What oil does Sonic fry in?
Sonic cooks with Fries, tots, onion rings and all fried items cooked in soy-based fryer shortening (high PUFA); mayo-dressed burgers add soybean-oil mayo..
BMedium Risk — 7.3g avg PUFA/item across 51 items
The 5 cleanest things to order at Sonic
| Ice Cream Cone | 1.0g PUFA |
| Vanilla Shake (Medium) | 1.0g PUFA |
| Classic Shake (chocolate, medium) | 1.0g PUFA |
| Strawberry Shake (medium) | 1.0g PUFA |
| Classic Shake (vanilla, medium) | 1.0g PUFA |
Lower PUFA is cleaner. These are estimates from published nutrition data and disclosed oils; preparation varies by location.
Why the frying oil matters
Most fast-food chains fry in seed oils like soybean, canola, corn, or a blend of them, which are high in polyunsaturated fat (PUFA). A handful still use beef tallow or other stable fats, which are far lower in PUFA. The oil a kitchen fries in is the single biggest driver of how much seed oil ends up on your plate. See the full breakdown on the Sonic report card, or where it lands on the Seed Oil Index.