What are the paleo approved oils?

November 23, 2025 •

4 min read

The Paleo diet emphasizes whole, unprocessed foods that mimic ancestral eating patterns, and understanding what are the paleo approved oils is essential for sourcing healthy fats. Sourcing quality, natural fats is a cornerstone of this dietary approach, contrasting sharply with modern, industrially processed alternatives.

Quick Summary

The Paleo diet favors unprocessed, naturally-sourced oils such as avocado, coconut, and extra virgin olive oil. It explicitly avoids modern, inflammatory industrial seed oils like canola and soybean oil, prioritizing stable, healthy fats for cooking and dressings.

Key Points

Prioritize Unprocessed Fats: Choose oils extracted from whole food sources like fruits, nuts, and animal fats.
Match Oil to Cooking Method: Use high smoke point oils (avocado, coconut) for high-heat cooking and low smoke point oils (EVOO, walnut) for dressings.
Steer Clear of Seed Oils: Avoid all industrial seed oils such as canola, soybean, and corn oil due to their inflammatory nature.
Embrace Animal Fats: Traditional fats like lard, tallow, and ghee are Paleo-approved and excellent for high-heat applications.
Utilize Nut and Seed Oils (Raw): Delicate oils like walnut and flaxseed should be used unheated in dressings to preserve their nutritional benefits.
Balance Your Fats: Focus on a good mix of saturated and monounsaturated fats from quality sources, rather than chasing high omega-6 content.

Understanding the Paleo Approach to Fats

The Paleo diet is built on the principle of eating foods that could be hunted or gathered by our Paleolithic ancestors. This philosophy extends to the fats and oils we consume. The primary goal is to avoid modern, industrially produced oils, which are often high in inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids, and instead focus on natural, minimally processed sources. These natural fats are a critical energy source on the diet and are essential for nutrient absorption and overall health.

Core Principles for Choosing Paleo Oils

Prioritize Unprocessed Sources: The best Paleo fats are derived from fruits, nuts, and animal sources with minimal processing. Extra virgin olive oil is pressed from olives, while avocado oil is pressed from the fruit's flesh.
Consider Smoke Point: A fat's smoke point, the temperature at which it begins to break down and smoke, is crucial for cooking. Using an oil with a low smoke point for high-heat cooking can lead to the formation of harmful compounds and off-flavors.
Balance Fatty Acids: While industrial seed oils have a high omega-6 content, Paleo-approved oils provide a better balance of fatty acids. Omega-3s, found in some nut and seed oils, are important, but the focus is on a mix of healthy saturated and monounsaturated fats.

The Paleo-Approved Oils List

This list covers the most common and versatile oils for a Paleo lifestyle, categorized by their best uses.

Best for High-Heat Cooking

Avocado Oil: With one of the highest smoke points (up to 500°F), avocado oil is perfect for searing, frying, and grilling. It has a mild, neutral flavor that won't overpower your food. It is rich in monounsaturated fats and antioxidants.
Coconut Oil: A versatile staple, coconut oil is stable at high heat and excellent for frying and roasting. Its high saturated fat content (specifically, medium-chain triglycerides or MCTs) provides a quick source of energy. Virgin coconut oil adds a distinct coconut flavor, while refined versions are more neutral.
Animal Fats (Lard, Tallow, Ghee): Traditional rendered animal fats like lard (from pork), tallow (from beef), and duck fat offer high smoke points and rich flavor. Ghee, or clarified butter, is another excellent option for those who can tolerate some dairy fats.

Best for Dressings and Low-Heat Cooking

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Best used for lower-temperature sautéing, baking, or drizzling over finished dishes and salads due to its lower smoke point compared to refined oils. It is a powerhouse of antioxidants and monounsaturated fats. Always choose extra virgin, which is the least processed.
Macadamia Oil: This oil has a higher smoke point than olive oil, making it suitable for medium-low heat. It has a delicious, buttery flavor and a healthy fatty acid profile.
Walnut Oil: With a distinctive nutty flavor, walnut oil is best used raw in salad dressings and drizzles. It is a great source of plant-based omega-3s but should not be heated.
Flaxseed Oil: Another oil best consumed raw to preserve its delicate omega-3 content. It should be used exclusively for dressings or added to smoothies, never heated.

