Is it OK to fry with olive oil?

Question

I've heard you're not supposed to - why is that then?

Answer 1

Yes it burns easily - use for gentle sauteeing, not fast frying. But also olive oil contains delicate monounsaturated oils which are good for your health and are destroyed by heat. So I use a cheap olive oil for cooking and a posh one for salad. I think the rule not to do it is because it is a waste of good oil, not because it does any harm

Answer 2

Yes - you can fry with Olive oil it is really excellent as a butter replacement and will impart a lovely taste as well.

The reason some people say not too is the cost associated with extra virgin olive oils - they feel it is wasteful to fry with such a high quality oil when the flavor of lower cost olive oil is substantially the same.

Bottom line people have been frying with olive oil far longer than with vegetable, canola or even tallow for that matter.

Answer 3

Whoever told you that you are not supposed to fry with olive oil is WRONG! Olive oil is the healthiest oil that you can find with a great taste. In Greece, we only use in our houses olive oil. They say that if you drink a little every day you get healthier and it is good for your heart too. So, do not hesitate using in everything olive oil .

Answer 4

This is a good site for olive oil information.
http://www.oliveoilsource.com/cooking_olive_oil.htm
"Excessively heating olive oil will evaporate the alcohols and esters which make up its delicate taste and fragrance. Heating olive oil will not change its health aspects, only the flavor. Use a cheaper olive oil which doesn't have much flavor to begin with if you want to fry with it, add a more flavorful olive oil after cooking or at the table."

Answer 5

I would not fry in Olive Oil, to me personally the odor is objectionable, I use it in salads, with others seasonings, and then the odor is not noticed at all especially with garlic, which has a pungent taste and odor. Italians use it with parsley in a dish and one can dip the the bread in it, as we use butter. It is tolerable to statute onions etc in Olive oil. We do not fry foods any more, it is healthier to bake, or grill, or stew meat . If you are considering deep frying like Deep fried Potatoes, reconsider and you can brush Olive Oil on the Potatoes, and then bake them in the Oven, and perhaps even add some pepper or other spices that you like. Bon Apetit!

Answer 6

deep fry? no. Olive Oil has too low of a smoke point to deep fry with. The oil essentially cooks or burns at a lower temperature than say canola oil. Great for sauteeing or even drizzling on stuff to brown it (just like butter, which also has a low smoke point) or just as is on salads and tomatos. .

Answer 7

I only use olive oil for everything, salads, frying chips, omelettes etc, it is healthier than using sunflower oil don't worry to much about burning it, i've never done that yet and been using it for years. Yes it is more expensive especially in England, move to Spain oil is cheaper lol.

Answer 8

Yes you can. It has a low smoke point so it wont fry foods as fast. The foods may become more saturated with olive oil too. So go ahead and experiment and you will see how good it is.

Answer 9

Shallow frying with regular olive oil is fine, but don't use extra virgin olive oil (the first press from the olives) as it is very rich and is likely to burn and it is also very expensive!

Answer 10

Fry in olive oil anything but eggs...gives them a bad taste.