What is the Best Oil for Deep Frying? Top Picks & Expert Reviews

Deep frying is one of the easiest, fastest and tastiest ways of cooking. Cult-favorite foods like French fries, donuts and onion rings all hail from the deep fryer in their crispy, delicious glory. When deep-frying, one of the most important things to decide is which oil to use. There are several factors to consider when selecting an oil, including smoke point, flavor, cost and allergens. While several oils work well for deep frying, there is one that is superior when all the factors are considered.

Canola Oil: The Best Oil for Deep Frying

The most important aspect of frying oil is the smoke point. The smoke point is the temperature at which a fat begins to smoke, break down and become bitter and acrid.

Since deep frying is a high heat method of cooking, usually occurring at temperatures of 300 to 375(150 to 190), the oil must be able to withstand high heats. Some fats such as butter and olive oil are great for sauting or searing, but they begin to break down around 300F (150), meaning they would produce bitter, off-flavors if used for deep frying. Canola oil has a smoke point of around 400(200), making it ideal for deep frying.

Canola Oil has a Neutral Flavor

Canola oil isn't the only oil that has a high smoke point. Other oils like avocado, coconut and sesame also have high smoke points that would work well for deep frying. However, all those oils have distinct flavors that could impart their taste into the food. Depending on what is being fried, those tastes may not be desirable.

Canola oil has essentially no flavor of its own, meaning that whatever you fry in it will maintain its own natural flavor.

Canola Oil is Cheap and Easily Accessible

Of all the oils and fats that are used for cooking, canola is one of the cheapest and easiest to find. Deep frying requires a lot of oil, so it's important that your frying oil isn't too expensive. A gallon of canola oil could cost as little as five dollars. Other oils with a high smoke point and neutral flavor, such as grapeseed, could be more than five times as expensive as canola oil.

Canola Oil is Allergen Free and Vegan

Food allergies are incredibly serious and are a growing issue across the world. Oils like peanut and soybean are very effective for deep frying but contain common allergens that could be extremely dangerous to the many people who are allergic to peanuts and soy.

Lard is another fat that is excellent for deep frying but because it comes from rendered animal fat, it isn't suitable for frying vegan or vegetarian foods. Luckily, canola oil is free of any common allergens and is derived from plants, making it vegan and vegetarian friendly.