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Neutral vegetable oil

Oils & fats · Cooking oils

Neutral vegetable oil

Any neutral-tasting refined oil (canola, rapeseed, corn, soybean or blends) for everyday and high-heat cooking.

Also called: vegetable oil, canola oil, rapeseed oil, cooking oil, neutral oil, corn oil

A kind of cooking oil

663 recipes with it

Photo: Lemone, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-4.0)

What it is

Vegetable oil is a catch-all name for refined, flavourless oils such as canola/rapeseed, soybean, corn and blended oils. They are pale yellow, thin and have a high smoke point, so they let other flavours lead. In recipes, neutral oil means any of these.

How it’s used

  • Deep and shallow frying
  • Stir-frying
  • Greasing tins and making cakes and muffins
  • Mayonnaise and neutral dressings
  • Tadka when ghee is not wanted

Characteristics

Taste
Neutral.
When cooked
Heats cleanly to frying temperature; reused frying oil darkens and smokes sooner.
Sold as
liquid
Cooking uses
Suitable for frying, Commonly cooked, Suitable for baking

Storage

Pantry-stable. Store capped in a cupboard away from the stove. Discard if it smells stale or paint-like.

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, canola.

Substitutes

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

Related ingredients

Recipes with neutral vegetable oil

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