The Best (And Worst) Oils To Use For Homemade Fried Pickles

Have you ever told someone that you don't like a certain food, and they responded by saying, "Nah, you just haven't had a good one yet?" When it comes to fried pickles, this sentiment is actually true; when done right, they're absolutely delicious. But if the texture and flavor are off, it's very easy to dislike them. Frying the pickles depends less on the breading (though it is certainly not negligible) and much more on the choice and temperature of the oil. To figure out the best and worst oils for fried pickles, we chatted with chef David Jutras and Erin Colombi, the Sr. VP of operations of Fat Patty's, a restaurant with locations in West Virginia, Kentucky, and another coming soon in New Jersey.

"You'll want to use an oil with a high smoke point and neutral flavor," they advised. Smoke point is the temperature at which the oil begins to burn, which unfavorably changes the taste of any food you're attempting to fry. The higher the smoke point of an oil, the higher your frying temperature can be — and hot oil is key for crispy fried pickles. Knowing these temperature ceilings for all individual oils can get quite complicated, so Colombi and Jutras highlighted the four main oils that you can safely use to fry pickles: peanut oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, and refined avocado oil. Meanwhile, the worst options are Grapeseed oil, sesame oil, and sunflower oil.

"Peanut oil is excellent for frying," Colombi and Jutras pointed out, citing its 450 degrees Fahrenheit smoke point. They also recommend it because it has "a neutral flavor, which won't overpower the taste of the pickles." You definitely want the pickles to retain their tanginess without getting lost in an oil with a dominant flavor. "Canola oil is another great option," the pair told us. One benefit they highlighted is the 400 degrees Fahrenheit smoke point. "It's also widely available and affordable."

Vegetable oil is a common pantry staple, and you'll be happy to hear that it's great for frying pickles. "It's versatile and works well for various frying applications," said Colombi and Jutras. We used this oil in our own fried pickle chips recipe and can agree that its neutral taste is what makes vegetable oil great for frying all sorts of things, giving you the option to use it for other recipes as well.

Finally, there's the oil with the highest smoke point of them all. "Refined avocado oil has a high smoke point of around 500 [degrees Fahrenheit], making it suitable for high-temperature frying without breaking down," they told us. Another thing they pointed out is that avocado oil has a mild flavor that isn't strong enough to alter how the pickles taste, which is exactly what we're looking for. 

Grapeseed oil, sesame oil, and sunflower oil should be avoided when frying pickles, according to Colombi and Jutras. "Grapeseed oil has a relatively low smoke point and can break down at high temperatures, making it unsuitable for deep frying," they told us. Although there are many recipes you can make with grapeseed oil, it's better to leave it in your pantry when it's fried-pickles time. The same goes for sesame oil — it's characterized by "a strong flavor and a low smoke point, which can result in burnt and bitter-tasting fried pickles," Colombi and Jutras explained.

The final oil to avoid is sunflower oil, which is usually a popular choice in practice, mainly due to the low price tag. So what makes it disagreeable with fried pickles? "While it has a moderate smoke point, sunflower oil can become unstable at high temperatures, leading to off-flavors and potential health concerns," Colombi and Jutras said. Sunflower oil can even start releasing toxins when it reaches higher temperatures, especially if you're reusing it.