Beef Tallow: The 2025 Ultimate Guide

Beef tallow, once a staple in traditional cooking, is making a comeback in kitchens around the globe. Made from rendered beef fat, this versatile ingredient boasts a rich nutritional profile and a long list of possible perks, from boosting gut health to easing inflammation. Plus, unlike heavily processed seed oils, tallow is natural, minimally processed, and packed with beneficial fatty acids, including conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), stearic acid, and more.

When it comes to cooking, tallow’s impressive smoke point makes it a superior choice for high-heat methods, such as frying and baking. Beyond the kitchen, tallow has also gained traction as a skincare staple on social media, praised for its nourishing properties and anti-inflammatory effects. And as an added bonus, it’s also sustainable! In fact, beef tallow is made using a natural byproduct of meat production and can help reduce food waste by ensuring that every part of the animal is used, from nose to tail.

Whether you’re curious about the science-backed benefits of tallow, want to learn how to make it at home, or are looking for creative new ways to incorporate it into your daily diet, this ultimate guide has you covered. Below, we’ll unpack everything you need to know about beef tallow, including why this classic cooking fat is reclaiming its place at the table.

What is Tallow? From Ancient Fat to Modern Superfood

What is Beef Tallow?

Beef tallow is a solid, shelf-stable fat typically sourced from suet, a type of dense fat that surrounds a cow's kidneys. It's crafted through rendering, a slow cooking process that melts down the fat. It’s then strained to eliminate any impurities, particles, and protein residues, resulting in a highly nutritious fat that doubles as both a classic cooking ingredient and skincare essential.

However, not all beef tallow is made from just suet. Take the Lineage beef tallow for example, which features nose-to-tail tallow, meaning that every inch of the cow gets put to good use. Not only can this cut down on waste, but it also packs a bigger nutritional punch, offering a broader blend of fatty acids and higher doses of other nutrients, like fat-soluble vitamins and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10).

Benefits and Uses

Because of its fatty acid profile and nutrient content, beef tallow has been linked to a variety of powerful health benefits. We’ll dive deeper in a bit, but here are a few of its impressive benefits at a glance:

Beef tallow shines in the kitchen, thanks to its high smoke point and stability, both of which keep it from breaking down and oxidizing under high heat. It also has many household uses, from making candles and soaps to seasoning cast iron cookware.

History

Although beef tallow has made a recent resurgence, its history stretches across a variety of different cultures and countries worldwide. In ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, it was a key component of beauty rituals, used in nourishing balms, creams, and ointments to help combat the dry desert climate, while in the Roman Empire, tallow played a central role in the creation of the very first candles. Meanwhile, in medieval times, it was mixed with onion and squill and used as a peeling treatment, or paired with ash to make a natural cleanser for the skin (X). Pemmican, a preserved meat product made with tallow and dried meat, was also a staple for many indigenous groups in North America, serving as a nutrient-dense and portable source of sustenance to help endure extreme conditions (X).

Until recently, tallow was also a secret weapon within the food industry, known for its ability to add a crisp texture and bold flavor to fried foods. In fact, right up until the 1980’s, a long lineup of chain restaurants — including Wendy’s, Arby’s, Popeye’s, and Dairy Queen — all used tallow in their kitchens. What’s more, McDonald’s even relied on tallow to give their signature fries their iconic taste and texture (X, X).

In the 1990s, seed oils like canola, soybean, and corn oil began to dominate the food industry, offering a cheaper and more readily available alternative to tallow, but sacrificing nutritional value in the process. Today, these oils are hard to miss, showing up on the ingredients list of almost every ultra-processed food, including salty snacks, packaged baked goods, convenience meals, and more.

In addition to cutting costs, this shift was also driven by concerns about the health effects of saturated fats. In a bit, we’ll explore the full scoop on saturated fat, including what the science actually says. But spoiler alert: recent research suggests it’s not the villain it was once made out to be and can actually fit into a balanced diet. X, X, X).

The Nutritional Profile of Tallow

Beef tallow contains a blend of saturated and monounsaturated fats, giving it a nutritional profile that’s more balanced than you might think. Monounsaturated fats are known for their heart-healthy benefits, including lowering cholesterol levels and slashing your risk of heart disease and stroke (X2). Saturated fat, on the other hand, is a type of fat found in animal products like meat, eggs, and dairy. Although it has long been painted as harmful to heart health, the science is shifting. In fact, recent research suggests that it doesn’t have a direct link to heart disease and can even be included in a healthy diet (X).

Beef tallow also serves up several fatty acids, many of which are known for their health-promoting properties. A few noteworthy examples include:

Beyond fatty acids, beef tallow also provides an array of fat-soluble vitamins and other micronutrients. Some of the key nutrients that it contains include:

Keep in mind that not all beef used to make beef tallow is created equal. Compared to its grain-fed counterpart, grass-fed beef boasts a better lipid profile, with less saturated fat and fewer cholesterol-boosting fatty acids. Plus, it’s loaded with more essential fatty acids like omega-3s, giving it an added edge over grain-fed options (X1).

Tallow vs. Seed Oils

It's no secret that seed oils can be found almost everywhere, from salad dressings and snack foods to the seemingly "healthy" options that line supermarket shelves. Interestingly, soybean oil intake alone is estimated to have surged by 1,000-fold between 1909-1999 (X). But how do seed oils compare to tallow in terms of their nutrition profile, stability, and potential effects on health? Here’s what you need to know.

