Can you reuse oil after cooking with it? Chef settles debate

It’s important to know how many times you can reuse oil when cooking with it

Frying is a widely loved cooking technique embraced by cultures around the world for countless generations. It involves preparing food in hot oil to achieve a unique texture and taste.

Commonly fried items include chips, chicken and even vegetables.

One recurring question is whether cooking oil can and should be reused following frying. Fortunately, the answer is straightforward.

According to specialists at King Arthur Baking, frying oil has a considerably longer shelf life than many people expect.

They explained it can be used multiple times before requiring disposal. Reusing oil is among the most effective ways to minimise both the waste and expense associated with frying.

The general agreement on reusing oil is that it can be used two to three times for fried, breaded items such as chicken.

For plain vegetables or potatoes, it may remain viable for approximately four to six uses.

However, it does require thorough cleaning and straining before it can be reused safely.

Ian Fujimoto, known as @iankyo on TikTok, boasts over 1.6 million followers and regularly shares his mouth-watering recipes and culinary advice.

In one clip, which has amassed more than 700,000 likes and over 1,000 comments, the chef revealed his approach to handling used cooking oil.

He said: “I get asked a lot what I do with my used fry oil. Typically, after you fry something, there’ll be lots of little bits stuck in the oil, but that doesn’t mean your oil is bad.

“It just means that you can clean it, cool it and store it again to use later.”

To clean the oil, Ian explained that he passes it through a fine-mesh sieve to eliminate the larger particles, while leaving much of the finer residue behind.

He added: “The other method that I find is way more effective is using a cornstarch slurry. That’s one part water to one part cornstarch.”

The chef then introduces this slurry into hot oil and watches as all the debris binds to the cornstarch.

Ian said: “It kind of works like gum where it becomes really sticky and it just grabs ahold of everything. Then all we need to do is go ahead and remove it.”

The technique works regardless of the type of oil being used, whether that’s sunflower, vegetable or olive. Ian reuses his oil on multiple occasions before it requires replacing.

Should the oil develop a sour or paint-like smell, or if it has turned particularly dark and thick, it ought to be discarded straight away.