Oils to Avoid on Paleo

Just as important as knowing what to use is knowing what to avoid. These oils are typically refined, processed, and high in inflammatory polyunsaturated fats.

Canola Oil: Also known as rapeseed oil, it is heavily processed and not Paleo-friendly.
Soybean Oil: A common industrial vegetable oil that is highly processed.
Corn Oil: Another highly processed seed oil that should be avoided.
Sunflower and Safflower Oil: These are often high in omega-6 fatty acids and are processed.
Margarine and Hydrogenated Oils: These trans fats are not natural and are explicitly avoided on a Paleo diet.

Paleo Oils Comparison Table


Oil	Best Use	Smoke Point	Key Benefits	Notes
Avocado Oil	Frying, searing, grilling	Up to 500°F (260°C)	High smoke point, neutral flavor, monounsaturated fats	Use for all high-heat cooking
Coconut Oil	Frying, roasting, low-heat baking	Varies, up to 400°F (204°C)	High saturated fat (MCTs), versatile	Distinct flavor in virgin form; neutral when refined
Extra Virgin Olive Oil	Dressings, low-heat sautéing, drizzling	~325°F (160°C)	High in antioxidants, monounsaturated fats	Best used raw or with minimal heat
Ghee / Clarified Butter	High-heat cooking, sautéing	485°F (252°C)	Rich flavor, lactose/casein-free for sensitive individuals	Good dairy-fat alternative
Lard / Tallow	Frying, roasting, baking	High	Rich flavor, traditional fat source	Flavorful animal fat
Macadamia Oil	Dressings, medium-low heat	~390°F (199°C)	Buttery flavor, healthy fat profile	A flavorful option for lighter cooking

Conclusion: Choosing Your Paleo Oils

Selecting the right oils is a straightforward process once you understand the core Paleo principles. The key is to prioritize unprocessed, whole-food-derived fats and to match the oil's smoke point to your cooking method. For high-heat applications, turn to avocado oil, coconut oil, or animal fats. For cold uses and low-heat cooking, extra virgin olive oil and various nut oils are your best choices. By making these simple swaps, you can ensure your diet is rich in healthy, natural fats that support your well-being, while completely avoiding the industrial seed oils that are detrimental to the Paleo philosophy. Focusing on quality fat sources is a crucial step towards a healthier, more ancestral way of eating.

For further reading on the health benefits of various oils and fatty acids, check out this guide from Paleo Leap

Frequently Asked Questions

These oils are not Paleo-approved because they are modern, heavily refined, and highly processed using industrial methods that did not exist during the Paleolithic era. They are often high in inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids.

Extra virgin olive oil has a relatively low smoke point and is best reserved for dressings or low-heat applications like sautéing. For high-heat cooking, opt for oils with higher smoke points like avocado or coconut oil.

Strict Paleo excludes dairy, but some versions allow for clarified butter (ghee), as the milk solids and lactose have been removed. Butter from grass-fed sources is sometimes permitted in more flexible versions of the diet.

Virgin coconut oil is minimally processed and retains a distinct coconut flavor and aroma. Refined coconut oil has been processed to create a more neutral flavor and higher smoke point.

Nut oils like walnut and flaxseed oil are generally best for cold applications like dressings, as they contain delicate fatty acids that can be damaged by heat. For cooking, a more heat-stable nut oil like macadamia is a better choice for low to medium temperatures.

Paleo-approved animal fats include rendered fats from pasture-raised animals, such as lard (pork fat), tallow (beef fat), and duck fat. These are traditional fats with high smoke points suitable for cooking.

Yes, avocado oil is highly versatile and its high smoke point (up to 500°F) makes it suitable for all cooking methods, including frying, searing, roasting, and grilling, as well as for use in dressings.