If you have ever hesitated to cook with olive oil because someone told you it can’t handle heat, there is actually some good news for you. Chef Sohla El-Waylly recently made a compelling case for cooking with olive oil at high temperatures, and the old advice you may have heard is likely outdated. According to Simply Recipes, olive oil is far more stable and heat-resistant than most people assume, and it is frequently a better choice for everyday high-heat cooking than the neutral oils many of us automatically reach for. That said, there is one specific scenario where using extra virgin olive oil simply doesn’t make practical sense.
The concern around cooking with olive oil at high temperatures usually comes down to smoke point. Extra virgin olive oil has a smoke point that falls somewhere between 350°F and 410°F depending on the producer, which may seem low compared to some neutral oils. However, smoke point alone does not tell the full story of how stable an oil actually is during cooking. What matters more is the oil’s chemical makeup.
Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats, which have only a single double bond in their structure. Polyunsaturated fats, like those found in canola, sunflower, and corn oil, contain multiple double bonds, and each one represents a potential site for oxidation when exposed to heat. This makes olive oil less prone to breaking down than many of the oils we are commonly told are better for frying. Extra virgin olive oil is also loaded with antioxidants that provide an additional layer of protection against degradation.
So when should you actually put the bottle of extra virgin olive oil back on the shelf? The answer is straightforward: when you will not be able to taste it. Extra virgin olive oil carries a price premium precisely because of its flavor profile, those peppery, fruity, and grassy notes that make it worth the investment. Using it for deep frying or any cooking method where the oil serves a purely functional role rather than contributing directly to the taste of the dish means you are essentially paying for a quality you will never experience.
The issue is not that extra virgin olive oil cannot handle the heat. The issue is that high temperatures destroy the very qualities that make it special in the first place. A smarter approach is to save your best extra virgin olive oil for finishing dishes, drizzling, and making dressings, anywhere you genuinely want its flavor to shine. For everyday high-heat tasks like sautéing, pan-frying, and roasting, refined or “light” olive oil is the wiser pick. It has been filtered to raise its smoke point, offers a milder taste, costs less than extra virgin, and still carries the heat-stability advantages that come with olive oil in general.
For the rare times when you are deep frying and plan to reuse the oil multiple times, neutral high-smoke-point oils like avocado oil or refined peanut oil make more sense from an economic standpoint. With grocery budgets tighter than ever, there is nothing wrong with keeping a few different bottles of oil in your pantry and using each one in the way that makes the most of what it offers.
Extra virgin olive oil has been a cornerstone of Mediterranean cooking for thousands of years, with production records tracing back to ancient Greece and Rome. The “extra virgin” designation is the highest quality grade given to olive oil, meaning it was extracted purely through mechanical means without the use of chemicals or excessive heat, and that it meets strict standards for acidity and flavor. The International Olive Council and the European Union both maintain regulated definitions for the term. Olive oil is widely studied in nutrition research, particularly in the context of the Mediterranean diet, which has been consistently linked to reduced risks of heart disease, certain cancers, and cognitive decline. The polyphenols and oleocanthal found in high-quality extra virgin olive oil are among the compounds researchers believe contribute to these health benefits.
If you have strong opinions on the best way to use olive oil in your kitchen or have tested these ideas yourself, share your thoughts in the comments.
