Cooking oils and fats come in many forms. They come in and out of fashion with health trends. Then, there are the classics. Here’s a guide to the many types of cooking oil available.
With so many options, how do you choose the best cooking oil for a dish? Two words: Smoke point. While flavor plays a role, knowing the smoke point is essential for determining whether a cooking oil can handle the heat your dish requires.
Some oils hold up in high heat for extended cooking periods, while others can only handle high heat for shorter cooking times. Others can’t handle high heat at all, and cooking with an oil that has a low smoke point could quickly ruin the flavors in your dish.
Here’s a quick guide to different cooking oils, their aromas, flavors, smoke points, the types of cuisine they pair with, and safe cooking methods.
Flaxseed oil
Like hemp seed oil, it tastes nutty and bitter. The flavor is dense, so a little goes a long way. It has an even lower smoke point than hemp seed oil, making it ideal for dressings, dips, and similar uses. Avoid heating it with one exception — legend has it that it’s the best oil for seasoning cast iron.
- Fat breakdown: It has about a gram of saturated fat, 2.5 grams of monounsaturated fat, and about 9 grams of polyunsaturated fat per tablespoon.
- Smoke point: 225°F (107ºC)
- How to cook with it: Use sparingly in salad dressings and dips that would benefit from a nutty flavor.
Hemp seed oil
Hemp seed oil is dark green and has an intense, grassy, nutty flavor. It pairs better with savory flavors than sweet ones. It’s best not to heat hemp seed oil. Reserve it for dips and dressings instead.
- Fat breakdown: It has a gram of saturated fat, 1.9 grams of monounsaturated fat, and 11 grams of polyunsaturated fat per tablespoon (based on this product).
- Smoke point: 330°F (166ºC)
- How to cook with it: It makes a delicious finishing oil and works well in vinaigrettes and other dressings.
Butter
Ah, butter. Sometimes too good to resist, it adds flavor and texture to sauces, baked goods, and just about anything it can get its fats on. It has a sweet cream taste. Here’s how to soften butter for various applications.
- Fat breakdown: It contains 7 grams of saturated fat, about 3 grams of monounsaturated fat, and less than 0.5 grams of polyunsaturated fat per tablespoon (unsalted).
- Smoke point: 300-350°F (149-175°C)
- How to cook with it: Sauté, quick pan-fry, baking, roasting.
Extra-virgin olive oil
This is the mecca of olive oils. It has the most flavor: slightly green, fruity, and pleasantly bitter. However, it has a relatively low smoke point, so only use with moderate to no heat.
Look for “cold-pressed” on the label. It means no heat was used to extract the oil, which protects the delicate flavors and aromas.
- Fat breakdown: It has 1.9 grams of saturated fat, 10 grams of monounsaturated fat, and 1.5 grams of polyunsaturated fat per tablespoon.
- Smoke point: 325-410°F (163-210°C)
- How to cook with it: Use it the same way as regular olive oil. It’s also excellent in dips and marinades.
Coconut oil
Coconut oil has a low smoke point, so it’s best to reserve it for no, low, or moderate heat only. Because it’s creamy, it’s a good substitute for butter. It’s clear when melted but becomes white and solid at room temperature. It has a slightly sweet, nutty, yet clean taste.
- Fat breakdown: It has a little more than 11 grams of saturated fat, .2 grams of polyunsaturated fat, and .8 grams of monounsaturated fat per tablespoon.
- Smoke point: 350-385°F (175-196°C)
- How to cook with it: Sauté, pan-fry, baking, roasting.
Sesame oil
Another favorite in Asian cuisine. While it’s great for sautéing, toasted or dark sesame oil has a stronger umami and nutty flavor (it’s one of those a little-goes-a-long-way cooking oils). Regular sesame oil (sometimes called light sesame oil) has a milder flavor.
- Fat breakdown: It has 1.9 grams of saturated fat, 5.3 grams of monounsaturated fat, and 5.6 grams of polyunsaturated fat per tablespoon.
