Cottonseed oil is a vegetable oil extracted from the seeds of cultivated cotton plant species Gossypium spp., and is a by-product of the cotton fiber industry. The seed contains 18-22% oil by weight, extracted after removing the lint and hull by mechanical pressing followed by solvent extraction. The crude oil requires careful refining to remove the gossypol compound, which is naturally toxic to humans and monogastric animals.

Cotton cultivation has a history extending more than five thousand years, distributed among several varieties in India, Egypt, the Americas, and China. Cottonseed oil emerged as an economic product in the United States in the nineteenth century, and was the first industrial vegetable oil to replace animal fats in American baked goods, paving the way for the famous "Crisco" brand in 1911.

Refined cottonseed oil contains about 52% linoleic acid (omega-6), 18% oleic acid, 22% palmitic acid, and 3% stearic acid. Its omega-6:omega-3 ratio is very high (about 257:1). It has a high smoke point (220°C) and high oxidative stability due to the presence of natural antioxidants (tocopherols), making it preferred for industrial frying.

According to USDA data for the 2025/26 season, global production reached 4.70 million tons, or 2.0% of the vegetable oil market. India leads production with 1.30 million tons, followed by China with 1.16 million tons, then Turkey, the United States, and the European Union. Production remains tied to demand for cotton fiber, since the oil is crushed as a by-product of it.

Cottonseed oil is widely used in industrial frying and potato chips, and in the making of margarine, baked goods, and mayonnaise. It is also used in soap-making, and large quantities of it go to livestock feed after gossypol removal. Industrially, it is used in the making of paints and varnishes, candles, and biofuel.