How switching from canola to peanut oil changed my fried chicken game completely in one month

Honestly I've been frying chicken for years using canola oil because it's cheap and everyone says it's fine. But about 6 weeks ago I ran out and grabbed a jug of peanut oil on a whim from the grocery store near my place in Austin. The first batch came out so much crisper and the crust held up even after sitting for 20 minutes. I did a side by side test with the same recipe and the peanut oil batch had way less greasy feel and a cleaner taste. My buddy who always complains about fried food being heavy actually ate 4 pieces without saying a word. The only downside is it costs about $4 more per gallon here but the difference is worth it. Has anyone else noticed a big change just from switching oil types for something like chicken or fish?

3 comments

3 Comments

riley_west1mo ago

Peanut oil worth the extra money? You said it yourself man. I switched two years back and never looked back. The higher smoke point makes a real difference too, especially if you're doing multiple batches. Just make sure you strain it through a fine mesh after you're done and you can reuse it a few times to stretch that cost out.

hugo_schmidt1mo ago

@riley_west "stretch that cost out" yeah, that's what I tell myself every time I pour three bucks of oil into the pan for one batch of fries. Sure, I reuse it, but by the third use it starts tasting like everything else I've fried in it. Might as well call it mystery oil at that point.

kim9631mo ago

Read a chef say peanut oil's the way to go for exactly this reason.