You take a potato, fry it in different oils and it will taste different in all of them. Not all of them would taste heavenly and that is why you should know about the best oils for frying anything.
Every vegetable or dish has its own properties and when combined with the best frying oil, the flavor can be enhanced to a great level. Whether you’re generally into agriculture, culinary, or just curious about picking the right frying oil, you’re at the right place.
5 Best Oils for Frying Everyone Should Have
Many youngsters and adults who just move out of their parent’s house and go for grocery shopping first-time end up picking up wrong cooking hand tools and oil when they get tired of ordering food.
To help you pick the best oils for frying, we have curated this list! So make little notes from here and tape them on your fridge for future references!
1. Vegetable Oil
It is an essential item for every kitchen. Vegetable oil can be considered an all-purpose oil for frying almost everything. You can use it in a variety of different dishes and frying methods. For example, vegetable oil can be used to fry breaded chicken, fries, and a lot more.
The vegetable oil has a high smoke point, meaning that it can withstand the temperature from 400 degrees Fahrenheit to 450 degrees Fahrenheit before it starts to burn.
It doesn’t alter the flavor of the ingredients and gives you the natural flavor you expect.
2. Olive Oil
The best go-to oil for shallow frying or pan-frying. If you are looking forward to sautéing some vegetables or pan-frying thin meat cuts then olive oil can be a good choice.
However, there are two things you must consider.
- Olive oil has a low smoke point, around 375 degrees Fahrenheit. So it is not a good choice for deep frying stuff or prolonged burning as it will start to burn out.
- It does not taste neutral. Olive oil has an exotic taste that can add a touch to your food. So be careful because if you choose to shallow fry the wrong things in the olive oil, you may not like the taste. Anyhow, used cleverly, you can take your recipes to a new level with the use of olive oil.
3. Peanut Oil
For deep-frying, peanut oil is essential. It is one of the best oils for frying fish or other deep frying recipes.
Peanut oil is a great substitute for vegetable oil as well. It has a high smoke point of 450 degrees Fahrenheit and doesn’t burn quickly. You can deep fry almost anything in peanut oil without altering the taste much.
A hack, for buttery French fries, use peanut oil, you’ll never see them the same way ever again.
4. Corn Oil
Being another great type of vegetable oil, corn oil is an excellent multipurpose frying oil choice.
Just like other vegetable oils, the high smoke point of 450 degrees Fahrenheit makes corn oil very helpful in deep frying. However, you can also use it for shallow frying in a skillet as well. The plus point is that corn oil tastes pretty neutral. So you can use it in a variety of dishes without worrying about altering the taste.
5. Coconut Oil
For sautéing vegetables and light pan-frying, coconut oil is a good choice.
It has a low smoke point of around 350 degrees Fahrenheit to 400 degrees Fahrenheit which doesn’t make it a good fit for deep-frying. However, there are two different types of coconut oils, refined and unrefined.
The refined coconut oil has a higher smoke point compared to unrefined coconut oil. So consider this too while buying the best oils for frying.
Some Oils Aren’t Just Good for Frying
Not all oils are for frying. The easiest way to figure out if some oil is good for frying is just to know its smoke point.
For example, extra virgin olive oil has I smoke point of 325 degrees Fahrenheit, Coconut oil has a smoke point of 350 degrees Fahrenheit and the Flaxseed oil has 220 degrees Fahrenheit. These oils and some other and refined oils are not suitable for frying at all and you should avoid them.
On the other hand, these oils can be pricey and can be used for some special touches such as salad dressing and dipping.
So now you know all about the best oils for frying, you can avoid a lot of kitchen trouble easily!