Olive Oil and the Grill: Can You Really Grill With It?
If you have ever reached for olive oil to grill with and then hesitated — worried it would smoke, burn, or somehow turn unhealthy over the coals — you are not alone. The idea that olive oil cannot handle the grill is one of the most persistent myths in the kitchen, and it is mostly wrong. Cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil is more heat-stable than its reputation suggests, and used well it can be one of the best fats to grill with. The honest answer is more nuanced than either "never grill with olive oil" or "it does not matter at all" — and worth understanding before your next barbecue.
For our own oil, see our cold-pressed organic Marrakech olive oil.
The Short Answer
- Yes, you can grill with extra virgin olive oil. The common warning against it rests largely on the smoke-point myth.
- Research has found that smoke point is a poor predictor of how an oil actually performs when heated. Oxidative stability matters more.
- A widely cited 2018 study found extra virgin olive oil among the most stable cooking oils when heated, producing fewer harmful by-products than several seed oils.
- For grilling, brush oil onto the food rather than pouring it onto open flames, to avoid flare-ups and unnecessary burning.
- A drizzle of good extra virgin oil after grilling — as a finishing oil — preserves the most flavour and the most polyphenols.
- Quality matters: a fresh, cold-pressed extra virgin oil behaves differently on the grill from a refined or tired one.
The Smoke-Point Myth: Why "You Cannot Grill With Olive Oil" Is Mostly Wrong
The case against grilling with olive oil usually runs like this: olive oil has a lower smoke point than some other oils, the grill gets very hot, therefore olive oil will smoke, degrade, and produce harmful compounds. It sounds logical. It is also based on a measure that turns out to be a poor guide to what actually happens.
Smoke point is the temperature at which an oil begins to visibly smoke. For extra virgin olive oil it typically sits somewhere in the region of 190 to 207 degrees Celsius, depending on the oil's freshness and free-fatty-acid content. That is lower than refined oils that have had their volatile compounds stripped out — but a lower smoke point does not mean an oil breaks down faster in a way that matters for health or flavour.
What matters more is oxidative stability: how resistant the oil is to forming unwanted by-products when held at heat. And on that measure, extra virgin olive oil performs surprisingly well — better than its smoke point alone would suggest. The smoke point tells you when an oil will look and smell unpleasant; it does not reliably tell you when it becomes a problem.
What the Research Actually Found
The most-cited study in this area is a 2018 paper by De Alzaa, Guillaume and Ravetti, published in Acta Scientific Nutritional Health. The researchers heated a range of common cooking oils — including extra virgin olive oil — up to 240 degrees Celsius, and also held them at 180 degrees for six hours, then measured what happened: smoke point, oxidative by-products, polar compounds, free fatty acids, and the fatty-acid profile.
Their finding was striking. Extra virgin olive oil produced low levels of polar compounds and oxidative by-products, in contrast to the much higher levels generated by some seed oils such as canola. The oil's monounsaturated-rich fatty-acid profile and its natural antioxidant content allowed it to stay relatively stable under heat. Crucially, the authors concluded that smoke point on its own was a poor predictor of an oil's performance when heated — oxidative stability and the level of unsaturated fats were far better guides.
It is worth being precise about what this does and does not show. It is a study of oils heated in controlled conditions, not a clinical health outcome, and grilling over live coals is messier than a laboratory hot plate. But it is a well-grounded argument against the idea that extra virgin olive oil is somehow uniquely unsuited to heat. If anything, its antioxidants — the same polyphenols that give a fresh oil its peppery bite — are part of what helps it hold up.
How to Grill With Olive Oil Well
Knowing that olive oil can handle the grill is one thing; using it well is another. A few practical points make the difference between a clean, flavourful result and an avoidable mess of flare-ups and acrid smoke.
First, brush the oil onto the food, not onto the flames. Oil dripping directly onto hot coals or burners is what causes flare-ups — sudden bursts of flame that char the outside of food and generate the harsh smoke people associate with "burnt" oil. A thin coat brushed onto vegetables, fish, or meat sits where you want it and grills with the food rather than igniting beneath it.
Second, you do not need much. A light coat helps food release from the grates, carries fat-soluble flavour, and promotes browning. Drowning the food in oil simply increases drips and flare-ups. Lightly oiling the grates themselves before cooking also helps prevent sticking.
Third — and this is where a genuinely good oil earns its place — keep some back to finish. Heat inevitably costs an oil some of its most delicate aromatic compounds and polyphenols, no matter how stable it is. A drizzle of fresh, cold-pressed extra virgin oil over grilled vegetables or fish just before serving delivers the brightest flavour and the most of those heat-sensitive compounds intact. The grill does the cooking; the finishing oil does the flavour.
This is also where freshness and quality show. A tired, refined oil brings little to a finishing drizzle. A fresh, polyphenol-rich extra virgin oil brings aroma, a peppery finish, and the colour of a genuinely good product. For a fuller walkthrough of what separates a quality oil from a dressed-up one, our guide to choosing a quality oil covers the criteria in detail.
