Ready for some deep-fried goodness? Well, if you are, you might want to know what foods should be cooked in what oils – and if you can fry foods together.
Let’s take a look at the most common fried foods and see what works well together and what doesn’t.
Can You Fry Different Foods in the Same Oil?
Some foods can be fried in the same oil, and some cannot. Consider several factors before you get out that deep fryer, including allergies, flavors, consistencies, and oil types. Some naturally work better together than others – and some are absolute giant no-nos.
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Can You Fry Fish and Fries in the Same Oil?
Also known as “fish and chips” in the UK, fish, and fries are a popular pairing of food for a breaded, deep-fried delicious evening.
But can you fry the items together?
It all depends on a few things.
For one, are you aiming to avoid allergens? Are you planning to serve them together?
If you need to avoid allergens, it’s recommended that you don’t fry breaded fish with fries.
And if you’re not serving the fish and fries together, you probably don’t want to cook them in the same oil unless you cook the fries first. Else the fries will taste fishy.
Which Should We Fry First?
To avoid your fries tasting like fish, cook the fries first and the fish second.
What is the Best Oil to Fry Fish and Fries?
If you can do it without causing allergy issues, frying your French Fries in peanut oil is your absolute best bet for the best flavor and crispness.
Otherwise, use canola, rice bran, corn, or vegetable oil for making those fries.
Fish can be cooked in any of these oils, but the best oil for fish is
- Canola oil
- Avocado oil
- Cottonseed oil
- Coconut oil
- Safflower oil
- Sunflower oil
- Pure vegetable oil
- Peanut oil
Tips on Frying Fish and Fries in the Same Oil for Best Results
The best results for firm, crispy fish will come from peanut or canola oil. The same is true of fries, though peanut is the best option for fries overall.
Cook the fries first if you’re not serving them together for everyone.
Or, if you cook them together, note that they take about the same time to cook. Have your utensils ready before you start cooking! It only takes 3 to 7 minutes for either item to cook.
Do Restaurants Fry Fish and Fries in the Same Oil?
Absolutely! Some restaurants will fry these two items together if they serve them as a pairing.
Otherwise, generally, restaurants will fry up French fries with other foods but not fish to avoid complaints about fishy-tasting fries.
Can You Fry Chicken and Fish Together?
Two of the most popular fried foods are fish and chicken. And while both can be breaded and both can use the same oils, you may not want to fry them together.
So, technically, yes, you can fry fish and chicken together, but it’s not really recommended. The oil becomes contaminated from the fish and the chicken, making the food less pleasant.
The temperatures for both foods also usually vary significantly, with fish requiring either a shorter cooking time or a lower temperature.
Which Should We Fry First?
If you use the same oil for fish and chicken, you should go with the chicken first, unless you like fishy tasty chicken!
What is the Best Oil to Fry Chicken and Fish?
There are tons and tons of oil types to use for cooking. Be sure that anything you select is food-grade first and foremost, then worry about the other details.
For chicken, the best oils are:
- Avocado oil
- Peanut oil
- Safflower oil
- Sunflower oil
- Pure vegetable oil
- Coconut oil
- Corn oil
For fish, you’ll want to use:
- Canola oil
- Avocado oil
- Cottonseed oil
- Coconut oil
- Safflower oil
- Sunflower oil
- Pure vegetable oil
- Peanut oil
Tips on Frying Chicken and Fish in the Same Oil for Best Results
For best results in your backyard-meets-seaside fare, cook the chicken first and carefully keep an eye on the oil.
If the oil begins to smoke at all, reduce heat immediately. Do not reuse any oil that smokes.
And if you are going to cook the chicken and fish together, choose either peanut or canola for the best results. These have some of the higher flash points (i.e., when it catches fire), so these make for a better fry.
Do Restaurants Fry Chicken and Fish in the Same Oil?
Some restaurants may cook both chicken and fish in the same oil, but this is unlikely because of the number of complaints of “fishy tasting” chicken they would receive.
Can You Fry Chicken and Shrimp in the Same Oil?
In some cases, you can cook chicken and shrimp in the same oil. Allergies, flavor preferences, and other things can determine whether or not you should.
Which Should We Fry First?
With chicken and shrimp, you definitely want to fry the chicken first. There are a few reasons for this.
Chicken has a more neutral flavor
Shrimp allergies can cause problems for those eating chicken otherwise
Chicken takes longer to cook
What is the Best Oil to Fry Chicken and Shrimp?
