12 Deep Frying Mistakes You May Not Even Know You're Making

Deep frying isn't an easy cooking process for anyone. Whether you're a professional chef or a home cook, deep frying can be riddled with mistakes. This is undoubtedly one of the cooking methods that requires your full attention and utmost precision. Over the years as an executive chef and line cook, I've dealt with many unfortunate deep frying situations, and I've definitely learned a few things along the way. 

Firstly, before you begin frying, you must have a good thermometer to help monitor the process. Maintaining a steady temperature is crucial in ensuring that you end up with the perfect fry. Secondly, having all your equipment laid out before you even think about turning on your stovetop is a good way to avoid any surprises. Lastly, make sure you're staying safe by wearing kitchen-appropriate clothing. When everything is finished, don't forget to let your oil cool completely before disposing of it. These are just a few things you should ingrain in your mind before you attempt the perfect fried chicken.

Yes, deep frying is definitely messy and can be quite dangerous — however, that shouldn't deter you from deep frying your potato gnocchi or from making these legitimately crispy French fries at home. By looking out for these 12 common deep frying mistakes, you will be able to do it just like a professional.

If you fear soggy, undercooked fried chicken, you might be compelled to raise the temperature of your fryer oil. This is the perfect time to remind yourself that a high oil temperature doesn't always result in crispy, crunchy fried food. In order to be the best possible deep fryer, you must understand that fryer oil is pretty finicky, and a slight temperature rise could be unforgiving.

There are many factors at risk whenever you're frying at too high of a temperature. You may possibly end up scorching and burning your food, resulting in a bitter and overpowering taste. So, not only will your food be blackened and burned, it will also be completely undercooked.

One way to make sure you're not overly heating your oil is by constantly checking the temperature with a thermometer. Keep your fryer oil between 350 to 365 degrees Fahrenheit and always keep your stovetop on a medium to medium-high heat. With all the elbow grease that goes into deep frying, the last thing you want is for your precious fried food to end up in the trash can. So, be sure to avoid frying at a high temperature and always cook at a consistent degree.

When it comes to temperature, many folks veer toward one end of the spectrum and fear burnt fried food. However, frying at low temperatures is just as bad as frying at high temperatures. Anytime you deep fry at a low temperature, your food will absorb a substantial amount of excess oil, causing your treasured fried food to turn into a soggy, oil-filled disappointment.

Not only will it turn into a mushy pile of sadness, but deep frying at a low temperature will also result in a lighter color and less flavor development. It is every chef and home cook's goal when deep frying to obtain a perfectly golden exterior. Don't let your food go to waste by frying at a low temperature.

One way to ensure you're frying at the ideal temperature is by trying Racheal Ray's quick trick to tell when your frying oil is hot enough. However, using a thermometer is the best way to get the most effective results. This will definitely guarantee you're not frying at a low temperature, which helps if you want to fry food without wasting money.

A common mistake made by home cooks and professional chefs alike is not salting your food immediately after frying. If you're letting your fried food turn cold before salting, you might not achieve a balanced salty flavor. That's why you want to be sure to immediately salt your fried food while it's still piping hot, or else the salt will have a difficult time coating and penetrating the food properly.

A good trick to make sure you're salting your fried delights immediately after you've placed them on the wired drying rack is by having a little dish with salt resting on your landing pad. This is a perfect reminder to season as you go. During the quick cooking process of deep frying, it's easy to forget a few different steps along the way; however, this simple trick will ensure you don't end up with flavorless fried green tomatoes, for instance. It'll also guarantee that you won't ruin your dinner plans by forgetting to salt your Taiwanese popcorn chicken or plate of crispy and crunchy fried calamari right out of the fryer.

Another mistake you might be making when deep frying is not using a wired rack as a landing pad for all of your freshly fried food. It's common for people to place their fried food on a paper towel-lined plate. While this method may be effective in wicking away excess oil, it simultaneously creates a steamy, wet environment that will damage the structure of fried food. All of your hard work and effort could turn into a soggy plate of disappointment in minutes.

