The Type Of Oil Red Lobster Uses For All Its Fried Fish

Red Lobster has had its fair share of ups and downs over the years, but many people's love for its fish and biscuits has remained. If you're looking to support the still rebounding restaurant, you might want to take advantage of its daily deals, endless shrimp events, and happy hour menus. Of course, classic fried fish and shellfish dishes are plentiful, but it's important to know that Red Lobster fries everything it makes in a soybean oil blend, even if the menu doesn't indicate soy is involved. That's right — every fried fish on the menu, including Red Lobster's "Codzilla" fried fish sandwich, contains soybean oil.

The reason Red Lobster goes for soy has to do with a few factors. For one thing, it allows the chain to avoid peanut oil — while it's unlikely that refined peanut oil is problematic for those with peanut allergies, skipping it means that, as of November 2025, no items on the menu contain any peanuts at all. Soybean oil is also neutral in flavor, meaning the restaurant can use it not only for frying but also in salad dressings, dipping sauces, and even sauteeing. 

Soybean oil tends to be inexpensive, which may also be why Red Lobster shifted away from the canola oil it used at one time. It's worth noting that Red Lobster is not the only restaurant that relies on this oil. Soy is the type of oil Long John Silver's uses for all its fried menu items, too.

Interestingly, on Red Lobster's allergen guide, soy is not indicated as an allergen for many fried foods. This is because oils like the soybean oil blend used by the seafood chain are considered to be non-allergenic by the FDA. It is highly refined, which means it has gone through processing to remove nearly all soy proteins from its content. The proteins are what set off allergic reactions, so the oil is exempt from needing to be labeled in dishes per FDA regulations.

However, those with the most severe soy allergies can still occasionally be impacted by consuming the oil and may have a reaction to foods fried in it. While this sort of reaction is quite rare, it is a risk that those very sensitive to the ingredient shouldn't take. In other words, if you see something fried on the menu and you're super allergic to soybeans, those are some items you should never order at Red Lobster, just to be safe. Even its branded foods in grocery stores often contain soy.

Avoiding fried food on the menu doesn't promise you won't encounter soy, though. Even if you select a non-fried option, like the lobster dip or garlic shrimp scampi, there's a chance the ingredients include soy in another way. According to Red Lobster's 2025 allergen chart, well over half the offerings are labeled as containing soy. If you're looking for a 100% soy-free option, that likely won't be possible because of the chance of cross-contamination. So, if you have a very strong allergy, you'll probably have to steer clear of Red Lobster.