While many oils will keep ingredients from sticking, not all oils can be heated as hot as you want for a stir-fry, or they may break down and end up in a sticky mess. Trial and error may be your best teacher, but there are some general guidelines that will help you get started choosing the best cooking oil for your stir-fry. Let's take a look.
Higher Smoking Point
If you're thinking about learning how to stir-fry, you've probably already heard the term 'smoke point.' Put simply, you don't want the oil you use to smoke as temperatures increase. A stir-fry requires high heat for fast cooking. If the oil starts to smoke, your food will end up scorched, stuck, and off-tasting. Some oils that are considered to have a 'high smoke point' are:
rice bran
peanut
canola
corn
safflower
Rice bran oil may not be your first thought, but it's listed first for a reason. This is an oil that has an exceptionally high smoke point. It is very slippery which makes a big difference, especially when cooking the protein in your stir-fry. Rice bran oil is becoming easier to find now and well worth the search.
Peanut oil is also commonly used in stir-fry cooking because it's readily available, has a very high smoke point, and tastes good. Canola oil and corn oil are easily found and reasonably priced, and for these reasons, are very practical. Safflower oil is a good choice, but can be priced a bit higher.
Grapeseed oil is used by some stir-fry fans, but I didn't include it here because the smoking point isn't as high as the other oils listed, and it's expensive. The taste may be a bit off-putting for some, too.
With that said, there is one thing you need to know about all these oils. Only oils that are 'refined' have a high smoke point. Unrefined oils, even in this group, have a very low smoke point, sometimes as low as 200 degrees. You want your oil's smoke point to be in the 450 to 500 degree range. When you choose your oil, look for the word 'refined' on the label or do some research before you buy.
Lower Smoking Point
The debate over the merits of all these oils continues, and can be contradictory and confusing. There are reasons why the following oils are considered less than desirable for a high heat cooking method, like stir-fry. You may or may not agree with my reasoning, but it's something to consider. These are the oils that I do not recommend for stir-fry dishes:
olive
sesame
soy
vegetable
coconut
The most surprising oil here may be olive oil. Many of us buy olive oil for the health benefits, as well as the taste. However, in order to take advantage of the benefits of olive oil, you have to buy extra-virgin, unrefined olive oil. Great! It tastes good and is healthy. But, because it is unrefined, it will smoke and burn at low temperatures. If you still want to use olive oil, you can find 'light olive oil' which is basically a mixture of canola oil and refined olive oil, which makes it safe to cook at high heat. But, you are not getting the health or taste benefits you may be looking for in olive oil. For that reason, I stick to the high heat oils for stir-fry and save my olive oil for other uses.
Sesame oil is used in many stir-fry dishes. The flavor is heavenly! However, no matter what the recipe says, do not use it to fry. Throw it in the dish after the cooking is completed. The flavor and integrity of the sesame oil is protected and you save your entire dish from burning.
Soybean oil is popular, but the same people who are using it are also complaining that their wok has a sticky residue. This is the soy breaking down under the high heat condition required to stir-fry. I don't recommend using it.
Vegetable oil is just a catch-all word for oil made from vegetables, a variety of vegetables. Thrown all together, you really can't be assured of the taste or smoke point. I like to know where my oil comes from, so I don't buy this oil for any purpose.
Coconut oil may be another surprise. Yes, coconut oil is often used for stir-fries, but, again, it has to be refined in order to have a high smoke point. Just like olive oil, many of us choose coconut oil for the health benefits. So, if we're buying coconut oil for the nutrients, be aware that these healthy, raw coconut oil products are not going to have a high smoke point.
Storage Tips
All oils can deteriorate if not stored properly. Keep oil in a cool, dark place, and in its original container with a tight seal. The exception is sesame oil, which should be refrigerated. It will get grainy looking, but will quickly loosen up when you remove it from the refrigerator and give it a shake.
When you stir-fry a meal, you must do it at a high heat. If you try to lower the heat to keep the oil from smoking, you will end up with steamed food instead of stir-fried food. Choose the oil that works best and you'll be able to confidently cook delicious stir-fry dishes.
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