- Smoke point: 350-410°F (175-210°C)
- How to cook with it: Use it to sauté, or use a small amount for stir-frying. It also pairs well with soy sauce, garlic, and other ingredients when making a stir-fry sauce.
Vegetable Shortening
Most often, the neutral-flavored, solid white-colored shortening is used for snickerdoodle cookies, baked goods, and frostings. Shortening has a higher melting point compared to butter, resulting in cookies with less spread and frosting that stay pipeable. It’s made from a mixture of vegetable oils that have been fully hydrogenated to make them solid at room temperature. You can also use it for sautéing foods, but it’s not my first choice.
- Fat breakdown: It has 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 2.5 grams of monounsaturated fat, and 6 grams of polyunsaturated fat per tablespoon.
- Smoke point: 360-410°F (180-210°C)
- How to cook with it: Use it for cookies, pies, biscuits, frostings, to make tortillas flexible, or for sautéing.
Lard (Pork Fat)
Lard is more old-school than butter, but it can work wonders for a flaky pie crust. However, it doesn’t bring much to the table in the flavor department; it has a strong, astringent, barnyard taste.
- Fat breakdown: It contains about 5 grams of saturated fat, 5 grams of monounsaturated fat, and a little more than a gram of polyunsaturated fat per tablespoon.
- Smoke point: 370°F (188°C)
- How to cook with it: Sauté, pan-fry, baking, roasting, deep-frying.
Duck Fat
Who doesn’t love indulging in duck fat fries or confit? You can use this luxurious fat for sautéing, stir-frying, roasting chicken or potatoes, making popcorn, an exquisite gravy, or savory pie dough.
- Fat breakdown: It has around 4.5 grams of saturated fat and 14 grams of total fat per tablespoon.
- Smoke point: 375°F (190°C)
- How to cook with it: Sautéing, stir-frying, roasting, pan-frying, deep-frying when combined with other oils, gravies, and pie dough.
Grapeseed oil
Grapeseed oil has become a popular replacement for extra virgin olive oil; it’s a little more affordable and has a higher smoke point, which makes it more versatile than olive oil. It has a slight green tint and neutral flavor.
- Fat breakdown: It has about a gram of saturated fat, 2 grams of monounsaturated fat, and 9 grams of polyunsaturated fat per tablespoon.
- Smoke point: 390°F (195°C)
- How to cook with it: Sauté, pan-fry, bake, and roast. You can also use it in dressings.
Canola oil
Since canola oil is often used in vegetable oil, you might find some similarities in flavor (though both are relatively neutral and flavorless). It comes from the rapeseed plant.
- Fat breakdown: It has almost 9 grams of monounsaturated fat, 4 grams of polyunsaturated fat, and 1 gram of saturated fat per tablespoon.
- Smoke point: 400-450°F (204-230°C)
- How to cook with it: Like vegetable oil, it’s multi-use. Use it to sear, sauté, pan-fry, stir-fry, bake, roast, grill, and deep-fry.
Vegetable oil
Not derived from just one plant, vegetable oil is usually a mixture of refined oils, such as soybean, corn, or canola oil. It has a neutral flavor.
- Fat breakdown: It depends on the blend, which you can find on the label.
- Smoke point: 400-450°F (204-230°C)
- How to cook with it: Searing, sautéing, pan-frying, stir-frying, baking, roasting, grilling, deep-frying
Margarine
Margarine is a spreadable replacement for butter made mostly from vegetable oils, popular for slathering on toast and bread. You can also use it for sautéing, roasting, or baking soft sugar cookies. The oils are blended or processed so they’re solid and spreadable. Partially hydrogenated oils, the main source of trans fats, are no longer allowed in U.S. foods. Margarine must contain at least 80% fat, and anything less is labeled as a spread.
- Fat breakdown: Varies by brand. May contain 3 grams of monounsaturated fat, 3 grams of polyunsaturated fat, and 5 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon.
- Smoke point: 410-430°F (210-221°C)
- How to cook with it: Baking, sautéing, pan-frying, stir-frying, roasting.
