baked Tri-Tips
- How to Reheat Breaded Eggplant
- How do microwave ovens cook food?
- How do you cook plaintains?
- How to Make a Rub for Smoked Meats
Cooking Techniques
- Bakeware
- Baking Basics
- Baking Techniques
- Cooking Techniques
- Cooking Utensils
- Cookware
- Easy Recipes
- Green
- Produce & Pantry
- Spices
