When is it better to fry with oil and when is it better to fry with butter?
I usually see people frying eggs with butter and sometimes with soy oil - for example. But there are a lot of other ocasions in which these two options appear. My guess is that there are kinds of frying, for example: When you want to fry eggs, it's better to do it with butter, this is a kind of lighter frying. But when you are frying chips, it's better to do it with oil, this is a kind of heavy frying in which the food much receive more heat for a long time (I guess that oil can reach temperatures higher than butter).
Best Answer
Basically it all depends on temperature:
Every fat or oil has a specific smoke point (see here for a list), at which temperature it starts to degrade. That means, not all oils are suitable for every heat, or all types of frying. Some types of oil should remain "cold", like extra-virgin olive oil.
Butter has a rather low smoke point (325-375 °F or 163-190 °C) due to milk solids. So, frying with butter is a bit tricky temperature-wise, but often butter is choosen for taste. (Clarified butter, on the other hand, has a smoke point of ca. 485 °F or 252 °C, which makes it usable for pan- or deep-frying. The taste is somewhat similar to butter, but not equal.)
As eggs are typically fried at a "low" temperature, using butter is fine. An example from the opposite end of the heat range would be asian cuisine, where food is prepared in a wok at very high heat. (I won't give recommendations what to use & when, as there are subtle differences, even between brands. If in doubt, read the label.)
So, to cut a long story short:
Decide what you want to do, how hot your pan is going to be and pick the matching oil.
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Quick Answer about "When is it better to fry with oil and when is it better to fry with butter?"
When cooking over very high heat, use oil, which is less likely to burn. When sautéing with medium-high heat, you may opt for butter, which adds a nice flavor. However, the milk solids in the butter can burn, or brown, affecting the color and taste of your food.Is it better to fry in oil or butter?
NHS advice is to replace \u201cfoods high in saturated fat with lower-fat versions\u201d and warns against frying food in butter or lard, recommending instead corn oil, sunflower oil and rapeseed oil. Saturated fats raise cholesterol levels, increasing the risk of heart disease.Should you fry with butter?
Butter works great for frying thin pieces of meat or fish where light browning is desired. It also works well for vegetables that have been cut into uniform sizes. To pan-fry with butter, preheat your pan over medium heat and add butter.Why do you fry oil and butter?
The idea is appealing: butter offers great flavor but smokes and turns acrid at a relatively low temperature. Meanwhile, most neutral oils have a much higher smoke point, but are lacking in the flavor department.Should You Fry Eggs in Oil or Butter?
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