Assessment of Curcumin-Enriched Oleogel Coatings for Mitigating Heat-Induced Toxic Compounds in Deep-Fried Chicken Nuggets

• Curcumin oleogels suppressed AGEs and 5-HMF formation during frying. • β-sitosterol/γ-oryzanol oleogels enhanced moisture and oxidative stability. • Curcumin delivery via oleogels improved texture and color of fried chicken. • Antioxidant oleogel coatings preserved sensory quality of fried chicken. This study evaluated curcumin-enriched oleogel coatings structured with β-sitosterol and γ-oryzanol in rice bran oil for mitigating heat-induced toxic compound formation and improving the quality of deep-fried chicken nuggets. Nuggets coated with oleogels containing 0.1–0.5 g curcumin/100 g oleogel were compared with uncoated controls. The highest curcumin treatment (0.5 g/100 g) reduced fat content by over 50% and increased moisture retention from 48.28% (control) to 60.13% (p < 0.05). Lipid oxidation was significantly inhibited, with TBARS decreasing from 4.12 to 1.07 mg MDA/kg. Heat-induced toxicants were markedly reduced; 5-hydroxymethylfurfural decreased to 29.11 mg/100 g, while advanced glycation end products were minimized, with Nε-(carboxymethyl) lysine and Nε-(carboxyethyl) lysine reduced to 1.50 and 1.11 µg/g, respectively (p < 0.05). Coated samples exhibited lighter color (L* increased from 31.43 to 57.21), reduced crust hardness (puncture force decreased from 12.32 to ∼3.5 N), and improved sensory acceptability (scores > 7). These results demonstrate that β-sitosterol/γ-oryzanol oleogels serve as an effective delivery system for curcumin, simultaneously reducing fat, oxidative degradation, and toxic compounds while preserving sensory quality in fried chicken products.