Palm Oil
Also called red palm oil, dende oil
A fat pressed from the fruit of the oil palm. The unrefined red kind is orange from carotenoids and tastes earthy and savory. It is the base of many West African and Brazilian dishes.
Palm oil is pressed from the fleshy orange fruit of the oil palm. The unrefined red kind, called dendê in Brazil, is a defining flavour of West and Central African cooking and of Bahian dishes like moqueca. Refined palm oil, by contrast, is pale and neutral and mostly used by the food industry.
Red palm oil tastes earthy, rich and gently savoury, with a faint carrot-like sweetness, and it dyes everything a warm sunset orange. Cooks love it as a flavouring in its own right: a spoonful turns a tomato and pepper stew, a pot of beans or a peanut sauce into something deep and unmistakable.
Flavor profile
Aroma: earthy, carrot-like, rich
Good to know
Origin: West Africa
Forms: red, unrefined, refined
Season: Available year-round in jars and bottles at specialist grocers.
Nutrition: Red palm oil is rich in carotenoids, the pigments that colour carrots; like any oil, it is calorie-dense, so use it as a flavouring.
Storage: Keep red palm oil tightly sealed at room temperature in a cool, dark cupboard, where it keeps for about a year. It will set soft and grainy in cool weather and melt in a warm kitchen; neither change is a problem, so just stir before using. It can also be refrigerated for longer storage, though it turns hard and needs warming before measuring. If it smells sour, soapy or stale, it has gone rancid. Use a dry spoon each time to keep water and crumbs out of the jar.
How to use palm oil
Warm It to Pour
Cool palm oil sets like soft butter. Stand the jar in warm water to melt it before measuring.
Use It as a Flavor, Not a Neutral Oil
Red palm oil tastes strongly of itself and stains everything orange. Use it where that earthy savor belongs, such as stews and sauces.
The science of palm oil
- The deep orange colour comes from carotenoids such as beta-carotene, the same pigments found in carrots. They dissolve in fat, which is why red palm oil stains rice, stews and wooden spoons so thoroughly.
- Palm oil is roughly half saturated fat, mostly palmitic acid, so it is semi-solid in a cool kitchen and melts fully at around 35°C (95°F). Warming the jar in hot water makes it pourable.
- Its high saturated fat content makes palm oil resistant to oxidation, so it keeps well at room temperature and holds up to long simmering in stews.
- Refining, bleaching and deodorising strip out the carotenoids and aroma compounds, leaving refined palm oil pale and flavourless. Long, very hot cooking also fades red palm oil's colour as the carotenoids break down.
How to choose palm oil
For flavour, buy unrefined red palm oil, sold as red palm oil or dendê at African, Caribbean and Brazilian grocers. It should be bright orange to deep red and smell earthy and fresh, not sour. Look for sustainability certification, such as RSPO, if responsible sourcing matters to you.
Substitutes for palm oil
| Swap | Amount | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Neutral oil + sweet paprika | 1 tbsp oil + ¼ tsp paprika per 1 tbsp palm oil | Gets the colour and a little earthy warmth, but not the full savoury depth. |
| Annatto (achiote) oil | 1:1 | Warm the oil gently with annatto seeds and strain. Gives a similar orange colour and a mild, earthy flavour. |
| Ghee or butter + a pinch of turmeric | 1:1 | Brings richness and colour; the flavour is buttery rather than earthy. |
What goes with palm oil
- Scotch Bonnet. Palm oil and scotch bonnet are the base of many West African stews and sauces.
- Tomato. Palm oil's earthy richness softens tomato's acid in West African stews.
- Onion. Onion fried in palm oil is the base of countless West African stews.
- Shrimp. Palm oil and shrimp are paired in Brazilian vatapa and moqueca.
- Coconut Milk. Palm oil and coconut milk are the two fats of Brazilian moqueca.
- Chicken thigh. Palm oil's savory richness suits slow-simmered chicken thighs in stews like moambe.
- Spinach. Palm oil carries the flavor of bitter greens like spinach in West African palava sauce.
- Peanut. Peanut's roasted richness and palm oil's earthiness meet in groundnut stews.
- Sweet Potato. Sweet potato's sugars meet palm oil's earthy savor in West African stews.
- Rice. Palm oil stains and flavors rice in dishes like jollof.
Mistakes to avoid
- Swapping it into a recipe as a neutral oil.
- Buying refined palm oil and expecting the color and earthy flavor of the red kind.
Ideas for tonight
- West African pepper and tomato stew
- Brazilian shrimp stew with coconut milk
- Spinach and peanut stew finished with palm oil
Palm Oil: questions
What does red palm oil taste like?
It tastes earthy, savoury and rich, with a subtle sweet note a bit like carrot or squash. The flavour is strong enough that it defines a dish, so it is not a neutral cooking oil.
What is the difference between red palm oil and palm oil?
Red palm oil is unrefined, so it keeps its orange colour and earthy flavour. Refined palm oil has been processed until it is pale, neutral and odourless, so it won't give a recipe the same taste.
Is dendê oil the same as red palm oil?
Yes. Dendê is the Brazilian name for red palm oil, especially in Bahia, where it flavours moqueca, vatapá and acarajé.
Why is my palm oil solid?
Palm oil is high in saturated fat, so it sets like soft butter in a cool room. Stand the jar in warm water for a few minutes and it will melt back to a pourable oil.
Can I use palm oil for frying?
Yes, refined palm oil is a common frying fat. Red palm oil can be used too, but its flavour and colour go into everything, so save it for dishes where you want that taste.
What can I use instead of red palm oil?
Annatto oil or a neutral oil mixed with a little paprika gives you the colour and some warmth. Nothing quite copies its earthy depth, so expect a lighter-tasting dish.
What does palm oil taste like?
A fat pressed from the fruit of the oil palm. The unrefined red kind is orange from carotenoids and tastes earthy and savory. It is the base of many West African and Brazilian dishes. Its strongest notes are earthy, with an aroma that is earthy, carrot-like, rich.
What goes well with palm oil?
Palm Oil pairs best with scotch bonnet, tomato, onion, shrimp, coconut milk. Palm oil and scotch bonnet are the base of many West African stews and sauces.
How do you use palm oil in cooking?
Warm It to Pour: cool palm oil sets like soft butter. Stand the jar in warm water to melt it before measuring.
How should you store palm oil?
Store at room temperature in a sealed container away from light. It turns soft and semi-solid in a cool kitchen.
What is the most common mistake with palm oil?
Swapping it into a recipe as a neutral oil.
Tomato
Onion
Shrimp
Coconut Milk
Peanut
Spinach
Olive oil