What's the Best Oil for Frying? Here's How to Choose the Right One (2024)

FAQs

What is the best oil to use for frying? ›

Most healthful oils for deep frying

One study found that extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil were two of the most stable oils. The researchers heated 3 liters of oil in a deep fryer at 356°F (180°C) for 6 hours. This suggests that they may be the most suitable oils for deep frying.

Deep frying

However, if you do need to deep fry your food, our long-standing advice is that oils like corn and sunflower oils are not recommended for high temperatures. These oils are rich in polyunsaturated fats which can form undesirable compounds when heated at high temperatures.

KFC products are fried in oil which may contain the following: Canola Oil and Hydrogenated Soybean Oil with TBHQ and Citric Acid Added To Protect Flavor, Dimethylpolysiloxane, an Antifoaming Agent Added OR Low Linolenic Soybean Oil, TBHQ and Citric Acid Added To Protect Flavor, Dimethylpolysiloxane, an Antifoaming ...

The oils which should be avoided for cooking are oils like soybean, corn, canola, sunflower, and safflower. These oils have unstable fats and will decimate the nutritional properties of your food. Oh, and they'll give you a big fat health risk in the meantime.

Canola Oil

Benefits: With a high smoke point and neutral flavor, canola oil is excellent for frying chicken. As an added bonus, it has high levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which makes it healthier than other options.

Although it's not necessary to completely avoid highly refined oils, consuming them too regularly could harm health, so it's best to limit vegetable oils like corn oil, soybean oil, and oil blends and instead use oils that have been linked to health benefits, like olive oil.

Vegetable oil and canola oil are two popular types of oil used for commercial deep frying because of their high smoke points. Which oil is the better option? Canola oil is often favored because of its neutral flavor, low saturated fat content, and balanced fatty acid profile.

The best oils for frying tend to be those high in saturated fats, such as peanut oil, vegetable shortening, or lard. They'll not only have the longest lifespan, but they'll also produce the crispest results.

What is the healthiest oil for frying? ›

The healthiest oil to cook with is olive oil. It's versatile, being used in everything from frying to finishing. It's also rich in healthy fats, antioxidants, and polyphenols, all of which have shown protective effects against cancer and liver, heart, and neurodegenerative diseases (27, 28).

Canola oil is one of the best choices when frying (and it's our top choice as the best oil to fry fish). It has a neutral flavor, and it's quite affordable, particularly if you are preparing large amounts of food.

The oil. There's no one oil that's best for deep-frying, although vegetable, canola, sunflower and rice bran oil are all good, as they can be heated to high temperatures without burning. Their neutral flavours also won't affect the taste of the food.

Best all-around award goes to olive oil. You can use it for almost any kind of cooking without breaking it down. The healthiest type is extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO). It can help lower your blood pressure and fight inflammation.

Olive oil actually has a relatively high smoke point and is a safe, reliable option for frying. On top of that, it is one of the healthiest cooking staples around. Olive oil has been named “the healthiest fat on Earth,” in part because of its unique ability to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Both are versatile oils with a mild flavor, high smoke point, and budget-friendly price tags. They can be used interchangeably for cooking whether you are frying, sautéing, or baking. However, when nutrition plays a factor, health experts advise that canola oil is the better option.

Air-frying.

Depending on the food you're air-frying, little to no oil is necessary, making this method a much healthier alternative to deep frying.