How to Deep Fry at Home

If you want to make crispy French fries or delicious doughnuts, you can easily use a wok, saucepan, stockpot, or deep fryer to make fried foods at home! Be careful, as the oil is very hot! With some preparation and attention, you can easily make fried foods, like candy bars, ice cream, and mozzarella sticks.

EditSteps

EditSetting up

1. Use either a wok, deep-walled saucepan, stockpot, Dutch oven, or deep fryer. When deep frying at home, it is best to use a deep frying machine for convenience and ease of use. However, you can also heat up a wok, stockpot, Dutch oven, or deep saucepan to deep fry at home. Use any large pot about 4 inches (10 cm) tall that can easily house several cups of oil as well as your food.^[1]
   
   
   • The angled walls of pots or woks help catch oil splashes.
   • Keep in mind that deep fryers come in various sizes. Some larger fryers come with frying baskets, and small "FryDaddy" styles look like electric pots.
2. Choose an oil that has a high smoke point. The best oils for frying don’t burn under high temperatures. Canola, vegetable, peanut, and grapeseed oils are typically used for frying.^[2]
   
   • You can also use a blend of several types of oil.
   • If you want a healthier (but more expensive option), try refined coconut, olive, avocado, or palm oil, rendered animal fat, or ghee (clarified butter).^[3]
   • Do not use butter, shortening, or unrefined oil. They all have low smoke points, meaning they will burn easily.
3. Gather a thermometer, tongs, and/or wooden spoon. Using a deep frying thermometer helps you check your temperature consistently throughout the frying process. This ensures you get the crispiest, yummiest food. In addition, tongs and wooden spoons help you stir the food while in the oil and remove it from the fryer. If you have a frying basket handy, use this to easily house your food as you fry it.^[4]
   
   • In most cases, you want your oil to be at . If you don’t have a thermometer, you can use a wooden spoon to check the overall temperature of your oil. Put the tip in the oil, and watch for any bubbles around the spoon. If the oil bubbles, you should be okay. If the oil bubbles excessively, you should turn down the heat a tad.
4. Prepare a drying rack. Select a rack that will allow the oil to drain off of the food, or put a few paper towels on a plate or pan. When you take the food out of the fryer, you can place it on the rack, plate, or pan to remove excess oil.
5. Remove any moisture from your food before you fry it. If you add water to the oil, the oil will start to bubble and jump out of the pot. To avoid this, take a paper towel and pat the outside of any food items that may be moist, such as meat or refrigerated candy bars.^[5]
   
   
   • If you do not dry your food before you put it in the fryer, your food may fry inconsistently.
   • In addition, it is helpful to use food all the same size. Cut your food into uniform pieces with a sharp knife.

EditFrying Your Food

1. Fill the fryer with enough oil so that the food is at least half submerged. The amount you need depends on what you are cooking and the size of your pot. In general, fill the fryer or pot with about 1-2 quarts (946-1893 mL) of oil. You want to submerge your food at least halfway. If you have enough room and oil, aim to fully submerge your food.^[6]
   
   
   • Leave a few inches at the top of your pan or pot in case your oil bubbles.
2. Heat up the oil until it reaches your desired temperature. Check your recipe and owner's manual to determine what temperature you should fry your food at. Then, place your pot on a stove top over a medium flame. Most recipes call for a temperature range of 300-375ºF (150-190ºC). If your recipe doesn't clearly indicate it, your best bet is 325º to 350ºF (160-175ºC).^[7]
   
   • If you use a temperature under , your food may not get crispy.
   • If you exceed , your food and the oil may burn.
   • If using a fryer, you typically fill the unit with oil to the level indicated on the side of the container and select your desired temperature. Then, wait for the oil to heat to the indicated temperature.
3. Dunk your food in an appropriate batter for a delicious, crispy touch. You can cover the food in batter before frying it to add flavor and texture. Pancake batter works well for dessert food, but you can also make your own batter. Completely cover the item you plan to fry in batter before putting it in the oil.^[8]
   
