Steam explosion, in which materials are crushed through rapid decompression after high-pressure steaming, has been widely used for biomass pretreatment. In this study, we used steam-explosion pretreatment (SEP) for oil extraction from sumac fruit. SEP reduced particle size and formed fissures and micropores on the fruit. The kinetics of the extraction process indicates that under optimal conditions (steam pressure 1.5 MPa, residence time 3 min), the oil yield at equilibrium increased to 16.04%, approximately fourfold higher than that of the raw sample. The mass transfer coefficient of the oil extraction decreased as a result of SEP. In addition, the acidity of the extracted oil decreased and peroxide value increased in the steam-exploded sample compared with that of the raw material. Few changes in fatty acid composition were observed, with low palmitic acid content and high linoleic acid composition. These results suggest that SEP improved the yield of oil extraction from sumac fruit and affected oil quality.