Whether it’s fish and chips on a Friday night, chicken wings for game day, or freshly prepared churros coated with cinnamon sugar, deep-fried food is difficult to match when it’s cooked well. You can’t go wrong with any of these dishes. It is not simply the recipe that is the key to success; it is also the temperature that is just perfect. If the temperature is too low, the meal will absorb extra oil and get greasy. The exterior will burn before the interior is cooked if the temperature is too high.
Frymax provides specific instructions for achieving consistently crisp, golden results in the kitchen, whether you are cooking at home or in a professional kitchen. The instructions explain the ideal oil temperature for deep frying, the cooking durations for popular meals, how to detect when your oil is ready, and more.
What is the ideal temperature for deep frying?
The ideal deep frying temperature for most foods falls between 175°C and 190°C, although some ingredients benefit from lower temperatures during the first stage of cooking.
Keeping the oil at the right frying temperature means the food will cook evenly, get a crispy outer layer and absorb less oil. When you add food, the oil will naturally cool, so don’t overcrowd the fryer and allow the oil to recover between batches.
Different foods need slightly different temperatures, depending on their size, moisture content and cooking time. For example, a battered fish recipe requires a higher temperature to crisp up the batter, and chips should be fried in two stages.
Deep frying temperature chart and cooking time guide for different foods
Of course, French fries are one of the most popular types of deep-fried foods, but they need a slightly different cooking method to create that crunchy, golden-brown perfection.
How to deep-fry French fries
If you’re looking for the best temperature to deep fry chips, a two-stage method produces the fluffiest interior and crispiest finish. First, to cook the french fries, it’s best to heat your oil or fat to 160°C, then add in your potato chips. They should cook for 3-4 minutes at this temperature, and then you can increase it to 180°С for a further 3-4 minutes.
What Temperature Do You Deep Fry Fish?
If you have ever wondered what temperature you deep-fry fish at, the perfect range is generally the same as chicken frying temperature, around 175°C to 180°C, depending on the thickness of the fillet and the batter you are using.
The recommended temperature for deep frying fish is hot enough to crisp the batter without drying out the fish inside. Most cod, haddock and pollock fillets will take about 3 to 6 minutes to cook. Thicker portions may take a little longer.
A good choice is a firm white fish, which will hold together during cooking. Drying the fish before you batter it will help the batter to cling and crisp up. If you are serving fish with chips, a separate fryer for seafood prevents flavours from contaminating other foods.
How do you know when the oil is hot enough?
The temperature of frying oil should be correct. If the oil is not hot enough, the food will absorb excess oil and will be greasy. If too hot, the outside browns before the centre is cooked through. Here are three simple ways to know when your fryer is ready:
- The only surefire way is with a cooking thermometer. You can monitor the oil temp for frying as you cook and make slight adjustments as needed with a thermometer.
- Try the bread test; place a small cube of bread in the oil. If it browns in about 30 seconds, the oil is around 160°C. 15 seconds approximately means around 180°C.
- Use a wooden spoon, and place the handle gently in the oil. If a constant stream of tiny bubbles forms around the wood, the oil has reached cooking temperature. Too much bubbling or smoking, and it is too hot.
See our article on how to tell when oil is ready to fry for further instructions.
What is the best oil or fat for deep frying?
The right oil choice is as important as the right frying oil temperature. Oils with a high smoke point are stable at the temperatures required for deep frying, helping to cook food evenly and cutting down on the risk of burnt flavours or premature oil breakdown. Popular choices are palm oil, refined peanut oil and rapeseed (canola) oil, as they perform well at higher temperatures.
It’s important to understand an oil’s smoke point, as once oil starts to smoke, it starts to deteriorate, affecting flavour, quality and cooking performance. Read more in our guide: What is an oil’s smoke point in cooking?
Why Frymax is an Excellent Choice
Frymax is made with fully refined, sustainably sourced palm oil, making it an excellent choice for professional fryers and home cooks. Its naturally high smoke point allows it to comfortably handle the oil frying temperature (Celsius) required for deep frying, while its neutral flavour lets the taste of your food take centre stage. Frymax contains no hydrogenated oils, additives, allergens or GM ingredients, and it can be used for a wide range of menus.
Frymax is not like many cooking oils. It has excellent stability to repeated frying and will help maintain consistent cooking performance as well as extend oil life if properly filtered and maintained. It is also made from 100% segregated, RSPO-certified sustainable palm kernel oil.
If you want to know the difference between palm oil and palm kernel oil, read our guide on palm oil vs palm kernel oil: what’s the difference. You can also learn more about the best oils for deep frying or about vegan sustainable palm oil.
