There is no oil, that doesn’t burn in the oven due to extensive heat. Whether margarine burns in the oven or not? We all know that margarine has a high smoking point. So it does not tend to burn before the foods get burnt.
What is margarine?
Margarine is edible solid fat (below room temperature) that can be made of vegetable oil. Vegan margarine is a hydrogenated vegetable oil that is higher in polyunsaturated fat. And rich in trance fat. Somehow it looks like butter below room temperature but does not have butter’s rich, creamy taste.
Can I put margarine in the oven?
Whether in baking or cooking, margarine is preferred in the oven. The smoke point of margarine is 410° Fahrenheit to 430° Fahrenheit, which is very high. As a result, it does not burn in the oven while baking and cooking, but if you put only margarine in the oven for defrosting, it can burn by extensive high heat.
I prefer not to put bare margarine in the oven for more than a minute. But I support cooking and baking with margarine in the oven; there is no harm because the heat tolerance of margarine is very high.
Does there any physiological changes take place in margarine due to oven heat?
The first and most recognizable change of margarine is it melts by heat. Otherwise, there is no binding heat effect in margarine while cooking. Thus margarine doesn’t contain many nutrients; fat is the most influential property of margarine.
But when you deep fry something with margarine, some changes may occur. The changes take place when fat breaks down by heat.
Let’s briefly glimpse the changes in margarine’s physiological state after deep frying potato wedges for 60 minutes. 250gm of margarine was taken as a sample.
| Category | Changes | |
| Before heating | After heating | |
| Physical state | Solid | Liquid |
| Color | Yellowish white | Clear light-brown |
| Odor | Characteristic smell | Offensive scent |
Is margarine more tend to burn than butter?
Technically, butter burns faster than margarine because of its smoking point and fat content. The smoking point of margarine is slightly higher than butter.
Also, the saturated fat of butter is 50.49gm that higher than margarine (15.18gm), whereas the unsaturated fat of butter is lower than margarine. Another factor that can affect it is water content. The water content of margarine is also slightly higher than butter, though I’m not sure if such a slight change affects burning.
A table might help to distinguish the facts more clearly.
| Properties | Margarine | Butter |
| Physical state | Solid below room temperature | Solid at room temperature |
| Water content | 26.2gm per 100gm | 17.94gm per 100gm |
| Melting point | 94°F to 98°F | 90°F to 95°F |
| Boiling point | 410°F to 430°F | 302°F |
| Flammability | 622°F | 600°F |
Does margarine produce toxicity after burning?
No significant toxic compound is produced by burning margarine. But fat burned by extensive heat can be oxidized. Due to oxidation, free radicles form, which is harmful to health. Thus, fat oxidation can cause cardiovascular disease, acidity, and arthritis.
For food safety, we should avoid burning margarine. Please never heat beyond the boiling point of margarine. This precaution should be the same for any fat and oil.
Can you broil chicken with margarine?
You can broil chicken with margarine. To broil a chicken with margarine, first marinate the chicken with salt, garlic paste, chili flakes, soy sauce, tomato sauce, and margarine. Put the marinated chicken into a 325° preheated broiler for 20 to 30 minutes. Margarine will not burn at this process until the chicken gets roasted.
Can you bake with margarine in the oven?
Usage of margarine instead of butter while baking is more convenient for vegans. You can bake with margarine in the oven; this process is the same as with butter. You can bake anything like pizza, bread, toast, biscuit, cake, or pasta. The taste will not go to change much.
Final thought
Even though margarine is making its step among vegans, over-consumption can affect health. And burnt margarine is also considered a health hazard. Because they can form free radicles, to avoid burning fat, we should not heat them for too long at high heat. We should practice cooking at shallow heat in the oven.