The best oil for cooking chicken and shrimp together is going to be peanut oil. This neutral flavored oil will give the crispest, best flavor for this combo.
Tips on Frying Chicken and Shrimp in the Same Oil for Best Results
Chicken takes quite a bit longer to fry than shrimp does, so be sure to cook it first.
Additionally, chicken has a more neutral flavor than shrimp and fewer folks have chicken allergies than shrimp allergies (actually, I’m not aware of any chicken allergies!), so that’s another good reason to cook the chicken first.
If someone does have crustacean or shellfish allergies, be sure to cook the chicken in separate oil from the shrimp.
Do Restaurants Fry Chicken and Shrimp in the Same Oil?
Many restaurants use the same oil for everything.
If you have a crustacean/shellfish allergy, be sure to request separate oil for your chicken.
Can You Fry Fish and Shrimp in the Same Oil?
You can absolutely fry fish and shrimp in the same oil. Most fish and shrimp selections work well with the same oils, and the cross-flavoring usually won’t cause any issues.
Which Should We Fry First?
Generally speaking, shrimp fries faster than fish (though not by much!), so you’ll probably want to put the fish in first and then quickly add the shrimp.
What is the Best Oil to Fry Fish and Shrimp?
Canola oil is the best oil to use for frying fish and shrimp. Canola oil has the most neutral flavor of all the oils, so it doesn’t take away from the flavoring of the seafood and still gives that crisp texture.
Tips on Frying Fish and Shrimp in the Same Oil for Best Results
As mentioned above, your best bet is to put the fish in the oil first, then the shrimp shortly thereafter. The fish will take slightly longer to fry.
Be sure to have all your tongs and scoops ready before you start frying, too, as they don’t take long to cook at all!
If you’re cooking for anyone with allergies, make sure that the fish and shrimp are cooked in different oil with a thorough cleaning of the equipment between the two.
Do Restaurants Fry Fish and Shrimp in the Same Oil?
Restaurants are very likely to fry fish and shrimp in the same oil. Most seafood cooks at about the same rate, and restaurants aren’t necessarily thinking about allergens.
If you’re ordering up fish someplace that also serves shrimp and you’re allergic to crustaceans, be sure to request new oil for your fish.
Can You Use the Same Oil for Fish and Chips?
Similar to fish and fries, yes, you can cook them together in the same oil. Chips take less time to cook than fish, though, so you’ll want to time things properly.
Which Should We Fry First?
Fish takes longer to fry than chips, but fish leaves a less-than-neutral flavor behind in the oil. For this reason, I recommend cooking the chips first and the fish last.
What is the Best Oil to Fry Fish and Chips?
If you’re going to cook fish and chips in the same oil, aim for the most neutral flavored oils:
- Peanut
- Canola
- Vegetable
- Safflower
- Grapeseed
Tips on Frying Fish and Chips in the Same Oil for Best Results
Fish is a heavy flavor that will deeply influence the flavors of anything fried in oil after it. For this reason, the most important tip I can offer is making sure you fry the chips first.
Additionally, chips are usually better cooled before eating, and fish takes between 3 and 7 minutes to fry. This gives the chips plenty of time to cool off while the fish cooks.
Do Restaurants Fry Fish and Chips in the Same Oil?
Some restaurants fry everything in the same oil. When it comes to chips, however, they’re a bit less likely to fry them with fish because of flavor contamination.
If you want to be sure you’re getting fish-free chips, you can ask that the restaurant start a clean batch of oil for your chips.
Can You Fry Chicken and Beef in the Same Oil?
Chicken is a fairly neutral flavor when it comes to oil. Beef is less so, though more neutral than something like fish.
For this reason, you can cook chicken and beef in the same oil.
Which Should We Fry First?
There are two approaches to this.
Beef takes longer to fry unless it is exceptionally thinly sliced. For this reason, you may want to start the beef first and add the chicken in later.
However, if you want to avoid flavor contamination, beef is a much stronger flavor than chicken, and it should be cooked second in this case.
What is the Best Oil to Fry Chicken and Beef?
The best oils for frying beef are
- Grapeseed oil
- Peanut oil
- Light olive oil
- Canola oil
- For chicken, your best bets are
- Avocado oil
- Peanut oil
- Safflower oil
- Sunflower oil
- Pure vegetable oil
- Coconut oil
- Corn oil
If you’re planning to fry them together, I would suggest using peanut oil.