Stability

Beef tallow and seed oils both boast a high smoke point, which is the temperature at which fats start to degrade. Beef tallow’s smoke point is typically anywhere from 400-480° F, depending on how it was produced. Meanwhile, many refined seed oils also have a high smoke point, including canola oil (460-490° F), soybean oil (450° F), and cottonseed oil (420° F).

However, tallow has a leg up on seed oils when it comes to its oxidation stability, meaning that it stays fresh longer and is less likely to break down and form harmful compounds when exposed to heat. This is thanks to its content of saturated fat, which is more stable and resistant to oxidation. Seed oils, on the other hand, are packed with polyunsaturated fats that turn rancid more quickly and are prone to oxidation, generating harmful free radicals when heated (X)

Fatty acid breakdown

Seed oils and tallow each provide a different set of fatty acids. Seed oils contain a mix of unsaturated fats, including both poly- and monounsaturated fatty acids. Meanwhile, tallow offers a blend of monounsaturated and saturated fats (X, X). While research shows that saturated fat could increase levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, its impact on heart health has become a subject of heated debate (X5). We’ll get into the science shortly, but recent research shows that saturated fat doesn’t directly cause heart disease and can actually fit into a balanced diet in moderation (X5, X6, X7).

Beyond these basic differences, seed oils contain more omega-6 fatty acids, including linoleic acid. Even though these fats are essential, an excess of omega-6s (coupled with too few omega-3s) could drive up inflammation (X3). On the flip side, tallow’s omega-6 fats are mostly in the form of CLA, which has a different chemical makeup than linoleic acid, plus a more positive impact on health (X4).

On top of that, beef tallow is chock full of other healthy fats as well, including butyric acid, which has been shown to benefit immune function and gut health (X7, X8). It also contains stearic acid, which can help support healthy cholesterol levels and skin health (X, X9).

Effects on health

Because of its high smoke point and stability, tallow can withstand high temperatures and resist oxidation, which can be harmful to health. In fact, research suggests that oxidized fats could be linked to increased inflammation and a higher risk of heart disease (X, X). They can also contribute to the formation of compounds like aldehydes, which have been tied to health risks like cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease (X).

On the other hand, seed oils are high in omega-6 fatty acids like linoleic acid, which have been associated with increased inflammation when consumed in excess (X3). According to a 2023 review published in Nutrients, going overboard on your intake of linoleic acid could also negatively impact the function of your mitochondria (aka the “powerhouse” of the cell), promote the formation of inflammatory oxidized compounds, and even contribute to chronic disease (X).

Seed oils are also frequently found in ultra-processed foods because of their cost and convenience. Time and time again, science has shown that ultra-processed foods can take a serious toll on health. Interestingly enough, one review even concluded that regular consumption of ultra-processed foods could be tied to a 39% higher risk of overweight and obesity, a 79% greater risk of metabolic syndrome, and a higher risk of heart disease, depression, and premature death (X).

Some seed oils in processed foods also undergo a process called hydrogenation, which extends their shelf life and converts them into solid or semi-solid fats. This can lead to the formation of trans fats, a type of unsaturated fat that can clog arteries and contribute to heart disease (X). While the Food and Drug Administration has banned the use of partially hydrogenated oils in the United States, foods made with fully hydrogenated seed oils may still contain a small amount of trans fats, including some margarines, packaged snacks, and baked treats (X).

Sourcing and sustainability

Nutrition aside, beef tallow and seed oils also differ quite a bit in how they’re sourced and manufactured. For starters, beef tallow is made using rendered fat, transforming what would otherwise be waste from meat production into a versatile and sustainable cooking fat. Brands like Lineage Provisions also offer nose-to-tail tallow, which helps ensure that no part of the animal goes to waste. Plus, Lineage sources beef from family-run regenerative farms aimed at restoring the health of the ecosystem and cutting carbon emissions.

In contrast, industrial seed oil production can take a major toll on the environment, contributing to deforestation, resource depletion, and biodiversity loss. Seed oil production also requires energy-intensive extraction methods to produce, pumping out massive amounts of greenhouse gas emissions in the process (X).

Uses

Tallow is a versatile cooking fat that can do it all, from frying to roasting to sauteing and more. Because it holds up well under high heat, it allows you to cook with confidence while bringing a rich flavor and crispy texture to your favorite recipes. As an added bonus, it also doubles as a nourishing skin cream, a cast iron seasoning, and a staple ingredient for homemade soaps and candles.

For recipes that require liquid — including marinades or salad dressings — cooking oils (preferably olive or avocado oil) might be a better bet. These oils also have a neutral taste, which may work best in certain dishes that demand a more subtle flavor. You can however, melt your tallow to use it in place of a liquid, if needed.

Sources Cited

1. "The Role of Saturated Fats in Human Health," Nutrients, 2021.
2. "Impact of Omega-6 Fatty Acids on Inflammation," The Journal of Lipid Research, 2022.
3. Dr. Paul Saladino’s insights on ancestral diets and tallow: Paul Saladino, MD
4. Weston A. Price Foundation: "Traditional Uses of Tallow."