The Best Oil To Use In An Air Fryer

You do not need to add oil to air fryers to serve up delicious air-fried food. But there are some occasions where adding a little bit of oil can make a massive difference. Adding oil can enhance the food’s flavor and crispiness, as well as reduce the clean-up time.

But what is the best oil to use? If your kitchen is like mine, you likely have a few half-filled bottles of various oils and cooking sprays already. At the store there is a wide variety of different oils at different prices to choose from.

To help you decide I have pulled together the important information on each type of oil and tested some of them as well.

Table of Contents

Why use oil in an air fryer

You might be wondering why you are reading an article on the best oil to use in an air fryer. As air fryers don’t need oil, right? Correct, you do not need to add oil to an air fryer to cook tasty air-fried food.

But adding a little oil can help increase the crispiness of certain foods. This you will notice both in the appearance of the food and when eating it.

You might also consider adding some oil to the bottom of the air fryer basket if you are finding food is sticking to the bottom. Adding oil forms a barrier between the food and the air fryer basket stopping the food from sticking.

You only need to consider using oil when air frying food with a lower-fat content. Food with a lower-fat content is more likely to stick to the basket or not crisp sufficiently. For example, when cooking fried chicken it is best to spray oil directly onto the floury batter of the fried chicken halfway through the cooking process.

You don’t need to consider adding oil if you are cooking foods like frozen french fries, as these are already coated in oil. High-fat content food like sausages and burgers also don’t need more oil as they will release their oily grease as they cook.

How much oil should you use when air frying?

One of the main reasons for buying an air fryer is because the food you cook will be healthier than if you fried it on the stove or in a deep-fat fryer. This is because even if you decide to add oil, air fryers use less oil compared to deep frying or frying in a pan.

If you do use oil, you do not need to add much to stop the food from sticking or to help it crisp up. I recommend adding one to two tablespoons of oil directly onto the food or the air fryer basket. This can be done using either an oil sprayer or by brushing it on. If you have a large air fryer and you are cooking a large amount of food, you may need to add more.

What should I consider when picking a type of oil to use when air frying?

In theory, you can put any oil in an air fryer, but they are not all equal.

When considering which oil to use, start by looking at the smoke point of the oil. The smoke point is the temperature that the oil will start smoking and giving off a burnt smell. If smoke is produced it will impact the quality of your food and fill your kitchen with an unpleasant smell.

It is best to avoid low smoke point oils as these oils will start to smoke at a lower temperature. You want to use oils that are stable at high temperatures. Oils to avoid as they have a low smoke point include…

Butter – 302 F (150 c)
Tallow or lard – 374 F (190 c)
Extra virgin olive oil – 374 f (190 c)
Unrefined oils – For example unrefined coconut oil – 350 F (177 c)

In addition to the oils’ smoke point, I assessed the oils based on their cost per 100 ml and their healthiness. I then tested a few of the oils when cooking to see if there was any impact to how the food looked and tasted.

Results from testing

I added four oils to my air fryer to see if all of them would prevent some chicken fillets from sticking to the basket. As you can see not much chicken stuck to the basket as would have been the case with no oil.

The chicken which was placed in the olive oil area of the basket stuck the most and was harder to turn/take out than the other three. The other three oils performed about the same. The sunflower oil area had the least chicken stuck to the basket.

This is hardly a scientific test but demonstrates the value of using oil to stop food from sticking to the basket. You can use a parchment paper or silicone liner instead of oil to stop food from sticking to the basket.

What are the best oils to use in an air fryer?

Avocado Oil

Avocado oil in my opinion is the best oil you can use in your air fryer.

Smoke Point: 520 F (270 c)
Cost: £1.20 per 100 ml

Though Avocado oil is the most expensive oil I tested, £1.20 per 100 ml. Avocado oil is widely regarded as the healthiest oil to use when air frying. The extra cost is worth it, as avocado oil has the highest smoke point which is well above the temperatures your air fryer can generate. Avocado oil has a neutral flavor, so your food will taste as you intended.

