What Oil Does Raising Cane's Use? (And How to Avoid Seed Oils)

Raising Cane's has built its reputation on simplicity: chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, Texas toast, coleslaw, and their signature Cane's sauce. But behind that straightforward menu lies a less simple truth about their cooking oils.

If you're trying to avoid seed oils, Raising Cane's presents some real challenges. Let's break down exactly what oils they use, how they prepare their food, and what your best options are when eating at this rapidly growing chicken chain.

What Oil Does Raising Cane's Actually Use?

Raising Cane's uses a blend of soybean oil and canola oil for all their deep frying. This includes their famous chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, and Texas toast. Both soybean and canola oil are industrial seed oils that many health-conscious consumers try to avoid.

According to Raising Cane's allergen information, their frying oil blend contains:

• Soybean oil (highly refined)
• Canola oil (highly refined)
• TBHQ (tertiary-butylhydroquinone) as a preservative
• Citric acid as a preservative
• Dimethylpolysiloxane as an anti-foaming agent

The addition of TBHQ is particularly noteworthy. This synthetic preservative is added to prevent the oils from going rancid during high-heat cooking. While approved by the FDA, some studies have raised concerns about TBHQ's potential health effects when consumed regularly.

How Raising Cane's Cooks Their Food

Raising Cane's cooking process revolves almost entirely around deep frying. Here's how they prepare their main menu items:

Chicken Fingers: Fresh, never frozen chicken tenderloins are marinated, hand-battered, and deep-fried in the soybean/canola oil blend at approximately 350°F.

Crinkle-Cut Fries: Frozen potato fries are deep-fried in the same oil blend until golden and crispy.

Texas Toast: While many assume the Texas toast is just buttered and grilled, it's actually deep-fried in the same seed oil blend, which explains its distinctively crispy exterior.

Coleslaw: The only item not fried, but it still contains seed oils in its dressing (more on this below).

The restaurant doesn't offer any grilled, baked, or air-fried alternatives. Everything hot on the menu goes through the same seed oil fryers.

Seed Oil Breakdown by Menu Item

Let's examine each menu item and its seed oil content:

Chicken Fingers (all sizes): High seed oil content. Deep-fried in soybean/canola blend. The breading absorbs significant amounts of oil during frying.

Crinkle-Cut Fries: High seed oil content. Like the chicken, these are completely submerged in the seed oil blend during cooking.

Texas Toast: Surprisingly high seed oil content. Many customers don't realize this is deep-fried rather than grilled with butter.

Coleslaw: Contains seed oils in the dressing. The mayonnaise-based dressing typically includes soybean oil as a primary ingredient.

Cane's Sauce: Contains seed oils. The base includes mayonnaise made with soybean oil.

Drinks: No seed oils (soft drinks, lemonade, tea).

The only menu items without seed oils are the beverages. Every food item at Raising Cane's contains industrial seed oils in some form.

What to Order to Avoid Seed Oils at Raising Cane's

Here's the hard truth: if you're strictly avoiding seed oils, Raising Cane's doesn't offer any compliant food options. However, if you find yourself at Raising Cane's and want to minimize seed oil consumption, here are your best strategies:

Skip the sides: Order the chicken fingers alone without fries or Texas toast. While the chicken is still fried in seed oils, you'll at least reduce the total amount consumed.

No sauce: Skip the Cane's sauce, as it adds additional seed oils from the mayonnaise base.

Remove the breading: Some people choose to remove the fried breading from the chicken fingers and eat just the meat inside. While this significantly reduces seed oil intake, the meat will still have some oil absorption.

Stick to drinks: If you're meeting friends at Raising Cane's but want to completely avoid seed oils, order just a beverage.

Best option for seed oil minimizers: 3 Finger Combo, no sauce, substitute extra coleslaw for fries and toast (coleslaw has less oil than fried items).

How Raising Cane's Compares (SOS Rating)

Seed Oil Scout rates Raising Cane's 2.1/5 on our seed oil avoidance scale.

This low rating reflects:

• Use of soybean and canola oil blend for all frying
• No seed oil-free cooking methods available
• Limited menu with no grilled or baked options
• Addition of TBHQ preservative to frying oil
• Seed oils present in all food items

Compared to other fast-food chains, Raising Cane's ranks poorly for seed oil avoiders. Chains like Chipotle or Five Guys offer better options, with some items cooked without seed oils or using better oil alternatives.

The simplicity that makes Raising Cane's appealing (one cooking method, limited menu) also makes it particularly challenging for those avoiding seed oils. There's simply no way around their deep-frying process.

The Bottom Line

Raising Cane's commitment to their classic fried chicken recipe means they're unlikely to change their oil blend anytime soon. For strict seed oil avoiders, this restaurant is best skipped entirely.

The combination of soybean oil, canola oil, and chemical preservatives in their fryers represents everything that health-conscious consumers try to avoid. Unlike some chains that offer grilled options or use better oils for certain items, Raising Cane's provides no alternatives.

If you do find yourself at Raising Cane's, remember that occasional exposure to seed oils won't derail your health goals. Focus on making better choices most of the time, and use tools to help you navigate restaurant options more effectively.

Want to find restaurants in your area that use better cooking oils? Download Seed Oil Scout to instantly check oil types and find seed oil-free options at thousands of restaurants. Our app makes it easy to stick to your health goals while eating out, with detailed ratings, menu guidance, and healthier alternatives near you.