Answer:
Yes, according to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, modern scientific research, and the phenolic properties of olive oil—especially high-phenolic—olive oil is safe for deep fat frying, as also supported by the ancient Mediterranean diet.
Although oils that are normally refined like peanut, canola, and sunflower [1] may appear more practical for high-temperature frying due to their higher smoke points (see USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service charts below), such extreme temperatures are generally unnecessary for thorough cooking. Plus, refined oils lack the significant health benefits of non-refined olive oil.
While the refinement process enhances heat stability, allowing these more economical oils to withstand higher temperatures initially, they are more susceptible to oxidation over time. After repeated or prolonged exposure to high heat, refined oils can degrade, forming potentially harmful compounds such as trans fats. This makes them less desirable from a health perspective, especially compared to high-phenolic EVOO, despite their practicality—cost-effectiveness, bland flavor, heat stability—for high-temperature frying.
From the USDA: "What kind of oil is recommended? All oils have a "smoke point" at a specific temperature. At the "smoke point," the oil begins to break down and can have a foul odor or taste. The following oils have a high "smoke point" and are recommended to use for deep frying: olive, peanut, canola, corn, grape seed, safflower, sunflower, and vegetable. Each kind of oil has a unique taste and nutrient makeup but all are safe to use for deep-frying." [2]
Quite an endorsement with olive oil being mentioned first. But let’s take a closer look at deep frying with olive oil and more specifically, with high-phenolic extra virgin olive oil which is in a class all its own compared to simple olive oil.
What Exactly is Deep Frying—or More Specifically, Deep Fat Frying?
“Deep fat frying is a cooking method that can be used to cook foods such as fried chicken, French fries, and potato chips. The process involves submerging a food in extremely hot oil until it reaches a safe minimum internal temperature. When the food is deep-fried properly, it will be hot and crispy on the outside and cooked safely in the center. Deep frying is very fast and, when performed properly, destroys bacteria.” [3]
A Short History of Deep Fat Frying
Deep frying of food has a long and winding history that began thousands of years ago. This cooking technique likely originated in the ancient Middle East. In early Mesopotamia, around 2500 BC, people were already using oils and animal fats to cook their food, laying the foundation for what would become deep frying.
However, it was in the Mediterranean, especially among the Greeks and Romans, that the technique took hold in its recognizable form. The ancient Greeks were known for frying small fish in olive oil, an ingredient abundant in the region and crucial to the method. They discovered that this approach produced a delicious, golden crust while sealing in the flavors of the fish—a method still used today.
The Romans, not to be outdone, employed olive oil to fry dough-based treats, which served as precursors to fritters or even modern doughnuts. In both cultures, frying food in olive oil was something special, allowing them to enjoy the richness of flavors that this oil brought to their dishes.
Fast forward to the 20th century, which marked the peak of deep frying, with fast food chains and commercial deep fryers making fried foods accessible to everyone. While deep frying has faced health concerns in recent years, it continues to evolve, as chefs and home cooks alike experiment with healthier oils—returning to the ancient roots of frying by using olive oil—and creative techniques such as air fryers. This evolution preserves deep frying as both a culinary tradition and a tasty way to prepare food.
How to Deep Fry: Safety First
In the USDA’s words, the key to deep fat frying is that it must be "performed properly."
Deep frying has inherent dangers that must be respected, as my uncle learned the hard way while working at a “fast food joint” to put himself through university in the 1950s. One day, water and extremely hot oil mixed, resulting in a severe scalding that left lasting scars on him—and served as a powerful reminder to our whole family of just how dangerous deep fat frying can be. If you are using a deep frying unit at home please read the instructions found on the USDA site. Deep frying is a delicious way to make food fit for human consumption but it does require care as the oil reaches such high temperatures. And that brings us back to the reason why olive oil is a good option when deep frying.
The following charts from the USDA point out the type of oils that can be used and their smoke points, safe minimum internal temperatures needed to cook various foods, and the time needed to do so properly at the correct external temperature.
Type of Oil | Approximate Smoke Point |
Peanut, Safflower, Soybean | 450 °F |
Grapeseed | 445 °F |
Canola | 435 °F |
"Enova" Brand | 420 °F |
Corn, Olive, Sesame Seed, Sunflower | 410 °F |
Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures
Check for these internal temperatures with a thermometer.* | |
Food | Internal Temperature |
Poultry | 165 °F |
Fish and Shellfish | 145 °F |
Approximate Cooking Times
Food | Cooking Time | Oil Temperature |
Chicken Pieces | 13 - 20 minutes | 375 °F |
Chicken Fingers | 6 - 8 minutes | 350 °F |
Turkey | 3 to 5 minutes per pound | 375 °F |
Fish Fillets | 3 - 5 minutes | 320 °F |
Shrimp | 4 - 6 minutes | 320 °F |
Deep Fried Chicken
Let's take as an example everybody's favorite Deep Fried Chicken: To ensure the interior of chicken reaches a safe 165°F interior heat during deep frying, the oil typically needs to be heated to somewhere between 325°F and 375°F. This temperature range is key: it allows the meat to cook quickly and evenly, giving it a crisp, golden crust while keeping it from becoming greasy. If the oil drops below 325°F, you run the risk of undercooking the interior and ending up with a soggy coating; go above 375°F, and you’re likely to burn the outside before the inside has had time to reach 165°F.
