Avocado Oil as a High Heat Cooking Oil
Chosen Foods naturally refined, expeller-pressed avocado oil is built for high heat cooking. It has a 500°F smoke point, a neutral flavor, and a fat profile that is mostly monounsaturated and low in polyunsaturated fat, which makes it one of the most forgiving oils you can use for searing, roasting and stir-frying.
Virgin vs Refined Avocado Oil
Refined Avocado Oil
Chosen Foods naturally refined expeller-pressed avocado oil has a smoke point of 500°F. That gives you plenty of room to sear, sauté, stir-fry, barbecue and even bake at high temperatures without the oil smoking. We consider refined avocado oil a kitchen workhorse.
Virgin Avocado Oil
Virgin avocado oil is beautiful in color and also a healthy choice, but it does not have as high a smoke point. You will often see all avocado oil listed with a 500°F+ smoke point, with no difference made between virgin and refined. We love virgin avocado oil, but we want to set the record straight: only refined avocado oil reaches a 500°F smoke point. Virgin avocado oil comes in at about 350–375°F, similar to extra virgin olive oil. With its bold flavor, virgin avocado oil is great for salad dressings, drizzling, marinades and gentle cooking. We consider it more of a finishing oil.
Why Fat Profile Matters for High Heat Cooking
Smoke point is only part of the story. An oil's fat profile also affects how well it holds up to heat. Polyunsaturated fats have more reactive bonds, so they break down (oxidize) faster when heated, and the longer they are heated, the more they break down. Monounsaturated and saturated fats are more stable.
Oils high in polyunsaturated fat include corn, soybean, sunflower, grapeseed, safflower and rice bran oil. Refined versions are often sold as high heat oils because of their smoke point, but their fat profile makes them less stable under prolonged heat. For polyunsaturated fats, foods like wild fish and chia seeds are a great source.
More Stable Oils for High Heat Cooking
For high heat, choose oils that are mostly monounsaturated or saturated fat. These include refined avocado oil, refined (light) olive oil, high-oleic sunflower and safflower oil, and refined peanut oil. Extra virgin olive oil and unrefined coconut oil are also stable fats, but their lower smoke points make them better suited to low and medium heat.
How Oil is Processed
The last thing to consider is how the oil was made. Two oils with similar fat profiles can be processed very differently. Many mass-market refined oils are extracted with chemical solvents such as hexane and then bleached and deodorized at high temperatures.
What to Look For
Choose oils that are either cold-pressed and virgin, or expeller-pressed and naturally refined. Chosen Foods avocado oil is naturally refined and expeller-pressed. Purity matters too: a 2020 UC Davis study found that many avocado oils sold in the US were stale or blended with other oils. Learn how we test every batch for purity.
Three things to look for in your cooking oil
1. Does it have a high enough smoke point for how I cook?
Low to medium heat oils (up to about 375°F):
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Virgin avocado oil
- Unrefined (virgin) coconut oil
High heat oils (400°F and above):
- Refined avocado oil (500°F)
- Refined or light olive oil
- High-oleic safflower or sunflower oil
2. Is it mostly monounsaturated or saturated fat, with low polyunsaturated fat?
Check the nutrition label on the back of your oil to see its fat breakdown.
3. Was it cold-pressed, or expeller-pressed and naturally refined?
Check the brand's website to understand how its oil is made and tested.
If you sear, stir-fry, barbecue, broil, deep-fry, bake or roast above 400°F, Chosen Foods naturally refined avocado oil is our top pick. Its 500°F smoke point and stable monounsaturated fats make it an easy go-to for high heat cooking.
Interested in trying it for yourself? Shop Chosen Foods High Heat Avocado Oil or find it near you.