It is also an oil that offers considerable health benefits. Avocado oil as it is high in both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. These types of fats are better for you than saturated fats. Avocado oil can reduce cholesterol and blood pressure. It can also help improve heart, eye, and skin health. To understand more about the health benefits of avocado oil, here is a WebMD.com article on the nutritional value of avocado oil.

Note, though it is not a common allergen some people can be allergic to avocados and their oil.

Extra Light Olive Oil

With a higher smoke point vs. other olive oils, this is a great oil for those who are allergic to avocado, nuts or sesame.

Smoke Point: 450 F (232 c)
Cost: 62p per 100 ml

Extra light olive oil is a refined olive oil, it can withstand higher temperatures than other olive oils. It is lower in cost than avocado oil but offers similar health benefits, a neutral flavor, and a high smoking point.

Extra light olive oil offers many of the same health benefits as other olive oils. Potential benefits include supporting a healthy heart, brain, and bones. For more on the health benefits of olive oil, this WebMD.com article provides a great summary.

I did though struggle to find extra light olive oil in my local store. Despite a massive range of olive oils available in store. If you can find it, this is a suitable mid-priced oil for use in your air fryer. It is certainly a good choice for a household wary of food allergens.

Other olive oils can be used, but they have lower smoke points.

Sunflower Oil

With a low cost and a high smoke point, Sunflower oil is the best oil for those on a budget.

Smoke Point: 450 F (232 c)
Cost: 24p per 100 ml

Sunflower oil is available at a low cost, has a high smoke point, has a near-neutral flavor, and is regularly available. Sunflower oil is the budget option of choice.

It does offer some potential health benefits to help maintain a healthy heart, brain, and nerves. If you want to read more about the health benefits of sunflower oil, here is an in-depth WebMD.com article.

All stores will have it and you are likely to have some already in your cupboard. If minimizing costs and time in the store are key factors for you, use sunflower oil in your air fryer.

Other oils to consider

Coconut Oil

Smoke Point: 450 F (232 c)
Cost: £1.10 per 100 ml

Coconut oil has a great neutral flavor, but you need to buy refined coconut oil. Unrefined coconut has a much lower smoke point c.400 F (204 c). This is close to the temperature that most air fryer recipes suggest you cook at. If you buy unrefined coconut oil don’t be surprised if it burns and creates smoke.

Refined coconut oil if used offers health benefits and includes supporting your body to maintain a healthy brain, skin, and hair. Coconut oil can also make you feel fuller for longer. Coconut oil is high in saturates which can increase your cholesterol. Here is a WebMD.com article that provides more information on the benefits of coconut oil.

If the health benefits offered by coconut oil are not appealing. You may want to consider avocado oil as it is only marginally more expensive than coconut oil. But avocado oil has a far superior smoke point (15.5% higher than coconut oil). Avocado oil is more expensive but only 9% more per 100 ml.

Ghee

Smoke Point: 450 F (232 c)
Cost: £1.08 Per 100 grams

Ghee or clarified butter is a stable oil to use in your air fryer, with a high smoke point. It also offers a range of health benefits, but at a cost close to avocado oil. It provides a slightly nutty flavor.

Ghee is also not suitable for vegans or followers of a dairy-free diet.

Ghee does offer some potential health benefits as it is high in vitamins, antioxidants, and good fats. One health benefit is it is high in butyrate which can help reduce inflammation in your body. The potential health benefits of Ghee are listed in this useful article.

If you are follow a vegan or diary free diet, avocado oil or coconut oil will be a better option at around the same cost.

Sesame Oil

Smoke Point: 450 F (232 c)
Cost: 76p per 100 ml

Sesame oil has a high smoke point and a mid-range price point. It also has a nutty flavor.

Sesame oil has the potential to improve heart health, reduce inflammation, regulate blood sugar levels, and improve your mental health. This is down to the blend of omega fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamin E. For more information on the potential health benefits of sesame oil, this WebMD.com article provides a great overview.

