Best Oils For Frying Chicken: Tested & Reviewed By A Chef

The best oil for frying chicken should be able to fry at high smoke points, such as avocado oil and vegetable oil. You could use sunflower oil, or high-oleic sunflower oil.

Learn more about why these are the best oils for frying chicken. Discover the one that is best for your taste and cooking skills.

My personal favorite is BetterBody Foods Pure Avocado Oil, hands down, every time!

Here are the best oils for frying chicken that I have tested and  recommend:

Read on to view the in-depth review of each oil, the pros, and what makes each the best choice to use when frying chicken:

1. BetterBody Foods Pure Avocado Oil

BetterBody Pure Avocado Oil from Foods is not for people seeking an flavorless cooking oil. Avocado oil is known for the slightly nutty flavor it imparts to the fried chicken.

Avocado oil is perfect for deep-frying and pan-frying chicken because of its smoke point.

Another factor that distinguishes this oil is that it’s organically refined. This refinement process does not happen using chemical processes but rather mechanical methods.

BetterBody Foods avocado oil also has long shelf life.

What makes BetterBody Foods Pure Avocado Oil the best choice:

• It’s gluten-free.
• There are no GMOs present in the oil.
• The taste enhances the flavor of the resulting cooked chicken.
• You can use it not only for frying but also sauteing vegetables, salad dressings, and more.

What Temperature Does It Start To Smoke? It has a high smoking point of 500 degrees F.

Advantages of BetterBody Foods Pure Avocado Oil:

• Due to its high smoke point, avocado oil is thought to be among the most secure oils for cooking and cooking at high temperatures specifically.
• Another advantage of avocado oil is its greater than 50 percent monounsaturated fats. 
• Monounsaturated oils, unlike polyunsaturated fats, do not interact with oxygen after exposure to high temperatures. This is the reason other oils could be a health hazard if used when deep-frying.

2. Crisco Pure Vegetable Oil

Vegetable oil is an excellent alternative for those with an electric  deep-fryer. The temperature of a deep-fryer for frying chicken can go up to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

You won't be able to reach vegetable oil's smoke point of 450 degrees F in a deep fryer, so simply frying in a batch of oil will ensure a crispy, delicious outer coat.

This oil is an excellent option for those looking for a mild flavored oil.

When you fry chicken in vegetable oil, I’d consider putting spices on the chicken or the butter, whichever you prefer, and the outcome of the flavor will be fresh and super tasty!

Ensure that the vegetable oil is hot enough to cook crispy chicken that isn’t greasy. If the oil temperature is sufficiently high, your chicken wings and thighs won’t soak up the majority of it.

Here’s why you should try the Crisco Pure Vegetable Oil when frying chicken:

• It’s mild-tasting.
• It is ideal for deep-frying as well as other cooking needs.

What Temperature Does It Start To Smoke? Around 350 degrees F, but vegetable oil can be heated right up to 450 degrees F before reaching its smoke point.

Advantages of Crisco Pure Vegetable Oil:

• While vegetable oils aren’t the healthiest for deep-frying, there are many reasons people prefer this in place of other oils.
• Vegetable oil is great for cost-saving. If fried chicken is a popular dish with the whole family because it is budget-friendly.
• It's bland taste is perfect for a delicious, flavorless coating.

3. LouAna Peanut Oil

LouAna peanut oil comes from 100% natural peanut oil.

It is ideal for deep-frying turkey, chicken, or fish because of its extremely high smoke point.

In contrast to other oils, like canola and soybean oil, peanut oil has a beautiful aroma when frying. 

Peanut oil has a mild, nutty taste which many people like.

Here’s why you should try the LouAna Peanut Oil when frying chicken:

• It has no trans fats.
• It is 100% pure, with no additives.
• Its high smoke points make it ideal to deep-fry chicken.

What Temperature Does It Start To Smoke? Similar to vegetable oil, it can reach 450 degrees F before starting to smoke.

Advantages of LouAna Peanut Oil:

• Peanut oil is one of the cheapest oils, which is is something to consider if using it regularly for deep-frying, therefore, your wallet will not be groaning.
• To deep-fry chicken, you require lots of oil, however, peanut oil can be reused, but only a couple of times. 
• The cooked food has a very mild, yet pleasant taste.
• Flavor transfer happens when the flavors of the cooked food stay in the oil, transferring them to other foods you fry after. With peanut oil, you could fry chicken, French fries and onion rings in one pot of oil, saving you the cost and bother of changing the oil.

4. Native Harvest Sunflower Oil

The Native Harvest sunflower oil is a great alternative for those searching for a mild-tasting oil.

The Native Harvest sunflower oil is expeller-pressed. That means no chemical solvents are used its production and the oil is extracted through the expeller press.

This method can also increase the number of oleic sunflower oils produced. This is an additional reason to choose this method over solvent-expelled sunflower oil.

Due to this production process, this brand of sunflower oil is healthier but slightly more expensive option. The Happy Belly expeller pressed sunflower oil is lower in fats. 

Here’s why you should try Native Harvest Sunflower Oil when frying chicken:

• Free of GMOs and 100% naturally derived.
• It is a rich source of monounsaturated fats that make it ideal for cooking with high heat.
• It’s subtle flavor that will not affect the taste of your food.

What Temperature Does It Start To Smoke? Thanks to the high level of fats it takes this oil reach high temperatures of 475 – 520 degrees F before starting to smoke.

