Canola. Peanut. Vegetable. They’re the boring winners. They have high smoke points and neutral flavors.
Don’t use olive oil. It’s fancy, sure, but it burns at a lower temp and tastes like earthy regret. Save that for your salad.
Lard? Chef’s kiss if you’re feeling old-school. But for weeknight tenders? Just grab the canola. It’s fine.
A Note on Crowding the Pan
You might think: “More tenders = faster dinner.” Nope. That’s a trap. Crowding drops the oil temp instantly.
Think of the oil as a grumpy cat. Give it space, and it stays warm. Smush too much in, and it gets cold and annoyed.
Fry in batches. Let the oil come back up to temp between rounds. I know, it takes longer. But crispy takes patience.
