What oil does Five Guys use?
Short answer
Five Guys fries in peanut oil, which the chain states openly and which is why free peanuts sit in the lobby. On our restaurant map, 1,212 Five Guys locations are listed for that reason — the single largest block of any brand, and all of them in the peanut-oil group rather than the beef-tallow one.
Why it is listed separately from tallow venues
Peanut is a legume rather than a seed, so peanut-oil fryers appear on most seed-oil-free lists. The oil is still roughly a third linoleic acid, and opinion in the seed-oil-free community is genuinely split on whether that matters.
Our city pages put peanut-oil venues in their own group rather than folding them into one number, because the answer to that botanical question silently decides whether roughly a third of the map counts for you. Five Guys alone is most of that third.
What that means in practice
- 1,212 Five Guys locations on our map, all in the peanut-oil group
- Peanut oil is about 32% linoleic acid, against roughly 68% for conventional sunflower
- Refined peanut oil is still an industrially refined oil — the processing objection applies to it unchanged
- Anyone with a peanut allergy should follow their allergist rather than a general article: refining removes the protein, but that is a decision to make with a clinician
The rest of the menu is a separate question
The fryer is not the whole kitchen. Buns, sauces and toppings come from suppliers, and a chain that fries in one fat may use another elsewhere. If the distinction matters to you, the question to ask is about the specific item rather than the restaurant.
Our listing reflects what the venue has been reported to cook with. It is not a certification and nobody has inspected these kitchens on your behalf.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Five Guys use seed oils?
- It fries in peanut oil, which is a legume oil rather than a seed oil on the botanical definition most lists use. On the processing definition it is a refined industrial oil like any other.
- Can I eat at Five Guys with a peanut allergy?
- That is a question for your allergist. Highly refined peanut oil has the protein removed and US labelling does not treat it as an allergen, but the lobby also has open bins of whole peanuts.
- Which fast food chains fry in something other than seed oils?
- Beyond Five Guys on peanut oil, the largest blocks on our map are Buffalo Wild Wings, Outback Steakhouse and Steak n Shake on beef tallow.
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Last updated 9 September 2026.
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