Shake Shack doesn't publish its fryer oil on its own site. Per CNBC's September 2023 reporting, the chain's "deep fryers are traditionally filled with soybean oil." Separately, the potato bun, supplied by Martin's Famous Potato Rolls, currently contains sunflower oil per Martin's own ingredient list, not soybean oil. The beef patty itself has no added oil.
What oil Shake Shack uses
Shake Shack's fryer runs on soybean oil. CNBC reported in September 2023 that the chain was piloting a non-seed sugarcane oil (Zero Acre) at two NYC locations, Hudson Yards and Battery Park City, describing the chain's existing setup this way: "Shake Shack's deep fryers are traditionally filled with soybean oil." We found no confirmation the pilot expanded beyond those two locations, so soybean oil remains the default assumption for the fryer at most Shacks. Soybean oil is one of the highest omega-6 seed oils, at approximately 54% linoleic acid per USDA FoodData Central data.
The non-GMO potato bun is supplied by Martin's Famous Potato Rolls and Bread. Martin's own published ingredient list for its Sandwich Potato Rolls names sunflower oil, not soybean oil. Martin's switched its formulation from soybean oil and soy lecithin to sunflower oil and sunflower lecithin as part of a non-GMO push; sunflower oil is still a seed oil, just a different one than this page previously claimed.
No seed oil in the ingredient list
✓ = does not list seed oil as an ingredient per published documentation.
- ✓Beef patty 100% beef with no allergens or added oil listed on Shake Shack's own allergen and nutrition documentation.
- ✓Lettuce and tomato No oil. Plain produce.
Contains seed oil
✗ = contains or is cooked in seed oil per published ingredient documentation.
- ✗Fries Fried in soybean oil at most locations, per CNBC's September 2023 reporting.
- ✗Cheese fries Cooked in the same soybean-oil fryer as regular fries.
- ✗Potato bun Contains sunflower oil, per Martin's Famous Potato Rolls' own ingredient list.
- ✗American cheese Shake Shack's own allergen documentation flags Soy for the American cheese, though it doesn't name a specific oil.
Not independently confirmed
- ?ShackSauce Shake Shack's own allergen documentation flags only Egg for ShackSauce, no Soy. We could not find a source that names the oil in the sauce itself, so we're not asserting soybean oil despite that being the older version of this page's claim.
About Shake Shack's ingredient documentation
Shake Shack's own published allergen and nutrition documentation is an allergen chart (Milk, Egg, Wheat, Soy, Sesame), not a document that names specific oils by item. For the fryer oil and the bun's oil, this page relies on CNBC's reporting and Martin's own published ingredient list, respectively, since Shake Shack doesn't publish either in writing itself. Formulations can change. Verify directly at shakeshack.com and potatorolls.com before making decisions based on this guide.
Our Pick
Ancestral Supplements Grass-Fed Tallow
What McDonald's used to fry in before 1990. If you want the flavor of restaurant-quality fries at home without soybean oil, beef tallow is the traditional fat. Works at 375°F, the standard fry temperature.
Frequently asked questions
Does Shake Shack use seed oils?
Yes, in more than one place. Shake Shack's fryers are traditionally filled with soybean oil, per CNBC's September 2023 reporting on the chain's oil-sourcing changes (Shake Shack itself doesn't publish the fryer oil on its site). Separately, the potato bun supplied by Martin's Famous Potato Rolls currently lists sunflower oil as an ingredient, per Martin's own published ingredient list, not soybean oil as this page previously stated. The beef patty itself has no added oil.
What oil does Shake Shack fry in?
Soybean oil, per CNBC's September 2023 coverage of Shake Shack testing a sugarcane-oil alternative: "Shake Shack's deep fryers are traditionally filled with soybean oil." Shake Shack piloted a non-seed sugarcane oil (Zero Acre) at two NYC locations, Hudson Yards and Battery Park City, starting in 2023, but we found no confirmation this expanded chain-wide, so the default assumption at most locations is still the soybean-oil fryer.
Does the Shake Shack burger patty have seed oils?
The beef patty itself contains beef and no added oil, per Shake Shack's own published allergen and nutrition information (no allergens are listed against the plain patty). The potato bun, supplied by Martin's Famous Potato Rolls, currently contains sunflower oil per Martin's own ingredient list. We could not confirm the specific oil in ShackSauce; Shake Shack doesn't publish it and we found no reliable named source.
Is there anything at Shake Shack without seed oil?
The beef patty itself has no added oil per Shake Shack's own allergen documentation. Everything downstream of that is more mixed than this page previously said: the fryer runs on soybean oil (per CNBC), and the bun contains sunflower oil (per Martin's own ingredient list) rather than the soybean oil this page used to claim. If you want to minimize seed oil at Shake Shack, a bunless patty is the cleanest order, understanding that cross-contact from shared cooking surfaces is still possible.
Where can I find Shake Shack's ingredient list?
Shake Shack publishes allergen and nutrition information at shakeshack.com, though it's an allergen chart (Milk, Egg, Wheat, Soy, Sesame) rather than a document that names specific oils. For the bun specifically, Martin's Famous Potato Rolls and Bread publishes its own ingredient list at potatorolls.com.
Sources
- CNBC -- "Shake Shack switches up fan-favorite fry recipe with new sustainable oil" (Sept. 18, 2023) -- Source for "Shake Shack's deep fryers are traditionally filled with soybean oil"
- Martin's Famous Potato Rolls and Bread -- Sandwich Potato Rolls ingredient list -- Names sunflower oil as the bun's oil ingredient
- Shake Shack -- Nutrition & Allergen Information -- Confirms no added oil or allergens for the plain beef patty; flags Soy on the American cheese
- USDA FoodData Central -- Soybean Oil and Sunflower Oil nutrient profiles -- Source for omega-6 linoleic acid percentages
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