Tips on Frying Chicken and Beef in the Same Oil for Best Results
If you don’t mind a flavor mix between beef and chicken, I highly recommend starting the beef in the fryer before the chicken, then add the chicken in. This will allow them to finish around the same time.
If, however, you want to avoid flavor exchanges, cook the chicken first, skim off the oil, and then cook the beef while the chicken rests.
Do Restaurants Fry Chicken and Beef in the Same Oil?
Restaurants are known for cooking many things in the same oil. In the case of beef and chicken, it will largely depend on what their specialty is.
If the restaurant is known for either chicken or beef more than the other, they may well use separate oils. If, however, they’re a casual restaurant, they are likely to use the same oil for cooking both.
Can You Fry Chicken and Pork in the Same Oil?
You can technically cook chicken and pork in the same oil. They are both fairly neutral flavors, and likely won’t contaminate each other too much.
Which Should We Fry First?
Chicken takes almost twice as long to cook as pork, so you’ll probably want to put the chicken in first.
If, however, the chicken is breaded and you’re trying to keep the pork gluten-free, cook the pork first and the chicken afterward to avoid gluten contamination.
What is the Best Oil to Fry Chicken and Pork?
Any of the following oils works well for pork:
- Coconut oil
- Avocado oil
- Vegetable oil
- Sunflower oil
- Sesame oil
- Hemp seed oil
If you’re cooking it with chicken, though, I’d recommend using avocado, sunflower, pure vegetable oil, or coconut oil.
Tips on Frying Chicken and Pork in the Same Oil for Best Results
If you’re deep-frying chicken and pork, you’ll want to ensure that you cook the chicken first to avoid flavor contamination. This will also help the two types of meat complete cooking at the same time for easier service.
Do Restaurants Frying Chicken and Pork in the Same Oil?
Many restaurants use the same oil for their non-vegetarian dishes.
If deep frying with battered ingredients is their primary way of cooking both chicken and pork, you can almost guarantee the same oil will be used for both.
What Kind of Oil is Best for Frying?
The best kind of oil for frying is really going to depend on what you’re cooking. I’ve listed the best options for specific foods above, so I won’t repeat them.
But for generalization’s sake:
- General frying = vegetable oil, canola oil, corn oil
- Deep frying = peanut oil, canola oil
- Allergen-friendly frying = Olive oil, avocado oil, flaxseed oil, hemp seed oil
- Pan-frying = olive oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil, avocado oil
- Sauteing = coconut oil, avocado oil, vegetable oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil, hemp seed oil
How Many Times Can You Reuse Oil for Frying?
The type of food you’re cooking determines how many times you can reuse the oil.
For most folks, using oil for fish can repeat a couple times, but not for other food types.
Generally speaking, most folks also agree that you can reuse oil for battered foods between three and four times unless the oil reaches smoke point.
Do not reuse oil after it has smoked because this increases the carcinogenic levels of the oil.
For non-breaded items like chips or fries, you can reuse the oil up to eight times.
What Do You Do with Oil After Deep Frying?
Once you’re done using a batch of oil for cooking, never pour it down the drain. Oil down the drain can ruin your pipes!
Instead, seal it into a liquid-tight container (after it cools) and throw it away.
Or, if you’ve got the time and desire, check out this recycling site to find a location where you can dispose of it more cleanly.
A Note about Deep Frying Cross Contamination
There are a number of reasons most folks don’t really recommend reusing the same oil for different foods, primarily because of the possibility of cross-contamination.
For example, I’m extremely gluten-sensitive, so I become ill if I eat anything that has gluten in it.
Fries don’t contain gluten, typically, but if fries are cooked in the same oil as something breaded with wheat flour in the mix, I will become ill.
Other allergens can all cross-contaminate within the oil. Some folks are allergic to shellfish and crustaceans, for example.
And though it might seem like shrimp shouldn’t get into the chicken, it will, and someone with allergies could become very ill from this cross-contamination.
Additionally, some foods simply taste lousy when cooked together. Fishy-tasting chicken or beef isn’t going to win over as many palates as fish and chips might.
Final Note
No matter what kind of meat you’re cooking, be sure to use a meat thermometer to ensure that the meat is thoroughly cooked and safe to eat. Looking done on the outside is not enough to ensure safe dining.