To combat this pesky problem, use a wired rack after frying. Its flat, suspended structure and interwoven metal strands allow the excess oil to drip off and for air to circulate freely. All you need is a wired rack over a paper towel-lined baking sheet for this trick. The excess oil will drip off onto the paper towel while letting the air circulate, guaranteeing a perfectly crispy exterior.

The ideal setup is to have your batter or dredge on one side, your fryer oil in the middle, and your wired rack set up on the other side. If you want to take it a step further, you can put your oven on a low temperature with an additional baking sheet to keep everything warm while you're frying. This will guarantee an easy cooking process and ensure your fried foods stay crispy and crunchy.

Guessing the temperature of your fryer oil is one of the biggest mistakes you can make when deep frying. Your frying oil could easily be too hot, filling your kitchen with smoke or burning the exterior of your food. Even worse, it could be too cold and all your battered delights can absorb a copious amount of excess oil. All of these mistakes can be sizzled away by using one crucial kitchen tool: the thermometer.

Thermometers are one of the essential kitchen tools that you need to use when deep frying at home, as they help control the temperature of your oil. During the frying process, your oil can drop temperature whenever you place and remove your ingredients in the pot, increasing and decreasing its temperature along the way. Using a thermometer will help you accurately gauge the exact temperature of your oil to ensure you're keeping a steady fry. If you're striving to have an easy time and achieve the ideal fry, don't forget your thermometer. 

Using the wrong type of fryer oil can be one of the easiest mistakes to make for the amateur deep fryer. One thing to understand is that every oil has a smoke point, whether it's vegetable, sesame, or extra-virgin olive oil, and you want to make sure you use a neutral oil that has a high smoke point. As the term suggests, a high smoke point oil refers to a cooking oil that can withstand high temperatures without starting to smoke. If you use an oil with a low smoke point, you can wind up filling your kitchen with smoke and burning your cooking oil, resulting in a bitter, burnt taste in your food.

For this reason, you'll want to fry with neutral oils like vegetable, soybean, peanut, or corn. Since these oils have a high smoke point, they're perfect for deep frying. There are certain times when you should use a neutral oil, and deep frying is definitely a great example. Remember to avoid oils with a low smoke point like olive oil and coconut oil for deep frying. These oils are pretty delicate and can't withstand the high and consistent temperature you need to deep fry foods.

After you've decided what delectable deep fry recipe you want to try, the next step is choosing the right cookware vessel. Whether you're frying up these scrumptious custard-filled Boston cream donuts or this classic buttermilk fried chicken recipe, picking the proper cookware is a crucial step in the deep frying process. When shuffling through your kitchen equipment, leave behind your sauté pans and stock pots. The most efficient vessel to deep fry in will always be a heavy-bottom, deep-enameled pot like a trusty Dutch oven.

With your fryer oil temperature constantly fluctuating during the cooking process, a heavy-bottom Dutch oven is the best choice since it can maintain a consistent temperature. The heat disperses into the sides and bottom, ensuring the temperature raises gradually, so your oil doesn't get too hot. Steady temperature stability calls for even heat disruption, and once you've achieved a balanced temperature, you're on the right path to obtaining thoroughly cooked food.

After a long session of deep frying, the last task you want to think of is how you're gonna properly dispose of your fryer oil. First things first: It's always best to let your fryer oil cool completely in the pot you used to avoid any oil splatters or burns. Once the oil has completely cooled down, you can filter it through a sieve and store it, so you can reuse it later. Alternatively, if the oil doesn't have the potential to be reused again, you can pour it into a sealed container and dispose of it at your local cooking oil and grease recyclers. Most recycling centers and garbage collectors can assist you in finding the ethical place to properly dispose of your oil.

If you're striving to be the best deep fryer around town, you should know that improperly disposing of your leftover oil can have serious consequences. A deep fryer novice must know that you should never dispose of your fryer oil down your kitchen sink. This can cause a multitude of issues, including wreaking havoc on your plumbing and causing your kitchen pipes to clog, along with negatively impacting your local environment. There are plenty of reasonable ways to dispose of your fryer oil, but pouring it down the drain isn't one of them.

