Is deep frying chicken in olive oil any healthier than deep frying chicken in Crisco (shortening/lard)?

Question

Is deep frying chicken in olive oil any healthier than deep frying chicken in Crisco (shortening/lard)? Or is frying in general bad for you no matter what type of oil it is? I love fried food and I am looking for a healthy alternative to the type of oil I use.

Answer 1

Olive oil is better than shortening. Olive oil is good for you! It is high in the good cholesterol. So, use it to fry, and if you like, drink it. There are people that do just that.

Answer 2

Fried food in an indulgence no matter how you do it really. Saying that olive oil is definitely better than Crisco, but canola oil is even better than olive oil.

When I am in the mood for some fantastic fried chicken, I don't actually fry it, I cheat. Instead of putting a great deal of oil in a frying pan, just put a small amount of oil in and brown the outside of the chicken. Do no worry about cooking it through in the pan, all that you need to do is get that crispy outside going. Once that's done, pop the chicken onto a cookie sheet,and bake it in the oven for about 30-45min at about 350*F. This will give you a great fried chicken taste, but without all of the fat.

Answer 3

Olive oil is better for you than vegetable shortening or lard, but olive oil also smokes at a fairly low temperature. I think the olive oil would burn before you got it hot enough for deep frying. Canola oil has a much higher smoke point than olive oil, and while it doesn't have the Omega-3s like olive oil, it also doesn't have the cholestorol of lard.
However, if you're really trying to eat healthy, I am with the others in saying that you'd be best off "oven-frying" your chicken.

Answer 4

Probably, but the difference is so slight it really doesn't matter.

I do remember that olive oil breaks down at high heats and becomes less healthy for you. If I correctly recall, canola oil and peanut oil are some of the best high-heat oils.

I would avoid deep-frying entirely. You could pan-fry as an alternative, which would be somewhat healthier given that there's less oil.

But then again, I would avoid even the chicken, so perhaps I'm not the best person to ask. :)

Answer 5

I don't think you can deep fly with olive oil. It won't take the high heat. Peanut oil is good for deep frying if you think you have to have it. Deep frying no matter what you use isn't a good idea to often. Anything that hardens at room temperature like Crisco contains saturated fat. Lard is the worst thing you can use. It comes from animals and is full of cholesterol

Answer 6

There are two purposes for using oils in frying.

1. Oil imparts a flavor to the food being cooked. Different oils, different flavors.

2. Oil transfers heat from the heat source to the item being cooked.

Oil does this very well. When it gets very hot, the oil works its way into all the dents and cracks of the food and carries high heat to those points, insuring that the food is well cooked.

The trick in using oils for deep frying is to keep the oils very hot so that there is a continuous bubbling around the food being cooked. If you do this you will end up with food that is only slightly greasy. Food ends up greasy when the oil is warm instead of very hot.

Crisco and lard gives chicken a strong flavor that you may not like but everyone has a taste of his/her own.

Answer 7

I don't think deep frying in olive oil would taste to good. Deep fry chicken is ok if you have it once in a while. When you fry be sure the oil is hot so that the chicken frys and does not soak in the oil. That's when it could be bad for you. When you fry properly the oil only puts a seal around the chicken and the oil does not get inside.

Answer 8

Olive oil comes in different grades, but please never fry anything in extra virgin olive oil. As others have suggested, olive oil does have a tendency to burn. Sautéing is somewhat different as the heat is much lower.
If you must deep fry, try using peanut oil. There have been disturbing things about canola oil in the last several years.
Deep frying, done properly, does not make foods greasy. It is the addition of breadings that usually are responsible for the oil absorption. Also, we all know that taking the skin off chicken is better for you, but who really does it? The best advice I can give is to fry correctly, but in moderation. Discover the magic of grilling and broiling.
As for using lard, see the article below; it's not as bad as we once thought.

Answer 9

I dont think Olive oil is a safe alternative..since I dont think it can withstand the high heat needed to fry things. It would either burn and be useless because of the burnt flavor or possibly catch fire.

" Oils with high 'smoke points', in other words, those which do not break down at deep frying temperatures, are best. Peanut oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, and canola oil are some good choices."

Answer 10

Frying in a lot of oil in general, is bad. But, you can cut calories by sauteeing and yes, the healthy sites say that olive oil is alot better than other types of oils (lard is particularly bad and should be avoided at all costs)-it withstands the higher temps of frying without breaking down and smoking badly, it also contains less saturated fat and has more of the omega-3 fats, which are supposed to be good for you, and has better flavor.

Not sure about peanut oil healthiness but it sure makes fried food taste terrific.

Answer 11

You're right. Deep frying in general isn't very healthy, but I suppose if you use a healthier oil (olive or canola oil) is better than using lard.

Why not find recipes for "oven fried" chicken at http://www.allrecipes.com ?