Corn oil
With its light color, high smoke point, and mildly sweet flavor, many people use corn oil when pan-frying and baking (it adds a creaminess to baked goods). One of the biggest pros of corn oil? It’s affordable.
- Fat breakdown: It has 8 grams of monounsaturated fat, 5 grams of polyunsaturated fat, and about a gram of saturated fat per tablespoon.
- Smoke point: 410-450°F (210-230°C)
- How to cook with it: Searing, sautéing, pan-frying, baking, roasting, grilling, deep-frying.
Light olive oil
This is “regular” olive oil that’s more processed and refined. It’s lighter in color and flavor, but it has the same calories as regular olive oil (a common misconception). It merely has a less intense flavor. It makes up for that lack of flavor with a higher smoke point.
- Fat breakdown: It has almost 2 grams of saturated and polyunsaturated fat, plus 10 grams of monounsaturated fat per tablespoon.
- Smoke point: 425-465°F (218-241°C)
- How to cook with it: Use it for sautéing, pan-frying, grilling, baking, and roasting. It’s best for recipes where you don’t want an intense olive flavor — which is why it’s often used in baking.
Sunflower oil
Sunflower oil is an all-purpose cooking oil, commonly used to fry food because of its high smoke point. It has a very neutral taste; however, it can go bad faster than other cooking oils, so use it within a year.
- Fat breakdown: It has 11 grams of monounsaturated fat, less than a gram of polyunsaturated fat, and 1 gram of saturated fat per tablespoon. This may vary by type of sunflower oil.
- Smoke point: 440°F (230°C)
- How to cook with it: Searing, sautéing, pan-frying, baking, roasting, grilling, deep-frying. If you want to avoid heat, use it in salad dressings.
Peanut oil
Commonly used in Asian cuisine, peanut oil comes from peanut seeds. As long as you don’t have a peanut allergy, it’s one of the more popular frying oils. Not surprisingly, it has a slightly nutty flavor and aroma.
- Fat breakdown: It has 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 6 grams of monounsaturated fat, and about 5 grams of polyunsaturated fat per tablespoon.
- Smoke point: 440-450°F (227-230°C)
- How to cook with it: Searing, sautéing, pan-frying, stir-frying, baking, roasting, grilling, deep-frying. It’s also a tasty finishing oil; drizzle it over your dish to boost flavor.
Clarified Butter (Ghee)
A staple of Indian cuisine, clarified butter is traditionally made by slowly simmering butter until the water evaporates and the milk solids gently brown. The clarification process yields a richly flavored butter oil with nutty, toffee notes. It’s easy to make ghee and use it for a wide range of cooking techniques like sautéing and roasting because its high smoke point comes from removing the dairy solids.
- Fat breakdown: It has 9 grams of saturated fat and 15 grams of total fat per tablespoon.
- Smoke point: 450°F (230°C)
- How to cook with it: Sautéing, stir-frying, and roasting foods.
Olive oil
This is what you might call “regular” olive oil, and it’s usually a blend of refined olive oil and extra virgin or virgin olive oil. It’s not quite as high quality as extra virgin olive oil but has more flavor than light olive oil. Smoke point varies depending on the mixture and brand.
Skip anything labeled olive-pomace oil. It’s extracted from the leftover olive mash with chemical solvents, so it isn’t true olive oil.
- Fat breakdown: It has 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 10 grams of monounsaturated fat, and 1.5 grams of polyunsaturated fat per tablespoon.
- Smoke point: 390-470°F (199-243ºC)
- How to cook with it: Sautéing and baking (at lower heats) and in dressings and marinades. You can also use it as a finishing oil, drizzling it over dishes for added flavor.
Beef Tallow
This solid cooking fat is rendered from beef or mutton, which is high in triglycerides. It stores well at room temperature for a long time, which is why it was once widely used in fast-food establishments and restaurants. Grass-fed versions have become popular to use in Paleo diets. Its high smoke point makes it good for sautéing, roasting, frying, and even baking biscuits.
- Fat breakdown: It has about 7 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, and 14 grams of total fat per tablespoon.