Successful deep frying comes with a lot of tasks like maintaining a precise oil temperature, using the correct cookware, and of course, not forgetting to salt your food after frying. One of the most overlooked or forgotten tasks is making sure you're in the right outfit when deep frying. Since deep frying is pretty dangerous, as far as cooking methods go, one of the best ways to ensure you're completely safe is by wearing the right clothes.

When deep frying, you should dress like how a chef would in a professional kitchen setting. Of course, you certainly don't need to purchase a fancy white chef coat to prepare a simple churro recipe. However, you do want to ensure that any exposed skin close to the stovetop is completely covered. Wearing a long-sleeve shirt, pants, closed-toed shoes, and a sturdy apron will protect you from a cooking catastrophe. This will prevent any unfortunate oil splatters or burns from happening, so you can focus on getting the perfect golden fry.

Deep frying can be an exciting experience. Watching your carefully crafted homemade doughnuts fry until golden brown is like watching a good movie. However, don't overwhelm yourself and get too excited, as another mistake you could be unconsciously making when deep frying is overcrowding your fryer pot. An overcrowded fryer pot might cause a few issues like uneven cooking, undercooked food items, or excess oil absorption, turning all your dreams of having perfectly fried food into a greasy, soggy, and unappetizing nightmare.

Deep frying may be a quick cooking process, but it shouldn't be rushed. When too many items are placed in the fryer pot, moisture and steam are released. This causes the temperature of the fryer oil to lower significantly, preventing you from obtaining a crispy and crunchy exterior. 

The best method to combat overcrowding in your pot is to fry everything in batches. By frying a few items at a time, the food wanders can freely drift around in the pot, allowing it to properly release excess moisture or steam. Always be sure to regulate the temperature of oil in between batches to maintain a steady temperature. By using the batch method, you can easily keep a consistent temperature while getting a golden exterior and thoroughly cooked interior.

If you're relatively new to the world of deep frying, you might not be informed about how often you should change the oil in your deep fryer. To get one thing straight: Yes, fryer oil can be reused several times, so sometimes throwing out your oil can be a huge mistake. However, be cautious when you're reusing cooking oil. Never reuse the fryer oil that you used to cook savory recipes such as beer-batter fish tacos, especially if you plan on making something sweet like New Orleans beignets afterward.

You also have to be cautious of cooking oil degradation, which occurs when the chemical compounds in your cooking oil are broken down over time, rendering your oil unusable. Therefore, if you plan to reuse your fryer oil, it's important to be vigilant and keep an eye out for signs of degradation. The first sign to watch out for is your oil darkening in color, which could mean that your oil is either burnt or has a heavy amount of leftover batter sediment. The second indicator of degradation is the smell. Go ahead and give your oil a big whiff. If the oil smells rancid, it's probably time to recycle it. The third sign is most crucial — the smoke point. If your used oil is starting to fume at a low temperature, this means your oil smoke point has broken down — in other words, you've reached the point of no return. Ultimately, if you want to be the best deep fryer, try to not neglect these cooking oil attributes, unless you want your beloved fried food to taste bitter and unappetizing.

Deep-fried food is undoubtedly delicious, but it is one of the most dangerous and accident-prone cooking methods you can possibly do at home. By not having proper safety precautions, you could be making a massive mistake.

Just like any other oil, your fryer oil is a flammable liquid. The USDA recommends always having a kitchen fire extinguisher nearby when deep frying, and in the event of a grease fire, never use water to put out the flames. Since water can cause hot oil to splatter and spread, the best way to put out a grease fire is by using a fire extinguisher or covering the fryer with a metal lid. Alongside those safety precautions, you should never leave your fryer oil alone and should closely monitor it instead. What's more, always make sure to use the correct amount of oil to prevent the pot from overspilling onto the stovetop, and steer away from using wet foods to prevent any excess oil splatters. Keeping these safety precautions in mind will surely help you create a safe kitchen environment when deep frying.