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

Is there anything better than fried foods? From beer-battered fish to a basket of French fries, it's hard to beat something crispy and golden fresh from the fryer. But if you're planning to whip up Ree Drummond's chicken fried steak anytime soon, you may be wondering—what's the best oil for frying? The truth is that it depends on what you're frying and how you're frying it. If you're not sure which oil to pick, keep reading. We've rounded up everything you need to know about the best oil for frying.

You can find numerous types of oil on supermarket shelves. You'll always spot neutral oils like canola and vegetable and flavorful oils such as extra-virgin olive oil, but these days, specialty oils are easy to find too. From grapeseed and coconut oils to avocado and sunflower oils, there's plenty to choose from! But knowing which of these is best for frying comes down to two major factors: flavor and smoke point. Smoke point refers to the point at which an oil burns. That means, if you're frying chicken at 365 degrees, you'll need to use an oil that surpasses that smoke point. Take a look at the oils below before you fry up your next batch.

Peanut oil is similar to vegetable oil in that it is great for a lot of different uses and has a high smoke point of about 450 degrees. Peanut oil is a particularly popular choice for deep-frying. If you're making a deep-fried dish that calls for vegetable oil and you're running low, peanut oil would be a great substitute.

Corn oil is a kind of vegetable oil—and it has a high smoke point like most other vegetable oils (around 450 degrees). It's good for deep-frying or shallow-frying in a skillet. Additionally, corn oil is inexpensive and is a relatively neutral-flavored oil, so it doesn't impart flavor to dishes in the same way olive oil would.

Chances are you probably have a bottle of olive oil at home right now. Olive oil is a great go-to oil for most shallow-frying needs. It has a lower smoke point than some of the other oils (around 375 degrees) so it's better suited for things like sautéing vegetables or pan-frying thin cuts of meat. Keep in mind that it's not neutral-tasting—it will add some flavor to your dishes.

Coconut oil is a good option for sautéing vegetables and even light pan-frying. It's not ideal for deep-frying though: Coconut oil has a smoke point of 350 to 400 degrees. Keep in mind that refined coconut oil generally has a higher smoke point than unrefined coconut oil.