10 Tips To Overcome Your Fear of Frying

Kakiage Tempura frying in a pan with oil

The Spruce / Cara Cormack

If you want to make something very delicious, deep-fry it. From Spanish croquetas to Japanese tempura, deep-fried foods are some of the most beloved dishes, and nearly every culture has a host of them to share.

Deep fat frying is a dry heat cooking method. It's considered dry because no water is used, unlike in poaching, microwaving, or simmering. While the process is fairly straightforward, it can feel daunting to home cooks. Deep frying tends to be smelly, messy, and can be downright dangerous. But there are some simple best practices that will make your deep frying journey smooth sailing.

  1. Choose your cooking oil carefully—Oils with high smoke points are those which do not break down at deep frying temperatures. These types of oils are best. Peanut oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, and canola oil are all good choices.
  2. Give yourself plenty of room—Choose a deep, very heavy skillet or pot to fry with. Add oil to the cold pan, leaving a headspace of at least two inches. This allows a safety margin when the oil bubbles up as the food is added. If in doubt, use a bigger pot. Bonus: the high sides block some of the oil splatters, keeping your stovetop cleaner.
  3. Make sure that the food you're going to fry is dry—Letting it sit on paper towels or coating it in flour or bread crumbs is a good way to dry it. If you have time, let the coated food sit on a wire rack for 20 to 30 minutes so the coating dries and sets.
  4. Keep an eye on the oil temperature—If you have a kitchen thermometer, use it! The best temperature is 325 to 365 F. If you don't have a thermometer, the oil is ready when a 1-inch cube of white bread dropped into the oil browns in 60 seconds; that oil temperature will be about 365 F.
  5. Don't crowd the pan!—Carefully add the food, leaving lots of space around each piece so the food will cook evenly. If you add too much food at once, the oil temperature will drop and the food will absorb fat instead of instantly forming a crust. This leads to soggy, oily fried food.
  6. Maintain the temperature—Watch the food carefully as it cooks, regulating the heat if necessary to keep that oil temperature between 325 and 365 F. When the food is browned according to the time in the recipe, it's done. Remove it with a slotted spoon or a skimmer with a long handle. Drop it onto paper towels or a cooling rack set over paper towels to drain.
  7. Keep the food hot and crispy—Fried foods can be kept warm in a 200 F oven until all the food is fried.
  8. Oil and water don't mix!—Keep water away from the hot oil. If you pour water on the oil, it will explode. If the oil smokes or catches fire, cover it with a pan lid or cookie sheet. You can use baking soda to put out any grease fires, but be careful that you don't spread the flames around.
  9. Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen, just in case—Whether you're going to be deep frying or not, a fire extinguisher is a must-have for every kitchen. Learn how to use it now, before you may need it.
  10. Know when you can (and can't) reuse oil—Oil that has reached the smoking point or that has a soapy look when frying (i.e. the bubbles start to look foamy) is no longer suitable for frying as it has started to break down. If your oil still has some life left in it, let it cool completely, then strain through a fine sieve into a clean container. Store the oil in a cool, dark place.