Can I reuse oil?
High-quality deep-frying oil can be reused, but there are a few good rules you should follow. First, let the oil cool to room temperature. Then, strain/filter it to remove any food crumbs (as these will burn and affect the oil flavour when you reheat it). You can use a clean coffee filter, a muslin cloth, or a fine-mesh sieve to do this. Finally, store the filtered oil in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Stop reusing the oil if it shows signs of deterioration, like visible foam on the surface, smoking when reaching your target heat, darkening or dirty oil, and a distinctive smell.
When it’s time to dispose of the oil, don’t pour it down the drain, as this causes blockages. Instead, let it cool and then place it in a sealed container in your general waste bin or, preferably, dispose of it via a used oil collection company.
Can I mix cooking oils?
You can mix cooking oils for frying, but remember that this can impact the smoke point of the mixture as well as the flavour and aroma of your food. We recommend that you find an oil you like and stick to that for the most consistent results.
Can I deep-fry different foods in the same oil?
Yes, you can, but there are a few things to keep in mind. For example, if you cook fish in the oil and follow with chips or vegetables, they will likely have a fishy taste. Also, if you cook chicken strips in the oil and then vegetables, the vegetables won’t be suitable for people who are vegetarian or vegan. Similarly, if you cook a food that someone has an allergy to in the oil and then fry food for them, that food can cause an allergic reaction. In general, we recommend that you keep the oil you use for fish separately from the oil used for chips, vegetables, and onion rings, and that you have another separate vat for desserts like doughnuts or churros.
Should I salt food before deep-frying?
This should be avoided unless it is part of an established recipe you are following, for example, if the batter for your fish or onion rings has salt in it. This is because salt combines with the water in the food and the fat/oil you are frying in, which can impact the flavour of the food. It can also accelerate oil breakdown, making it less reusable. Ideally, salt food after frying to make your oil last.
Tips for safe deep-frying
Safety is very important when deep-frying because the high temperatures and volume of oil can cause fires and injury if you don’t follow the right procedure. Here are some tips:
- Ideally, use a purpose-built deep fat fryer with a thermostat.
- Use a wide, heavy pan or pot and don’t fill it more than 2/3 with oil.
- Have a well-fitting lid so that if it does catch fire, you can place the lid over the pot/pan and smother the flames.
- Always check the temperature of your oil so that it doesn’t get too hot; a deep-frying thermometer is a great investment.
- Avoid putting wet food into hot oil, as this will cause splattering and bubbling. Always dry off your food (with a kitchen towel) before putting it in the oil.
- Test your hot oil with one piece of food to see if it is cooking at the right temperature.
- Add your food items slowly, one at a time, to avoid spills or bubbling over.
- Don’t overcrowd your pan or pot; instead, fry in smaller batches to avoid oil splatters and uneven cooking.
- Turn handles away from the cooker to avoid bumping the pan off the hob.
- Never leave your pan or pot unattended, even while heating up.
- Keep children out of the kitchen and away from the hob.
- Invest in sturdy tongs, a wire basket, and slotted spoons with long handles so you don’t put your fingers at risk of splattering hot oil.
- If the oil starts smoking, turn off the heat, place the lid on the pan, and leave to cool.
- In the event of a fire, place the pan lid on the pan and turn off the heat, then call emergency services. You can also use a baking tray, fire blanket, or fire extinguisher.
- Never spray smoking or burning oil with water, as this will cause the flames to spread.
How to clean your deep-frying equipment
Cleaning is the least enjoyable part of cooking, but clean equipment is essential to getting the best cooking results next time you’re deep frying! Start by making sure your oil is cooled, then strain it and store it in a sealed container for future use. Now, soak your pot or pan and utensils in hot, soapy water. Give it a good scrubbing to remove food debris and grease, remembering to clean the outside as well as the inside. If it’s very greasy, you may want to run it through the dishwasher or use a degreasing product. Rinse well and leave it to dry thoroughly before you cook again.
Where to buy the best oil for deep-frying in the UK
Frymax is proud to offer a 100% RSPO certified sustainable palm oil product, helping to give restaurants, chippies, and home cooks a nutritious and ethical product that doesn’t harm the environment or communities. As a result, our palm oil is one of the most sustainable products on the market, providing you with a vegan oil, GMO-free, and an ethical source of golden, deep-fried perfection!
For more information, don’t hesitate to get in contact with the helpful Frymax team. Become a Frymax member today to gain access to exclusive content, expert frying advice and the chance to enter our fantastic competitions.