Unfortunately, some people are allergic to sesame. Despite its potential health benefits and high smoke point, it is not an oil you can use all the time due to the allergen risk and its nutty flavor.

Grapeseed Oil

Smoke Point: 421 F (216 c)
Cost: 82p per 100 ml

Grapeseed oil has a lower smoke point than most of the oils above, it is though still above the temperature most air fryers operate. The cost per 100 ml is not the highest but as the smoke point is quite low I would consider other oils. Sunflower or extra light olive oil offer a higher smoke point at a lower-cost.

Grapeseed oil though does contain more vitamin E than olive oil and offers other potential health benefits. To read more about these benefits WebMD.com has an informative article on grapeseed oil.

Canola Oil

Smoke Point: 400 F (204 c)
Cost: 45p per 100 ml

Canola oil has a smoke point in line with the temperatures most air fryers operate at. The smoke point is the lowest of the oils listed. The cost of canola oil makes it one of the cheaper oils I looked at.

Canola oil is refined, meaning it has gone through a mechanical process to extract the oil. This might put some people off from using it. It does though offer potential health benefits related to supporting a healthy heart, read more about those in this article.

Peanut/Groundnut Oil

Smoke Point: 450 F (232 c)
Cost: 40p per 100 ml

Peanut/groundnut oil has a high smoke point and has one of the lower cost points per 100 ml. However, if you have a nut allergy or cooking for someone that does this oil is not an option.

It also doesn’t have a neutral flavor, unsurprisingly it has a nutty flavor. This may be an advantage if you cook a recipe (chicken satay skewers) that contains nuts and want to enhance the nutty flavor.

If used, peanut oil does offer some health benefits including supporting a healthy heart, reducing cholesterol, and helping to control diabetes. However, with nut allergies being one of the most common allergies, it might not be an oil you can use all the time. If you want to know more here is a great article on the benefits and risks of peanut oil.

If you are not regularly cooking recipes containing nuts or you are concerned about food allergies. Other options exist at a similar cost and smoke point to peanut/ground nut oil.

Common questions

Where to put the oil in an air fryer?

If you are using oil to help your food become crispier, spray or use a basting brush to apply a small amount of oil onto your food. This can be done at the start of the cooking process or halfway through.

Oil can be used to stop food from sticking to the air fryer basket. Spray or brush a thin layer of oil onto the basket where the food will sit.

Do not submerge your food in oil like you would with a deep-fat fryer.

How much oil do you put in an air fryer?

An air fryer is not a deep fat fryer, you do not need to use much oil at all. You don’t need to use any oil when cooking most foods in an air fryer.

The main two reasons to use oil in an air fryer is to stop food sticking to the basket or to make food crispier. When using oil in air fryer you only need to use enough oil to cover the basket area or the food you are cooking. This will be between one and two tablespoons depending on the size of your air fryer. If you are using an oil spray, you only need to spray once or twice.

What are the healthiest oils to use in an air fryer?

The healthiest oils for air frying are those with a high smoke point (450 F +) and neutral flavor. The top three are…

Avocado oil – very high smoke point (520 F) and high in both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
Coconut oil – a marginally lower cost per 100ml than Avocado oil, it still has a high smoke point of 450 F and offers a range of potential health benefits.
Extra light olive oil – lower in cost than both above, but it still has a high smoke point (450 F). Potential benefits include supporting a healthy heart, brain, and bones.

Best oil for french fries

In my opinion, sunflower oil is the best oil to use when cooking french fries from scratch in an air fryer. You could also use Canola oil or vegetable oil.

If air frying oven-ready frozen french fries, these will already be coated in oil. There is no need to add more oil.

Can I use cooking spray instead of oil in an air fryer?

In my experience cooking sprays are not effective at stopping food from sticking to your air fryer basket. A better option would be to buy an oil sprayer and use it with an oil with a high smoke point.

Can you use butter in an air fryer?

Yes, you can use butter in an air fryer, but it has a low smoke point. I would not use it to stop food from sticking as likely it will melt and burn off. I would use butter by adding it at the end of the cooking process to provide extra flavor.

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