Objective To reduce the oil content in fried Mahua.Methods Four gluten protein fractions, including ω-gliadin, αβγ-gliadin, alkali-soluble glutenin, and urea-soluble glutenin, are incorporated into the dough. The effects of protein addition amounts, mixing temperatures, frying temperatures and frying time on oil uptake are systematically investigated. Furthermore, the underlying mechanisms by which these protein fractions reduce oil content are explored using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), ¹³C solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (¹³C solid-state NMR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).Results The addition of individual protein fractions significantly reduces the oil content of Mahua under appropriate conditions, with urea-soluble glutenin exhibiting the greatest reduction. Under optimal conditions for urea-soluble glutenin (addition level of 4%, mixing temperature of 45 ℃, frying temperature of 160 ℃, and frying time of 8 min), the oil content of Mahua decreases from 20.51% in the control group to 9.20%. In the combination test, the minimum oil content of 8.91% is achieved with a mass ratio of αβγ-gliadin to alkali-soluble glutenin of 8∶2 and a total protein addition level of 8%. FT-IR and ¹³C solid-state NMR analyses indicate that the addition of αβγ-gliadin and alkali-soluble glutenin may promote the formation of hydrogen bonds between the C6 hydroxyl groups of starch and the amide oxygen atoms of proteins, thereby altering the spatial structures of both proteins and starch, enhancing the hydration capacity of endogenous proteins, and impeding oil penetration during the cooling process. XRD results show that protein supplementation does not change the crystal form of Mahua (with a characteristic peak at 2θ≈20°), and the sample with the lowest oil content exhibits the lowest crystallinity.Conclusion The combined addition of αβγ-gliadin and alkali-soluble glutenin effectively reduces the oil content of fried Mahua.