29 Deep-Fried Foods You Need To Try Before You Die

It's impossible to confirm who was the first who thought that submerging food into sizzling oil would result in something great, but we should all be thankful as the genius technique gave us some of the best things in life, such as doughnuts, fried chicken, and fish and chips. According to Business Insider, the Spanish and Portuguese were already deep-frying seafood by the 13th century, and by the 19th century, deep-frying was standard practice worldwide.

The popularity of deep-frying isn't difficult to justify. The technique is practical, cheap, and quick, and most importantly, anything you put in hot oil will taste great. But is everything truly better fried? We can't claim for sure, but turning any food product into a golden, crisp, and crunchy bite can't be bad. This is not the place to discuss the health aspect of fried dishes. We will focus on all those mouthwatering treats that come out of the deep fryers with beautifully crisp shells and warm, gooey centers. Though most food can be made tasty by frying, this round includes only the best sweet and savory deep-fried treats that you should try at least once in your life.

Doughnuts are most likely the most versatile fritters on the list. Essentially, any fried pastry could potentially be called a doughnut, which can result in endless varieties. To speak of the doughnut's origin would be a thankless task, considering that the first form of frying dough goes back to the ancient Greeks. According to Eater, the fried doughnut was already familiar in the U.S. by 1750, when the first recipe for a sweet fried dough was published in "The Country Housewife's Family Companion." When talking about American doughnuts, we talk about a leavened dough that is fried and enjoyed as a dessert or a sweet snack. It is usually sugar-coated or glazed and can also be filled with custards or fruit jams. Whichever might be your favorite, you certainly can't live without munching down on this crispy sweet pastry.

At its most basic, chimichanga is a deep-fried burrito that combines a flour tortilla and various fillings that typically feature the usual suspects, such as ground beef, beans, cheese, and rice. Regardless of the filling, the main prerequisite for any chimichanga is to fry it in copious amounts of oil to attain that crispy crust. It is best served with salsas, guacamole, and sauces (via Fine Dining Lovers).

The history of chimichanga is quite murky, and as LA Times reports, several Arizona-based restaurants take credit for creating this beefy fried dish. Though it is common in Mexican restaurants in the U.S., Phoenix New Times says that you will rarely find it in Mexico, which corroborates the story of its American origin.

Fried chicken is a global dish, practically universal to all cuisines. As the BBC reports, love for fried chicken could have something to do with versatility as it is easily tweaked, whether in seasonings, marinades, or frying techniques, meaning that anyone can create a version to suit their taste. Regardless of numerous international variations, Southern-style American fried chicken is the most beloved representative of the group. As the BBC explains, it might have something to do with the sheer passion Southerners used to express their love and promote the dish in and outside the U.S.

Regardless of style, fried chicken will always entail a crispy coating and a luscious chicken hidden underneath. The combination of crunch, spice, and juiciness is heaven for the taste buds and is most likely the main reason fried chicken continually comes up as everyone's favorite.

Scotch egg consists of a boiled egg covered in sausage meat and coated in breadcrumbs, neatly packed and fried until crisp and golden. In Scotland, they are a national treasure, available virtually everywhere – from supermarkets to gas stations and restaurants – but if you think that a thing called a Scotch egg would originate from Scotland, you might not be on the right track (via SBS).

Despite their name, Scotch eggs have a more complex origin. They might have been modeled on nargisi kofta, a similar meat-coated egg dish of Indian origin possibly introduced by English soldiers who returned from placements in India. The other theory involves Fortnum & Mason, a department store that also serves food, which claims that it was the first to think of Scotch eggs as a convenient and portable snack for wealthy travelers (via Britannica).

Regardless of these theories, claims, and legends, this fried egg specialty is a must-try in British pubs. It tastes good warm or cold.

Deep-fried cheese is featured in several national cuisines, and many realized that the already perfect ingredient could be upgraded by deep-frying it. The technique is straightforward; cheese is usually battered and then fried in sizzling oil, creating a crispy layer that coats the partially melted cheese. Mozzarella sticks are one of the best-known representatives and a favorite in the U.S., but this is not the only way to deep-fry cheese.

The Venezuelan version, known as tequeños, is made with cheese sticks wrapped in pastry and then fried. Europeans have similar adaptations, but the one that stands out is the Czech fried cheese in which the whole slice is breaded and fried, and unlike its counterparts, it typically makes a meal of its own (via 196 flavors). Whichever might be your favorite, always eat it freshly prepared.

Struffoli is the Neapolitan version of crispy fried dough tidbits that are typically enjoyed for Christmas. As Atlas Obscura explains, struffoli probably has Greek origins, and similar varieties exist throughout Italy. What sets these fritters apart is the way they are served. When they attain the right crispiness, tiny struffoli are doused in honey and then covered in candied fruit, candy, and colorful sprinkles, creating an eye-catching treat. Struffoli is typically associated with Christmas, but in Italian American tradition, it is also a part of Easter celebrations.

