Abstract:To explore the effect of frying on the flavor substances and quality of yak meat，sensory evaluation，moisture content，color difference，and texture indexes were measured on yak meat fried at different temperatures and times.The headspace solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry（HS-SPME-GC-MS）was used to analyze the changes in the types and amounts of flavor substances before and after frying.The results showed that the E2 group（160 ℃，80 s）had the best sensory evaluation，color difference，and texture quality indexes A total of 41 volatile flavor substances were identified by HS-SPME-GCMS，including 20 aldehydes，5 alcohols，2 esters，1 ketone，1 furan，7 hydrocarbons，1 organic acid，and 4 other compounds.The A group（control group）detected 27 compounds，while the E2 group detected 38 compounds，showing significant differences in the types and relative contents of volatile components in yak meat between the two groups.According to the aroma characteristic radar chart，the E2 group had a richer variety of aromas.The relative odor activity value was used to analyze the key flavor components of yak meat，and the results revealed that the A group had 10 key volatile flavor substances，while the E2 group had 17 key volatile flavor substances，with trans-2-decenal，nonanal，and 1-octen-3-ol having the highest relative odor activity values of 47.35，35.14，and 17.63，respectively，imparting roasted，fruity，and mushroom flavors to the fried yak meat.The Venn diagram showed that the A group had 3 unique volatile flavor substances，while the E2 group had 14 unique volatile flavor substances，with the A group having 2 unique key aroma components and the E2 group having 9 unique key aroma components.Combining the flavor indexes，texture indexes，and sensory evaluation indexes，it was concluded that the frying process significantly improved the flavor and quality of yak meat.