Advantages of Native Harvest Sunflower Oil:

• Zero added flavor. 
• High smoke point of 475 degree F. therefore effective without burning.
• This Native Harvest Sunflower Oil, with a  smoking point, is one of the top oils for frying chicken and another of my favorites.

5. Chosen Foods Organic Blended Oil

If you’re looking for a distinctive oil for cooking chicken and other poultry, then Chosen Foods Organic Blended Oil will be ideal for your pantry.

The blended oil comprises organic safflower oil, organic avocado oil and organic coconut oi--three ingredients ideal for cooking at high temperatures. You won't be disappointed with the result when frying in Chosen Foods Blend Oil.

Here’s why you should try Chosen Foods Organic Blended Oil when frying chicken:

• The flavor is mild and subtle.
• It is packed with healthy fats with omega-9 fatty acids.
• There are no chemically modified ingredients and no artificial preservatives.

What Temperature Does It Start To Smoke? 490 degrees F

Advantages of Chosen Foods Organic Blended Oil:

• It's ideal for high-temperature cooking, as all of the oils included in this blend have high smoking points.
• The combination of the three ingredients makes the result all the more delicious.
• As we’ve mentioned before, avocado oil is rich in monounsaturated fats. 
• Coconut oil is healthier because more than 90 percent of the fats are saturated. This means that it won’t create harmful elements when exposed to extreme temperatures.
• Last but not least, the Safflower oil used in this blend is an excellent complement to the chicken. 

6. Oleico – High Oleic Safflower Oil

Choose Oleic Safflower for a non-toxic oil to fry your chicken in.

It is Oleic Safflower Oil expeller-pressed. This makes it more nutritious than other vegetable oils not produced by this method.

Due to this method of squeezing oil from the safflower seeds, this oil is rich in good fats.

Here’s why you should try Oleico Safflower Oil when frying chicken:

• It contains more than 75% monounsaturated fats, making the oil extremely stable and ideal for cooking at high temperatures.
• There are no GMOs.
• It’s pretty tasteless and doesn’t smell.
• Safflower oil is rich in vitamin E.
• It’s versatile; use it in your baking or in vinaigrettes.

What Temperature Does It Start To Smoke? 450 degrees F

Advantages of High Oleic Safflower Oil:

• High Oleic Safflower Oil is an excellent option to use instead of oils that have been subjected to hydrogenation.
• In contrast to expeller, pressed oils are rich in trans fats hydrogenated oils.
• The Oleic Safflower Oil, made without the use of chemicals, has no trans fat.
• Another benefit of High-Oleic Safflower Oil is its long shelf time. Therefore, if you do not fry chicken often, this might be the right one for you. It can be stored for longer than most other oils.

7. Mazola Pure Corn Oil

Mazola Pure Corn Oil is corn oil that is suitable for both deep-frying and stir-frying.

It is among the most frequently used oils for deep frying due to its cooking characteristics at high temperatures.

Although the temperature recommended for Mazola Pure Corn Oil should be 350 degrees F, however, the smoking point is much higher. Therefore, the odds that you’ll burn it are extremely low.

The ability of this particular oil to reach the highest temperatures makes your chicken crispy and light.

Here’s why you should try Mazola Kernel Oil when frying chicken:

• It’s cholesterol-free.
• There are zero grams of fat per serving of this oil.
• It is pure and has no added ingredients.

What Temperature Does It Start To Smoke? 450 degrees F

Advantages of Mazola Kernel Oil:

• Apart from having a very high smoke point, corn oil is an extremely popular choice for many because of its mild, buttery flavor. 
• Although corn oil isn’t one of the top choices for cooking, it does contain vitamin E, which can slow down the process of oxidation, which happens when corn oil has been heated for an extended duration. 
• Corn oil can be also used to bake cakes, salad dressings, and many other products.

How To Choose The Right Oil For Frying Chicken

There’s a wide variety of oils, and it can be difficult to pick the best oil that suits your needs.

If you’re looking for an excellent oil for cooking chicken, used for pan or deep frying, here’s the information you need to consider.

Smoke Point

Every oil has a smoking point. Once a specific temperature is attained, the oil begins smoking and burning. The result is burnt oil that does not have a pleasant odor.

Flavor

FAQs

What is the healthiest oil to fry chicken in?

Olive oil and avocado oil are good choices for frying anything but are the best oils for frying chicken because of the after taste, flavor, and smoke point. Peanut and palm oils are not ideal, either for health or environmental reasons.

Can you reuse frying oil after frying chicken?

Yes, you can reuse cooking oil after frying chicken. Once you let the oil cool, skim off any large pieces of remaining food or fried batter. Then start to drain the cooled oil from the fryer or pan and strain the used cooking oil to store it in a resealable container for later use.

Alternatively, you can strain the oil into a container, then put it back in the pan and keep it in the oven. Make sure you don’t switch on the oven while the container is inside.

How many times can you use the same oil to fry chicken?

You can reuse most oils three to four times, depending on what way the chicken is prepared for frying. Cleaner-frying items such as French fries, you will be able to reuse oil up to eight times and likely far longer, especially if you’re replenishing it with more fresh oil.

Is canola or vegetable oil better for frying chicken?

Canola oil is better for frying chicken as it has a high smoke point and a neutral flavor. Besides cooking benefits, it has high omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, making it a great, healthy option.