Why Five Guys Exclusively Uses Peanut Oil To Make Fries

Any fast food burger chain knows that crunchy, salty, perfectly fried French fries are what keep the customers coming back. While McDonald's is infamous for previously using beef tallow in their fries, Five Guys has made it a point to publicize that they exclusively use peanut oil to make their fries. On their website, Five Guys states that their fries are "cooked in pure, cholesterol-free, 100% peanut oil." 

Since its founding, the Virginia-based chain has used peanut oil as their brand standard to ensure consistent, delicious results across all locations. To also differentiate their brand from other burger joints, Five Guys' pride themselves on avoiding frozen or pre-processed food, and their fries are a testament to that. The tubers are hand-cut, soaked in water to remove starches, and then fried twice in peanut oil to maintain their signature texture. 

While this certainly makes the chain a no-go for people with severe nut allergies, Five Guys is so committed to their peanut passion that they also offer open boxes of complimentary in-shell peanuts. While it might seem kind of random to offer people free peanuts while they wait for a burger and milkshake, Five Guys actually has a pretty good reason for this. Since their burgers take a bit longer to cook, they decided to offer a free, salty snack for customers while they wait. It holds off any hangry attitudes, and keeps diners occupied in a booth while they wait for that well-done burger.

In a 2016 interview with Food Republic, Chad Murrell, one of founder Jerry Murrell's five sons, described how seriously they take their peanut oil. Besides ensuring that the oil is frequently filtered and changed throughout a single day, he also explained, "There are no trans fats or preservatives, and it's the purest oil available. Since fries are all we cook in it, nothing touches our oil except for potatoes and our fry baskets." It makes sense the brand should obsess about their fries, because they're literally the only side item available. 

Murrell isn't the only cook that has a crush on peanut oil. Chef Thomas Keller fries his chicken in peanut oil, while Wolfgang Puck pours it on for his veggie stir-fry and vinaigrette. Peanut oil is ideal for its high smoke point, meaning it can withstand high frying temperatures without breaking down or producing those yucky burnt flavors. And unlike other oils that can carry strong flavors, peanut oil has a neutral taste, allowing that natural potato flavor to shine through. This also makes it ideal for high-volume restaurants, like Five Guys, who need to fry large batches of fresh-cut potatoes all day long. When it comes to frying, peanut oil is pretty much ideal — unless, that is, you have peanut allergies. While Five Guys uses a highly refined oil, which is typically free of allergens, many allergists recommend anyone with severe peanut allergies should avoid the entire restaurant.