Refrying chicken is a common practice, but is it safe? Can chicken be refried in oil multiple times? Refrying chicken can prolong its shelf life and enhance flavors, but should be done carefully to avoid potential health risks. This article provides a comprehensive look at refrying chicken, including whether it’s safe, how to do it properly, and tips for the best results.
Is it Safe to Refry Chicken?
Refrying chicken can be safe if done properly. However, there are some health concerns to keep in mind:
- Acrylamide formation – Frying chicken once produces small amounts of acrylamide, a potentially carcinogenic chemical. Refrying can increase acrylamide levels further.
- Oxidation – Heating oil multiple times causes oxidation, which produces free radicals that can damage cells.
- Higher fat absorption – Refried foods absorb more oil, increasing calorie and fat intake.
That said, acrylamide and oxidation levels won’t necessarily be dangerous from occasionally refrying chicken. Moderation is key. Limiting reuses of oil and sticking to one refry will minimize risks.
Steps to Safely Refry Chicken
Follow these steps to safely refry chicken:
- Use fresh, high quality oil – Choose oils with a high smoke point like peanut or canola oil. Avoid using degraded, oxidized oil.
- Don’t let oil smoke – Heating oil to the smoking point increases oxidation. Keep temperature below smoking.
- Cook chicken thoroughly – Ensure chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F to kill any bacteria.
- Don’t overload the pan – Cook chicken in batches to maintain oil temperature and prevent simmering.
- Let oil cool between frying – Allowing oil to cool down can reduce oxidation.
- Strain oil after cooking – Straining helps remove food particles that can accelerate degradation.
- Limit oil reuse – Using oil more than 2-3 times increases risks. Freeze oil between uses.
How Many Times Can You Refry Chicken?
It’s best to limit refrying chicken to no more than one reuse of the oil. Here’s why:
- Oil will break down – Heating causes thermal degradation and hydrolysis of oil molecules.
- Higher oxidation – More free radicals form with repeated reheating, damaging oil quality.
- Increased viscosity – Oil will thicken with more reheating cycles, absorbing more fat.
- Higher smoke point – More frying cycles increase oil’s smoke point, leading to further deterioration.
- Off tastes – Oil can take on unpleasant metallic, fishy, or rancid flavors.
Frying chicken once produces some oxidation compounds and free fatty acids. But chemical changes multiply with each reuse, making oil less stable and more prone to smoking, foaming, and bitterness. For food safety, toss oil after two fries max.
How to Get the Best Results Refrying Chicken
Here are some tips for getting great flavor and texture when refrying chicken:
- Wait for chicken to come to room temp – Frying cold chicken can lower oil temp and increase greasiness.
- Use skin-on, bone-in chicken – Skin and bones help chicken stay juicy and absorb less oil.
- Choose large cuts – Refry bigger pieces like quarters or thighs rather than nuggets.
- Preheat oil to 350°F – Proper preheating helps seal in moisture.
- Fry lightly first time – Short initial fry of 2-3 minutes seals surface.
- Let chicken rest after initial fry – Allowing chicken to cool before refrying reduces overcooking.
- Reheat oil to 375°F for second fry – Hotter oil crisps the outside and cooks chicken through.
- Blot chicken before refrying – Removing excess surface oil reduces greasiness.
Following these best practices can help make your refried chicken extra crispy and flavorful.
How to Tell if Oil is Suitable for Refrying
Check for these signs that oil can be reused for refrying chicken:
- Clear, light yellow color – Oil shouldn’t look dark, cloudy or have debris.
- Neutral smell – It should not smell unpleasant or rancid.
- Thin, smooth texture – Oil shouldn’t be thick, foamy or sticky.
- Fries food evenly – It should bubble freely and fry foods evenly.
- Doesn’t smoke prematurely – Well-maintained oil shouldn’t smoke well below its smoke point.
Alternatively, look for these negative indicators that oil should be discarded:
- Dark, hazy appearance – This signals contaminants and molecular breakdown.
- Strong, unpleasant smell – Bad odors indicate oxidative rancidity.
- Thick, gloppy texture – Increased viscosity prevents proper frying.
- Foaming or bubbling – Excessive foaming likely means water contamination.
- Smoking early – This points to decreased smoke point from use.
Best Oils for Refrying
The best oils for refrying chicken have high smoke points and neutral flavors. Top choices include:
- Peanut oil – Ideal flavor, 450°F smoke point.
