Fry vs. Boil: What's the Difference?
Edited by Harlon Moss || By Janet White || Updated on October 7, 2023
"Fry" means to cook in hot fat or oil, while "Boil" means to cook in bubbling hot water or other liquid.
Key Differences
"Fry" typically invokes the image of food sizzling in a pan with hot oil, producing a crispy exterior. In contrast, "Boil" brings forth visuals of water, or another liquid, bubbling vigorously in a pot with food submerged.
While both "Fry" and "Boil" are cooking methods, they achieve different culinary results. Frying often provides a crispy and golden texture, while boiling tends to soften and thoroughly cook the food without the added crunch.
In terms of health, frying, especially deep-frying, often leads to food with higher fat content due to the oil absorption. "Boil", on the other hand, is a method that doesn't introduce additional fat, and can sometimes cause a loss of certain water-soluble nutrients.
Both methods also require attention to detail. When you "Fry" food, it's important to maintain the right oil temperature to prevent burning or undercooking. In the realm of boiling, one must ensure that the liquid doesn't evaporate entirely, potentially scorching the food.
A unique aspect to consider is the cultural significance. Frying is dominant in cuisines like Southern American or various Asian foods. In contrast, boiling is a universal method, central to making dishes like Italian pasta or Russian borscht.
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Comparison Chart
Cooking Medium
Hot fat or oil
Hot water or other liquid
Texture Result
Crispy and golden
Soft and thoroughly cooked
Nutritional Impact
Increases fat content
Can leach out water-soluble nutrients
Common Equipment
Frying pan, deep fryer
Pot, saucepan
Cultural Significance
Prominent in Southern American and Asian cuisines
Universal, seen in dishes like pasta or soups
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Fry and Boil Definitions
Fry
To cook in hot fat.
I will fry the chicken until it's golden brown.
Boil
To cook by immersing in bubbling hot liquid.
I'll boil the eggs for breakfast.
Fry
A young, small, recently hatched fish.
We released the fry into the pond.
Boil
For a liquid to reach a temperature causing it to bubble and turn to vapor.
Wait for the water to boil before adding the pasta.
Fry
To be extremely hot in a way that is uncomfortable.
We were frying under the summer sun.
Boil
A painful, pus-filled bump on the skin.
He has a boil on his arm that needs treatment.
Fry
To cook over direct heat in hot oil or fat.
Boil
To be in a state of agitation or excitement.
Her anger began to boil when she heard the news.
Fry
(Slang) To destroy (electronic circuitry) with excessive heat or current
"a power surge to the computer that fried a number of sensitive electronic components" (Erik Sandberg-Diment).
Boil
To change from a liquid to a vapor by the application of heat
All the water boiled away and left the kettle dry.
Fry
To be cooked in a pan over direct heat in hot oil or fat.
Boil
To reach the boiling point.
Fry
(Slang) To undergo execution in an electric chair.
Boil
To undergo the action of boiling, especially in being cooked.
Fry
A french fry
Ordered fries as a side dish.
Boil
To be in a state of agitation; seethe
A river boiling over the rocks.
Fry
A dish of a fried food.
Boil
To be stirred up or greatly excited, especially in anger
The mere idea made me boil.
Fry
A social gathering at which food is fried and eaten
A fish fry.
Boil
To vaporize (a liquid) by the application of heat.
Fry
A recently hatched fish.
Boil
To heat to the boiling point.
Fry
A young salmon living in fresh water that is older than an alevin and younger than a parr or smolt.
Boil
To cook or clean by boiling.
Fry
A young animal of certain other groups, such as frogs.
Boil
To separate by evaporation in the process of boiling
Boil the maple sap.
Fry
Pl. fry or fries An individual, especially a young or insignificant person
"These pampered public school boys ... had managed to evade the long prison sentences that lesser fry were serving" (Noel Annan).
Boil
The condition or act of boiling.
Fry
A method of cooking food.
Boil
Lower Southern US A picnic featuring shrimp, crab, or crayfish boiled in large pots with spices, and then shelled and eaten by hand.
Fry
(transitive) To cook (something) in hot fat.
I am frying the eggs.