   • To make a batter for meat, beat 1-2 eggs then add a sprinkle of garlic salt. Dip each piece of meat in the batter before adding it to the fryer.
4. Place your food into the oil carefully and gradually. Use tongs or a straining spoon to help you place the food inside the pot to minimize splashing. You want to maintain the temperature of the oil, so always add your food in small amounts rather than all at once.^[9]
   
   • If you place handfuls of food into the oil at once, it can lower the temperature of the oil and cause your food to fry inconsistently or get soggy.
   • For long or large items, place the bottom of the item in oil and set the rest of it in away from you, ensuring that any splash or splatter goes the other direction.
   • Aim to add pieces that are the same size close to the same time. If you have pieces that are larger than others, add those first, wait for the temperature to come back up, then add the smaller pieces.
   • Split the food into multiple batches to prevent the temperature of the oil from dropping.
5. Stir your food as it fries to your desired temperature. Try to keep the food moving as you add it into the oil to prevent crowding or sticking. If the pieces of food crowd together, they will not brown evenly. Use a spoon to stir your food so the oil is on all sides of the food.^[10]
   
   • Doing this ensures your food cooks consistently and thoroughly.
   • If the food isn't completely submerged, flip it over halfway through the cook time so each side fries evenly.
6. Remove the food from the oil using tongs or a straining spoon. Review your recipe to determine how long to fry your particular food items. Some food requires 30 seconds to cook, while others need several minutes. To know if your food is done, examine the outside color, use a thermometer to check internal temperature, or taste it to check.^[11]
   
   • If your food is golden brown, it is likely done.
   • To use a thermometer, poke the end into the center of your fried food.
   • If you are taste-testing your food, wait a minute or 2 for the food to cool down!

EditCooling and Seasoning Your Food

1. Place your food on the prepared drying rack to remove the excess oil. Use your straining spoon or tongs to remove the pieces of food after they cook completely. Then, place the food directly onto the rack or paper towels to drain and absorb any extra oil. Let the pieces cool for 2-3 minutes before you eat them.^[12]
   
   • Season your fried food right away. If you want to use seasoning like salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, curry, garlic, lemon, or dill, add it immediately after you remove your food from the oil.^[13] Adding seasoning when your food is warm ensures it tastes the best as it allows the seasoning to stick to the food and dissolve better.
2. Let your food cool for 1-3 minutes before you eat it. When you remove the food from the oil, it will be extremely hot! Leave the pieces on your paper towels or drying rack for 1-3 minutes until they are not steaming. To test the temperature, use a paper towel to touch them first. If they do not feel too hot, then use your hands.^[14]
   
   • Do not touch the food with your fingers until they cool sufficiently.
   • Note that even if the food is cool enough to touch, the inside may be hot enough to burn your mouth!
3. Store your leftovers in the fridge until you want to eat them again. Fried food tastes best when it comes right out of the fryer or pot. However, you can surely save any scraps for a later snack! When you want to reheat the items, put them in the microwave for 30-60 seconds for a quick solution, warm them in a toaster oven or conventional oven, or heat them in a medium saucepan on the stove with 1 tbsp (14.8 mL) of oil.
   
   

EditCleaning Up

1. Strain out any solid bits from your oil. Place a straining spoon in your oil and scoop up any bits of food floating inside the oil. For best results, do this while the oil is still warm as your food is cooling down.^[15]
   
   • If you leave food in your oil, it will change the overall taste. For example, if you make fried churros in the same oil as mozzarella sticks, your cheese may taste sweet.
2. Let your oil cool down completely. To avoid burning yourself, wait 5-15 minutes for the oil to cool down before you remove it from the pot. Once your oil cools down, pour it into a measuring cup to easily transport it into another container.
   
