Overheating frying oil

Frying must take place at a high temperature. Otherwise, your food will absorb the oil before it has a chance to cook, leaving it soggy and greasy. However, this does not imply that a higher temperature will result in otherworldly crispiness! Cooks Illustrated recommends not heating your oil above 375 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on what you're cooking. Any more, and the oil will start to smoke and impart a bitter flavor to your food. Worse, it has the potential to cause cancer.

According to Serious Eats, different oils reach their smoke point at different times. Deep-frying is typically done with oils that have a relatively high smoke point, such as peanut or safflower, giving you some leeway in terms of ideal temperature. This is all the more reason to keep an eye on your fried foods as they cook and not leave them on the stove for too long.