Boil
An agitated, swirling, roiling mass of liquid
"Those tumbling boils show a dissolving bar and a changing channel there" (Mark Twain).
Fry
(intransitive) To cook in hot fat.
The eggs are frying.
Boil
A painful, circumscribed pus-filled inflammation of the skin and subcutaneous tissue usually caused by a local staphylococcal infection. Also called furuncle.
Fry
(obsolete) to simmer; to boil
Boil
A localized accumulation of pus in the skin, resulting from infection.
Fry
To be affected by extreme heat or current.
Boil
The point at which fluid begins to change to a vapour; the boiling point.
Add the noodles when the water comes to the boil.
Fry
To suffer because of too much heat.
You'll fry if you go out in this sun with no sunblock on.
Boil
A dish of boiled food, especially based on seafood.
Fry
To be executed by the electric chair. Category:en:Capital punishment
He's guilty of murder — he's going to fry.
Boil
The collective noun for a group of hawks.
Fry
To destroy (something, usually electronic) with excessive heat, voltage, or current.
If you apply that much voltage, you'll fry the resistor.
Boil
A bubbling.
Fry
A fried piece of cut potato.
Boil
To heat to the point where it begins to turn into a gas.
Boil some water in a pan.
Fry
A meal of fried sausages, bacon, eggs, etc.
Boil
(ambitransitive) To cook in boiling water.
Boil the eggs for three minutes.
Is the rice boiling yet?
Fry
The liver of a lamb.
Boil
To begin to turn into a gas, seethe.
Pure water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
Fry
A lamb or calf testicle.
Boil
To bring to a boil, to heat so as to cause the contents to boil.
Fry
A state of excitement.
To be in a fry
Boil
To be uncomfortably hot.
It’s boiling outside!
Fry
Young fish; fishlings.
Boil
To feel uncomfortably hot.
I’m boiling in here – could you open the window?
Fry
Offspring; progeny; children; brood.
Boil
(transitive) To form, or separate, by boiling or evaporation.
To boil sugar or salt
Fry
(archaic) A swarm, especially of something small.
A fry of children
Boil
(obsolete) To steep or soak in warm water.
Fry
The spawn of frogs.
Boil
To be agitated like boiling water; to bubble; to effervesce.
The boiling waves of the sea
Fry
A kind of sieve.
Boil
To be moved or excited with passion; to be hot or fervid.
His blood boils with anger.
Fry
A drain.
Boil
To be agitated, or tumultuously moved, as a liquid by the generation and rising of bubbles of steam (or vapor), or of currents produced by heating it to the boiling point; to be in a state of ebullition; as, the water boils.
Fry
To cook in a pan or on a griddle (esp. with the use of fat, butter, or olive oil) by heating over a fire; to cook in boiling lard or fat; as, to fry fish; to fry doughnuts.
Boil
To be agitated like boiling water, by any other cause than heat; to bubble; to effervesce; as, the boiling waves.
He maketh the deep to boil like a pot.
Fry
To undergo the process of frying; to be subject to the action of heat in a frying pan, or on a griddle, or in a kettle of hot fat.
Boil
To pass from a liquid to an aëriform state or vapor when heated; as, the water boils away.
Fry
To simmer; to boil.
With crackling flames a caldron fries.
The frothy billows fry.
Boil
To be moved or excited with passion; to be hot or fervid; as, his blood boils with anger.
Then boiled my breast with flame and burning wrath.
Fry
To undergo or cause a disturbing action accompanied with a sensation of heat.
To keep the oil from frying in the stomach.
Boil
To be in boiling water, as in cooking; as, the potatoes are boiling.
Fry
To be agitated; to be greatly moved.
What kindling motions in their breasts do fry.
Boil
To heat to the boiling point, or so as to cause ebullition; as, to boil water.
Fry
A dish of anything fried.
Boil
To form, or separate, by boiling or evaporation; as, to boil sugar or salt.
Fry
A state of excitement; as, to be in a fry.
Boil
To subject to the action of heat in a boiling liquid so as to produce some specific effect, as cooking, cleansing, etc.; as, to boil meat; to boil clothes.
The stomach cook is for the hall,And boileth meate for them all.