3. Save your oil in a reusable container to fry with it next time. Don’t throw out your oil or pour it down your drain! You can use clean oil to deep fry at home over and over again. Once your oil is in a measuring cup, pour it into the oil container or a glass jar, for instance. You can use a fine mesh strainer or a piece of cheesecloth to strain out any remaining food. Pour the oil into your reusable container, then place the container in the refrigerator until you want to use it.^[16]
   
   
   • Oil is terrible for your drains and the environment.
   • Throw out your oil when it is dark brown and smells bad. Be sure your oil is cool before you throw it away. Leave the oil in a sealed container or let it solidify, then toss it into your garbage can.

EditChoosing Food to Fry

1. Make french fries at home for a tasty side dish. French fries are an easy way to test out your frying setup at home. Slice your potatoes yourself, or use thawed frozen French fries. You could also deep fry homemade potato chips or hashbrowns, too!^[17]
   
   • Consider making sweet potato fries for a healthy, delicious choice.
2. Try deep frying turkey or chicken for a yummy dinner meal. You can deep-fry a turkey or chicken in about 30-45 minutes. Use a large fryer or pot if you want to deep fry the entire bird, or use a stovetop pot or small fryer if you want to fry it in sections.^[18]
   
   • This is a great idea for a spin on Thanksgiving or a delicious family meal.
   • Do this outdoors to limit the risk of fire. Use a large vessel and enough oil to cover the bird. Lower it in carefully to avoid splashing!
3. Deep fry ice cream for a delicious treat. To do this, scoop your ice cream into spoon-sized balls, and coat them in an egg wash with corn flakes or bread. Then, deep fry the individual scoops for a tasty treat!^[19]
   
   • Do this if you want to make a carnival classic at home.
   • This can be done with any flavor and any type of outer coating. Don't just stick to vanilla and cornflakes if you don't want to!
4. Make your own mozzarella sticks by deep frying cheese. Use fresh mozzarella to make your own deep fried cheese sticks. In addition, get fancy with fried, French cheeses as a modern take on an hors d'oeuvre.^[20]
   
   
   • Use strips of fresh cheese for best results. You can also fry string cheese.
5. Fry candy bars for a delectable dessert. If you can coat the candy bar, you can deep fry it. Use candy like Snickers, Milky Way, Reese's, and Take 5, to name a few. Submerge your candy bar in pancake batter, then fry it until the batter is golden brown.
   
   • You can sprinkle powdered sugar over the candy bar for an extra touch of flavor.
   • Don't just stop at candy bars! Deep fry other treats like PB&J, pizza, and even Kool-Aid.

EditVideo

EditTips

• To fry your food consistently, use pieces of food that are the same size.
• The more oil used, the more constant the temperature of the oil will be. In addition, the oil will take longer to get too cold or hot.

EditWarnings

• Never leave a fryer unattended while it's over a heat source or plugged in!
• Keep a fire extinguisher on hand at all times.
• Use a thermometer to check the temperature of meat and fish you fry to ensure it is cooked thoroughly.
• If your pot is overcrowded, your food will not fry consistently.
• Do not multitask when frying food to prevent injuries.
• Do not put cold water or ice into hot oil. This can cause the oil to bubble violently.
• Plastic or rubber easily melts in hot oil.
• Be aware that the food and oil will be very hot once you increase the temperature.
• Keep any flammable objects far away from the fryer.

EditThings You’ll Need

• Frying vessel
• Oil (vegetable, canola, soybean, peanut, sunflower, grapeseed, etc.)
• Deep fry thermometer
• Paper towels or draining rack
• Seasoning
• Tongs
• Wooden spoon and/or slotted spoon
• Fry basket (optional)

EditRelated wikiHows

• Deep Fry Chestnuts
• Clean a Deep Fryer
• Bake Deep Fried Mozzarella Cheese Sticks
• Stir Fry

EditSources and Citations

EditQuick Summary

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