Why Sidr & Stone
Whether an olive oil is worth grilling with — and worth finishing a dish with — comes down to how it is made and how fresh it is. Sidr & Stone's oil is built around exactly those things: cold-pressing, a single recent harvest, and minimal processing. We are honest about where the evidence is strong and where it is not, and we hold our oil to the same standard we would ask of any you might buy.
- Single-estate — one family-owned grove on the plains outside Marrakech, Morocco; no blending across origins.
- Rain-fed — no irrigation; the trees take what the season gives.
- Organically grown — no synthetic fertilisers, pesticides, or herbicides.
- Single harvest — a small, limited batch, pressed once per season.
- Cold-pressed within hours of harvest — flavour, aroma, and polyphenols preserved rather than processed out.
- Unfiltered extra virgin — minimally processed; it may show natural sediment, which is normal for a genuine unfiltered oil.
- 100% natural — a single ingredient, olive oil, nothing added.
- Dark glass with a gold label — protective packaging against the light that degrades polyphenols.
- Halal certified, with 10% of profits given to charity.
- Fulfilment in the UK, EU, and US.
We will not tell you Sidr & Stone is the best olive oil for the grill — that is the kind of flat superlative this article is sceptical of. What we will say is that our oil is single-estate Moroccan, rain-fed, organically grown, and cold-pressed within hours of harvest, and that the evidence of that care shows in the taste, the colour, and the peppery finish of a fresh drizzle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you grill with olive oil?
Yes. Extra virgin olive oil is more heat-stable than its smoke point suggests, and research has found it among the more stable cooking oils when heated. Brush it onto the food rather than pouring it onto open flames, and keep some fresh oil back to finish the dish.
Does olive oil have too low a smoke point for grilling?
Extra virgin olive oil's smoke point is typically around 190 to 207 degrees Celsius. Research has shown that smoke point is a poor predictor of how an oil actually performs when heated — oxidative stability matters more, and on that measure olive oil does well.
Is it safe to heat extra virgin olive oil?
A widely cited 2018 study heated extra virgin olive oil to high temperatures and found it produced low levels of oxidative by-products compared with several seed oils. It is a food, well-suited to cooking; it is not a medicine, and no cooking method makes it one.
Should I oil the food or the grill grates?
Both can help, but for flavour, brush a thin coat onto the food. Lightly oiling the grates before cooking helps prevent sticking. Avoid pouring oil where it can drip onto flames, which causes flare-ups and harsh smoke.
Is extra virgin or refined olive oil better for grilling?
Refined "light" olive oil has a higher smoke point but far fewer of the antioxidants and aromatics that make olive oil worth using. Extra virgin holds up better than its reputation and brings real flavour — especially as a finishing drizzle after grilling.
Does grilling destroy olive oil's benefits?
Heat gradually reduces the most delicate polyphenols and aromas, though a stable extra virgin oil retains a good deal. The simplest way to keep the most flavour and the most of those compounds is to finish grilled food with a drizzle of fresh, unheated oil.
Where can I buy a good cold-pressed olive oil for grilling?
Look for extra virgin, cold-pressed, a recent single harvest, dark glass, and transparency about origin. Sidr & Stone's single-estate Marrakech oil is cold-pressed within hours of harvest and available to pre-order, with fulfilment in the UK, EU, and US.
Is olive oil a medicine?
No. Olive oil is a food, not a medicine. It has a long traditional history — including being honoured in the Prophetic Sunnah — and a substantial body of modern research, particularly around polyphenols, cardiovascular health, and the Mediterranean diet pattern. It can be a worthwhile part of a healthy routine, but it does not cure diseases and is not a substitute for medical care. Be cautious of any olive oil marketed with specific disease-cure claims.
Final Thoughts
The fear of grilling with olive oil is built almost entirely on the smoke-point myth — a single number that, as the research shows, does not actually predict how an oil behaves when heated. Extra virgin olive oil is more stable than that number implies, and used sensibly it grills beautifully: brushed onto the food, kept off the open flames, and reserved in part for a fresh finishing drizzle.
What makes the difference, in the end, is the oil itself. A fresh, cold-pressed extra virgin oil brings flavour, aroma, and a peppery finish that a refined or tired oil simply cannot. Grilling well is less about chasing the highest smoke point and more about choosing an oil genuinely made to keep its character — on the grill and on the plate.
Our cold-pressed organic Marrakech olive oil — single-estate, rain-fed, and pressed within hours of harvest — is available to pre-order now, with fulfilment in the UK, EU, and US.
Pre-Order Sidr & Stone Organic Marrakech Olive Oil — Limited First Harvest →
Disclaimer: This article describes culinary practice and published research on heating olive oil at the time of writing; research findings and brand practices may change, and readers should check current sources. Olive oil is a food, not a medicine, and is not a substitute for medical treatment of any condition. For any health concern, consult a qualified medical professional.