- Smoke point: 400°F (204°C)
- How to cook with it: Sautéing, roasting meats and vegetables, pan-frying, deep-frying, and savory baking.
Palm oil
Palm oil is colorless and flavorless. It’s good for frying but bad for the environment because high demand contributes to deforestation. It’s also highly refined. Many people avoid it for those reasons. It has a high smoke point, which is what makes it fry-friendly.
- Fat breakdown: It has almost 7 grams of saturated fat, 5 grams of monounsaturated fat, and 1 gram of polyunsaturated fat per tablespoon.
- Smoke point: 450°F (232ºC)
- How to cook with it: Frying and stir-frying are the most common uses.
Avocado oil
If you’re looking for a super high smoke point, refined avocado oil is the winner. Unrefined avocado oil has a butter-like, rich flavor that makes it tasty as a topper (say, over some avocado toast?).
- Fat breakdown: It has almost 2 grams each of saturated and polyunsaturated fat, plus nearly 10 grams of monounsaturated fat per tablespoon.
- Smoke point: 520-570°F (271-299ºC) for refined avocado oil
- How to cook with it: Sautéing, stir-frying, pan-frying, baking, roasting, grilling, and dressings.
Saturated vs. Unsaturated Fats in Cooking
Every cooking oil and fat is a mix of different fatty acids, and their structure explains much of how they behave in the kitchen. Saturated fats have no double bonds in their fatty acid chains, so the chains are straight and pack tightly together. That’s why fats high in saturated fat, like butter, lard, beef tallow, and coconut oil, are solid at room temperature. Unsaturated fats have one (monounsaturated) or more (polyunsaturated) double bonds that put kinks in the chains. They can’t pack as tightly, so oils like olive, canola, and sunflower oil stay liquid.
- Baking: Solid fats can be creamed with sugar to trap air, or cut into dough in small pieces for flaky pie crusts and biscuits. Liquid oils coat the flour and make tender, moist cakes and quick breads.
- High-heat cooking: How well an oil handles heat depends mostly on its smoke point and how refined it is. Use the smoke point listed for each oil above to pick the right one for searing, frying, or roasting.
- Storage: The more double bonds a fat has, the faster it reacts with oxygen and goes rancid. That’s why polyunsaturated oils like flaxseed and hemp seed oil are best kept in the refrigerator, while coconut oil keeps well in the pantry.
How to Buy and Store Cooking Oils
Buy fresh. Oils taste best fresh, so check for a harvest or “best by” date, especially on olive oil. Smell it when you open it: oil that smells like cardboard, crayons, or old walnuts has gone rancid.
Read the origin. For olive oil, “made in Italy” doesn’t always mean the olives grew there. The best bottles usually come from a single region.
Store away from light and heat. Light and warmth speed up the breakdown that turns oil stale, so keep bottles in a cupboard, not on the counter or next to the stove. Dark glass helps.
Use opened bottles within a few months. Unopened olive oil keeps up to two years in a cool, dark spot.
susan gallo says
do you have a cookbook? I am pretty new to this website and do not remember any mention of a book. If not we need one:)
Jessica Gavin says
I sure do! “Easy Culinary Science for Better Cooking”- I have a cookbook section on my website showing where you can buy it. It’s also sold on amazon.
Katie says
Just wanted to say that there’s no form of “healthy” saturated fat, so it would be wrong to say that the saturated fat in coconut oil is healthy. It should be avoided for health reasons.
James Hardin says
Overlooks the key, all important distinction between type 3 and type 6 oils. Without this, the article is not valuable.
Donna G says
This is Great! Thank you so much!
I’ve learned a lot and feel I can now add some variety to my cooking.
Jessica Gavin says
I’m so happy that you found this oil article helpful Donna!
Kathy E. says
Thank you for this incredible, informational post of oils! I’ve learned a lot and will be changing up my routine of using oils!
Deborah Ayorinde says
I need to find where I can purchase mustard seed oil. That is an oil you did not discuss. It was explained to me it’s use for a good topical ointment.