- Canola oil – Versatile, 400°F smoke point.
- Avocado oil – Full-flavored, 520°F smoke point.
- Palm oil – Resists oxidation, 455°F smoke point.
- Sunflower oil – Affordable, 440°F smoke point.
Avoid olive oil for refrying. It has a low smoke point and distinctive flavor that dominates food. Stick to more neutral oils better suited for frying.
Refrying Chicken Without Oil
You can “refry” already-fried chicken without using any additional oil in an oven or air fryer. This eliminates risks from degraded oil while still crisping up the outside. Try either of these oil-free methods:
- Oven – Place fried chicken on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 10-15 minutes until hot and crisp.
- Air fryer – Set air fryer to 380°F and cook fried chicken for 5-10 minutes, flipping halfway.
Baking or air frying previously fried chicken is a healthier option than frying again. But the texture won’t be quite as crunchy without the bubbly hot oil.
How Many Times Can You Reuse Cooking Oil?
| Oil Type | Reuses |
|---|---|
| Extra virgin olive oil | 1 reuse |
| Butter/ghee | 1 reuse |
| Vegetable oil | 2-3 reuses |
| Canola oil | 2-3 reuses |
| Peanut oil | 2-3 reuses |
| Palm oil | 3-4 reuses |
| Grapeseed oil | 3-4 reuses |
| Sunflower oil | 3-4 reuses |
The optimal number of reuses depends on the oil’s smoke point and resistance to oxidation. More delicate oils like olive should be tossed sooner. Processed oils made for frying can last slightly longer with 3-4 uses. But limit all oils to this range for best safety and quality.
Storing Used Cooking Oil
Properly storing used cooking oil between frying sessions helps preserve quality and freshness:
- Let oil fully cool before storing – Hot oil continues oxidizing.
- Strain out food particles – Bits accelerate degradation.
- Store oil in a closed container – An airtight jar prevents oxidation.
- Refrigerate oil – The cold slows down oxidative reactions.
- Never mix fresh and used oil – This hastens deterioration.
- Label container with date – So you know how old it is.
- Limit storage time – Discard oil after 1-2 months max.
With the right storage methods, oil can maintain quality for a reuse or two. But don’t keep it much beyond that – rancid oil poses health hazards.
Health Risks of Reusing Cooking Oil
Frequently reusing cooking oil carries some health concerns. Potential risks include:
- Carcinogens – Thermal processing creates compounds like acrylamide linked to cancer.
- Inflammation – Oxidized lipids trigger inflammatory responses in the body.
- Heart disease – Consuming oxidized oil raises bad cholesterol.
- Liver damage – Toxins from degraded oil stress the liver.
- Digestive issues – Rancid oil can cause diarrhea, cramps and nausea.
Minimizing oil reuses, avoiding overheating and tossing it when it smells or looks bad helps reduce exposure to these compounds. Moderation is important.
Signs Your Cooking Oil Has Gone Bad
Watch for these red flags that used cooking oil is unfit for reuse:
- Darkening color
- Thick, viscous texture
- Greasy film on utensils
- Bubbling or foaminess
- Smoking at low temps
- Burnt, nutty, fishy smell
- Sour, rancid odor
- Bitter, unpleasant taste
Oils with these degradation signs contain potentially harmful levels of free radicals, aldehydes and other toxic breakdown chemicals. Avoid consuming these oils and toss them out immediately.
How to Dispose of Used Cooking Oil
Never pour large amounts of used oil down the drain. Follow these safe disposal methods instead:
- Add to compost in small quantities – Large amounts can overwhelm compost.
- Mix with kitty litter or sand – This absorbs oil for trash disposal.
- Bring to a recycling center – Some accept used cooking oil.
- Contact local restaurants – They sometimes collect oil for biofuel.
- Create bird feeders – Spread on pinecones and hang outside.
- Generate biodiesel fuel – DIY kits convert used oil into fuel.
Properly disposing of cooking oil keeps it from clogging pipes and polluting water. And recycling oil for other uses gives it renewed purpose.
Conclusion
Refrying chicken can be safe in moderation by using high quality oil at proper temperatures. Limit oil reuse to just one or two extra fryings. Look for signs of degradation like dark color, thick texture and bad smells to know when to toss oil. With the right guidelines, you can safely refry chicken to a crispy, golden brown.