The ideal temperature for deep frying chicken falls between 325°F and 350°F, a sweet spot that achieves the right balance for perfectly cooked, juicy chicken. Again, this range is important because it allows the chicken to cook evenly: the outer crust develops a golden, crispy finish, while the heat gradually moves inward, cooking the meat all the way through at the safe temperature of 165°F. For larger pieces like drumsticks or bone-in cuts, sticking closer to 325°F is often the better choice. It allows heat to penetrate without over-browning, ensuring that the chicken stays moist inside, with every bite just as flavorful as it should be.
Keeping an eye on the oil temperature with a thermometer and double-checking the internal temperature of the meat is the best way to ensure that each piece is cooked perfectly—safe, flavorful, and just right. Note: “Do not test the internal temperature of the food while it is submerged in the hot oil; this will lead to an inaccurate temperature reading” [5] plus it is dangerous.
What are some of the health concerns associated with deep frying, and how can they be mitigated?
Health concerns related to deep frying include the formation of harmful compounds, such as trans fats, and the use of oils that can oxidize and create free radicals. To mitigate these concerns, cooks can use high-phenolic extra virgin olive oil, maintain proper frying temperatures to reduce cooking time, and limit the reuse of frying oils.
While high-phenolic extra virgin olive oil is a good choice for deep fat frying, it’s important to remember that a diet high in fried foods isn’t the healthiest, regardless of the oil used. Regularly consuming fried foods has been associated with a range of health concerns, including weight gain, increased cholesterol, high blood pressure, a higher risk of heart disease and an increased risk of certain cancers. The best approach is balance: enjoying fried foods occasionally can be part of a healthy diet, but prioritizing other cooking methods—like baking, steaming, boiling, etc.—supports overall health.
The Bottom Line: Is Olive Oil Safe for Deep Fat Frying?
As shown above in the official charts from the USDA, the typical temperatures for deep frying fall below the smoke point of regular olive oil. Even if this smoke point is approached—something that should not happen if the food is to be cooked perfectly—the high phenolic content in unrefined EVOO helps protect both the oil and the food being cooked by reducing oxidation and breakdown. This makes high-phenolic EVOO, even more than just regular extra virgin olive oil, a safe and healthy choice for deep frying when used within its temperature range.
Modern science meets head-on Ancient Mediterranean practices
Once again modern science is proving how the ancient Mediterranean Diet, with olive oil being its key component, protects the food it is cooking and hence the people who consume it.
So, ask the question again...
Question: “Is olive oil safe for deep frying?”
Answer: According to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, modern scientific studies, and insights from the ancient Mediterranean diet, olive oil is indeed safe for deep frying—as long as proper precautions are taken.
For an even healthier option, consider using high-phenolic extra virgin olive oil, which offers greater health benefits than standard extra virgin olive oil or just olive oil. The higher phenolic content in high-phenolic EVOO provides additional stability and antioxidant protection during cooking, helping to maintain the oil's integrity even if the smoke point is reached—but with proper frying techniques that avoid excessively high temperatures, this shouldn't be necessary.
But as mentioned before, from an overall health standpoint, it’s advisable to vary cooking methods and not rely solely on deep frying for preparing your food.
Now if you question whether sautéing your food with high-phenolic olive oil is a good idea, See
Is Olive Oil Safe for Sautéing? Hint: It is a fine option.
Current Selection of High-Phenolic EVOOs from PJ Kabos
(January 2025)
PJ Kabos Family Reserve Organic—"Phenolic Shot" is an award-winning extra virgin olive oil that is extremely high in polyphenols, possibly the highest phenolic content available in a true Extra Virgin Olive Oil today. Its intense bitterness and pungency clearly reflect the activity of these polyphenols.
(Black Bottle)
PJ KABOS Family Reserve Organic - Robust, is an award-winning extra virgin olive oil that is very high in polyphenols and adds depth, character and great health benefits to every meal.
(White Bottle)
PJ KABOS Family Reserve Organic - Medium, is an award-winning extra virgin olive oil that is high in polyphenols and adds a lovely taste and great health benefits to every meal.
(White Tin)
PJ KABOS Family Reserve - Medium, is an extra virgin olive oil in an easy-to-store tin that is high in polyphenols and adds a lovely taste and great health benefits to every meal.
Please enjoy having a look around our websites, pjkabos.com and oliveoil.com, as well as our Amazon Store for more about our many high-phenolic olive oils, recipes, history, etc. And follow along with us on Instagram for photos concerning olive oil production, our groves in Greece, articles about olive oil, family history and more.
PJ Kabos High-Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil: For those who want to be good to their bodies.
*But for safety reasons, only check when not frying.
[1] Peanut, canola, and sunflower oils are typically sold in refined forms, which makes them more stable at high temperatures for frying. While unrefined versions do exist, they are less common for high-heat cooking. While olive oil is often available in both refined and unrefined forms, extra virgin olive oil, the unrefined version, is typically the most popular and widely used, especially for its flavor and health benefits and it is the high-quality unrefined EVOO that is the subject of this paper.
[2] USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service U.S. Department of Agriculture. “Deep Fat Frying and Food Safety.” Retrieved November 3, 2024, from https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/deep-fat-frying
[3] ibid.
[4] ibid.
[5] ibid.
Please note: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional for personalized guidance regarding your health and medical conditions.
Comments