Beef tallow fell out of favor in the 1990s, but it's back big time. It's popping up in restaurants and home kitchens, and on TikTok, where health influencers debate its benefits. This versatile animal fat has a long history as a cornerstone of the human diet. While we aren't advocating you add beef tallow to your beauty routine as some on social media are, we spoke to chefs and a nutritionist to get their take on why beef tallow is worth having in your kitchen, and the best ways to use it in your cooking.

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A rendered form of beef fat, beef tallow is known for its rich flavor and high smoke point of 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Traditionally, it was used in European and American kitchens for frying, roasting, and even pastry making, where it would give everything from flaky pie crusts to hand-cut fries a deep, savory taste and a crispy texture. If you lived through the 1980s, you may recall the rich, savory scent that greeted you when you entered a McDonald's; that was beef tallow, which the chain used to fry its burgers and fries in up until the 1990s. The smell of cooking with beef tallow is a little like Sunday pot roast in grandma's oven.

Tallow is mainly made up of saturated fat, specifically stearic and palmitic acids, and some monounsaturated fat, primarily oleic acid, which is also found in olive oil, explains Kalyn True, RDN, LD, Bariatric Dietitian at Memorial Hermann Health System. Nutritionally, besides being rich in saturated fats and fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, and K, beef tallow contains no trans fats when properly rendered. 

"Beef tallow is similar to butter in that it's high in saturated fat, but it's dairy-free and a bit more stable at high cooking temperatures," says True. "Compared to olive or vegetable oils, which are higher in unsaturated fats, tallow is more traditional and unprocessed, but it doesn't offer the same heart-healthy benefits as extra virgin olive oil."

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While True wouldn't call beef tallow "heart-healthy" in the same way as olive oil or avocado oil, she doesn't think it is off limits. She understands the big draw of its being stable when used for cooking at high temperatures, capable of adding a rich, savory flavor, and acknowledges it is an alternative for those looking to avoid "ultra-processed" ingredients.

"There was a time when all saturated fat was lumped together and blamed for heart disease, but science has evolved," True says. "Now, we know that the type of saturated fat, the amount you eat, and the overall context of your diet all matter. Tallow on its own isn't necessarily harmful, especially when used occasionally as part of a balanced diet. It's about the big picture, not just one ingredient."

Less processed: Increasingly, the draw of beef tallow is that it is less processed than some other cooking oils. That was a big benefit for chef Johan Jensen, co-owner of Whitecrest Eatery in Stonington Borough, Connecticut,who, after initially experimenting with it from a culinary perspective, was attracted to beef tallow to cook cleaner for his kids.

High smoke point: An oil's smoke point is the temperature at which the oil will burn, lose flavor, and produce harmful compounds. The beneficial nutrients in the oil will also break down. Beef tallow has a relatively high smoke point, higher than olive oil, which means it can be used for high-heat cooking like roasting.

Flavor: Beef tallow tastes amazing, says Jesse Konig, chef and co-founder of Jesse and Ben's frozen fry brand. Heexplains that he and his co-founder, Ben Johnson, have made a lot of fries. "Through all of our experimenting, fries cooked in beef tallow really stood out from the pack. They crisp up beautifully on the outside, take on a rich golden color, and develop a meaty, umami flavor that is incredibly satiating." Jensen says he still cooks with olive oil and avocado oil but also enjoys the flavor beef tallow adds to dishes.

If you're ready to start experimenting with beef tallow, start by swapping it for other high-heat cooking oils. You'll use roughly the same amount as you would for another oil. Besides fries, here are a few other ways to use it.

After fries, the first thing that comes to mind for beef tallow is, well, meat. You could sear meat with beef tallow or use it to cook a burger.

"It's the flavor," Jensen says. "It's going back to that good old burger. Cooking a piece of meat in its own fat, that's beautiful, and if you're using that whole animal and its flavor, you smell it."

Jensen says any of the darker, fatty fishes, such as mackerel, play nicely with beef tallow. "Basically, anything you would slap on the grill." But beef tallow does not work as well for all types of fish; he recommends not using it for more delicate types,

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Beef tallow could be used for roasting vegetables at high heat, says True.

A simple way to start experimenting with beef tallow is use it to fry an egg says Konig. Beef tallow's high smoke point means you can get your fry pan nice and hot without burning the fat. Hello, easy, breakfast.

"One of my go-to dishes is a simple one-pan fajita bowl," Konig says. "I like to sauté thinly sliced peppers and onions in beef tallow until they're soft and slightly caramelized. Then I add a pound of ground beef right into the same pan, let it all cook together, and serve it over rice with some avocado on the side. It's quick, flavorful, and the tallow adds a rich depth that ties everything together."

Jensen says he was skeptical when one of his chefs at Whitecrest used beef tallow to cook doughnuts but that the result "was so good." Now, they use beef tallow for any fried pastry-type dishes.

Keep in mind that your kitchen might get a beef smell when you're cooking with beef tallow and that if you are used to cooking with vegetable oils, which are designed to be flavorless, the beef tallow will add flavor. You will likely want to keep a neutral oil on hand in addition to beef tallow.

"Once you start experimenting with beef tallow, you'll find yourself reaching for it all the time," Konig says.

Use a variety of cooking fats: None of our experts suggests moving over to beef tallow to the exclusion of other fats. True suggests including a mix of fats from animal and plant sources to give yourself flexibility in the kitchen and support overall health. She says that each oil can have its place and value in a moderate and inclusive diet. 

While professional chefs like Konig and Jensen go through a lot of beef tallow, it is possible for home chefs to buy it on a smaller scale.  

"When I'm shopping for home use. I always try to find tallows that are 100 percent grass-fed and ideally stored in glass. Some of our favorite tallows come from Lineage Provisions or Foxhollow Farm, which you can buy online and get shipped to you," Konig says.

According to True, the key from a nutritional standpoint is that you want tallow from grass-fed, pasture-raised beef whenever possible.

"Truly, this is going to mean a slightly better fatty acid profile, reflected by more sustainable farming practices. Ideally, choose a brand that's minimally processed and free from additives; the tallow should just be pure rendered fat with nothing else added,"

You can keep beef tallow on the counter; It's shelf-stable, which makes it easy and convenient to use in everyday cooking.  If you're using small amounts for sautéing or roasting, it gets incorporated into the dish like any other fat.  But if you're deep frying in tallow, you can save it in a glass container and reuse it. Just make sure to let it cool first.

If you're feeling ambitious, you could even render your own beef tallow at home. Here's how, according to Jensen.

Chop beef fat into small pieces and slowly simmer it over low heat in a heavy pot or slow cooker until it melts and separates from any solids.

Strain the liquid fat through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a jar, then let it cool and solidify for storage.