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Oils & fats · Cooking oils

Red palm oil

Deep orange-red unrefined palm fruit oil, essential to West African stews and Brazilian Bahian dishes.

Also called: dendê oil, azeite de dendê, palm oil

Around the world: azeite de dendê (pt)

26 recipes with it

What it is

Red palm oil (dendê) is pressed from the fleshy fruit of the oil palm and left unrefined, so it keeps a vivid orange-red colour and an earthy, slightly savoury flavour. It is semi-solid in cool weather. It is different from refined palm oil, which is colourless and neutral, and from palm kernel oil.

How it’s used

  • West African stews such as egusi and red red
  • Brazilian moqueca and acarajé
  • Jollof and palm-oil rice
  • Frying plantains and beans

Characteristics

Taste
Earthy, savoury, faintly carrot-like.
Appearance
Orange-red; sets semi-solid when cool.
When cooked
Colours everything it touches; do not overheat or it turns bitter and loses colour.
Sold as
liquid
Cooking uses
Commonly cooked, Suitable for frying

Storage

Pantry-stable. Keep capped at room temperature; it may separate or solidify, which is normal. Stir or warm gently before use.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
884 kcal
Protein
0 g
Carbohydrate
0 g
Fat
100 g
Fibre
0 g
Sugars
0 g

USDA FoodData Central: Oil, palm.

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Neutral vegetable oil — For cooking only; add paprika or annatto for colour, but the flavour will be missing.

Related ingredients

Recipes with red palm oil

See all 26

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