Fry
The young of any fish.
Boil
To steep or soak in warm water.
To try whether seeds be old or new, the sense can not inform; but if you boil them in water, the new seeds will sprout sooner.
Fry
A swarm or crowd, especially of little fishes; young or small things in general.
The fry of children young.
To sever . . . the good fish from the other fry.
We have burned two frigates, and a hundred and twenty small fry.
Boil
Act or state of boiling.
Fry
English painter and art critic (1866-1934)
Boil
A hard, painful, inflamed tumor, which, on suppuration, discharges pus, mixed with blood, and discloses a small fibrous mass of dead tissue, called the core.
Fry
English dramatist noted for his comic verse dramas (born 1907)
Boil
A painful sore with a hard pus-filled core
Fry
A young person of either sex;
She writes books for children
They're just kids
`tiddler' is a British term for youngsters
Boil
The temperature at which a liquid boils at sea level;
The brought to water to a boil
Fry
Be excessively hot;
If the children stay out on the beach for another hour, they'll be fried
Boil
Come to the boiling point and change from a liquid to vapor;
Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius
Fry
Cook on a hot surface using fat;
Fry the pancakes
Boil
Cook in boiling liquid;
Boil potatoes
Fry
Kill by electrocution, as in the electric chair;
The serial killer was electrocuted
Boil
Bring to, or maintain at, the boiling point;
Boil this liquid until it evaporates
Fry
To destroy by electrocution.
He accidentally touched the live wire and got fried.
Boil
Be agitated;
The sea was churning in the storm
Fry
To damage or destroy by overheating.
I think I fried my computer's motherboard.
Boil
Be in an agitated emotional state;
The customer was seething with anger
Boil
To reduce volume by boiling off liquid.
Boil the sauce to thicken it.
FAQs
Does boiling food retain all its nutrients?
Boiling can cause a loss of some water-soluble nutrients.
Can frying make food crispy?
Yes, frying often gives food a crispy and golden texture.
When do I know water is ready for boiling pasta?
When the water starts to bubble vigorously, it's boiling and ready for pasta.
What's the main difference between Fry and Boil?
"Fry" is cooking in hot oil or fat, while "Boil" is cooking in bubbling liquid.
Does frying always require a lot of oil?
No, there's also shallow frying which uses less oil than deep frying.
Is a "Boil" always related to cooking?
No, "Boil" can also refer to a pus-filled bump on the skin.
Can "Fry" refer to overheating electronics?
Yes, "frying" can mean damaging electronics by overheating or electrocution.
What's a common tool for frying?
A frying pan or a deep fryer is often used to fry.
Can "Fry" also mean a young fish?
Yes, "Fry" can refer to a recently hatched fish.
How can I reduce a sauce's liquidity?
Boil the sauce to evaporate some of the liquid and thicken it.
Is it possible to fry without oil?
Technically, "frying" requires oil, but there are air fryers that use hot air to mimic the frying process.
What happens if I boil a liquid for too long?
It may evaporate entirely, potentially scorching any food in it.
How do I avoid food sticking when I fry?
Ensure the oil is hot enough and don't overcrowd the pan.
Can I boil foods in an oven?
Boiling typically happens on a stovetop, but baking or braising in an oven can achieve similar softening effects.
Is frying a method in many global cuisines?
Yes, from Southern American fried chicken to Asian tempura, frying is widespread.
Is frying food healthier than boiling?
Frying, especially deep frying, can increase fat content, while boiling doesn't add fats.
Does boiling always require water?
No, you can boil in other liquids like broth or milk.
Can "Boil" refer to being agitated?
Yes, it can mean being in a state of excitement or agitation.
What oil is best for frying?
Oils with high smoke points, like canola or peanut oil, are often preferred.
What determines the boiling point of a liquid?
Atmospheric pressure and the liquid's properties determine its boiling point.
About Author
Written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
Edited by
Harlon MossHarlon is a seasoned quality moderator and accomplished content writer for Difference Wiki. An alumnus of the prestigious University of California, he earned his degree in Computer Science. Leveraging his academic background, Harlon brings a meticulous and informed perspective to his work, ensuring content accuracy and excellence.