Fritto misto is an excellent example of how Italians applied the idea that everything is better fried. The phrase translates as fried mix, and the dish is precisely that – a mixture of fried ingredients that can include meat, seafood, veggies, or even cream or cookies. On the seaside, the favorite version is a seafood mix that will come filled with crunchy bits of fried calamari, anchovies, or shrimp, whereas the northern-style version is often filled with vegetables and some slightly unusual additions such as fried offal and semolina. In the Marche region, the obligatory addition includes stuffed and fried olive ascolane. These fried mixes make a great snack or an appetizer. Though there are no rules when it comes to ingredients, it always needs to be made fresh (via Fine Dining Lovers).

Youtiao is a humble Chinese snack easily described as the Chinese cruller.It is known under various names, and the early version had a quite distinctive, elongated form that allegedly resembled a human shape; the modern version does not. Youtiao is mostly enjoyed at breakfast, and though it makes a great snack on its own, it also goes well with congee or any other soups or stews. Apart from China, these popular fritters are found in other Asian countries. You will most likely find it at street stalls – don't miss the chance to munch down on a freshly prepared youtiao with its crisp crust and soft, tender center (via Says).

Pakora is an Indian staple consisting of various deep-fried ingredients such as green peas or prawns. It is a humble dish enjoyed throughout the country, though it appears in several slightly different varieties and under numerous names, including tele bhajas, begunis, and vengayam pakoras. Experts believe that 16th-century Portuguese traders stopped in India en route to Japan, bringing Indian cooks who made pakora. These Indian cooks must have brought the food to Japan, and the dish became what we know as tempura (via Hindustan Times). Pakora can be enjoyed as a snack, a side dish, at tea-time, or as a meal on its own. Though it is traditionally vegetarian, any vegetable, meat, or seafood can be made into a pakora, and most Indian regions will have a signature version that can differ in the base ingredients, seasonings, or the components added to the batter (via The Better India).

Arancini are deep-fried rice balls filled with savory fillings which are fried until the pieces attain a golden, crispy crust. These large fritters hail from Sicily, where they originated in the 10th century. They were named after oranges (arancia), most likely because of the orange color they attain during frying, which resembles that of an orange. Arancini typically hold a savory, meat-based filling, and along with typical round shapes, the one from eastern Sicily may also have a cone-like form (via Best of Sicily).

Fried artichokes are a traditional Roman appetizer. Originally they were called carciofi alla giudia, which can be roughly translated as artichokes Jewish-style. The dish has a long history in the Italian capital, probably originating centuries ago among the Jewish community, hence the name. The artichokes are fried whole, and as they fry, the leaves open and crisp up, creating a delectable fried flower with hidden pockets of salt and artichoke juices. Traditionally, old-school restaurants would fry the artichokes twice for added crispiness (via Eat and Walk Italy).

Beignets are of European origin – as you might have guessed from the name – but this delicious square of fried dough is intractably related to New Orleans, where it found its spiritual home. A beignet is made with leavened dough that puffs up into a flaky, golden delight when it is dropped into sizzling oil.

There are no rules about when you can enjoy your beignet. It is ideal as breakfast, snack, brunch, late dinner, or all of the above. Just make sure you have the napkin ready, as the generous amount of sugar on top of the beignet will end up everywhere. Ideally, pair the beignet with café au lait to get a taste of this favorite New Orleans tradition (via Cravings of a Food Scientist).

Churros can be easily described as fried dough sticks, but this overly simple description doesn't do justice to this fried Spanish treat. A churro is made with a runny dough that is dropped through an angular funnel directly into the sizzling oil, and what comes out is an elongated fritter with a crispy exterior and a chewy, tender center. Traditionally, churros are served with hot chocolate, a pairing most symbolic of Madrid, but serving freshly fried churros with nothing more than a sprinkle of sugar will also make for a delectable pleasure. Churros are everywhere in Spain and are a prerequisite at all Spanish celebrations (féria) (via BBC Food).

Japanese have perfected the art of frying, and along with the internationally known tempura, they take pride in another fried specialty known as kushiage. The name encompasses a variety of small-sized snacks that are skewered and then fried in sizzling oil. Though it sounds similar to tempura, the batter for kushiage will include an egg and some bread crumbs, creating a firmer crust than the one delivered by tempura. The skewers are served with a dipping sauce on the side and some pickled cabbage strips that should cleanse your palate before each bite. Kushiage is typically made with beef or pork morsels, lotus root, or fish (via Michelin Guide).