The Best Oil Temperature For Perfectly Crispy Churros

Whether you've had them from a local street vendor, a Disney cart, the Costco food court, or made them at home, you've likely tried the cinnamon sugar delight that is churros. The deep-fried delicacy has roots in Spain, but has certainly made waves in the United States. Store-bought churros are marked by their soft inside and crunchy outside, but how do you achieve this at home? First, make sure your oil is the correct temperature when frying.

Churros can be made with less than 10 ingredients: water, salt, butter, sugar, vanilla extract, flour, egg, vegetable oil, and cinnamon. While you can certainly tweak the quality and quantities of these ingredients, the temperature of your oil is going to be the most important factor for perfect churros. The ideal temperature seems to be somewhere between 350 and 370 degrees Fahrenheit, and many recipes follow this, as this will give you the perfect ratio of soft and crunchy. If you go much higher than this, your churros will cook unevenly, giving you a hard exterior and a raw interior; if you go much lower than this, the dough will take longer to cook and come out much greasier. Because the temperature will change each time you add fresh dough, be sure to adjust and maintain a temperature in the optimal range before each batch.

To make sure the frying process goes as smoothly as possible, invest in a candy thermometer (or another oil-safe thermometer) to ensure the perfect oil temperature every step of the way. Remember to check before and after each batch you fry. Another tip when it comes to the oil is that, while you can follow a recipe's recommended time, there really doesn't seem to be a tried-and-true time for how long to cook churros. Generally, the time seems to be anywhere from two to eight minutes. With this large of a range, it's better to use your best judgment and cook them until they're "golden brown" instead of just following a set time.

Once the churros have fried, be sure to let them drain on a paper towel (for about 15 seconds) before adding the cinnamon sugar. This allows you to avoid clumping, but still have the mixture stick. Once you've done this, you'll have a tasty treat on its own, but if you want to elevate the flavor even more, try adding a hot fudge sauce or a salted caramel sauce (or both). These flavors would both also pair well with crushed Oreos or pretzels as additions. If you like fruity tastes, try this strawberry compote as a topping (but use a fork for this one, as it can be messy). Caramel sauce would also pair well with this strawberry concoction. No matter the topping, be sure to try making churros with your newfound oil temperature knowledge.