Why Beef Tallow is Back on the Menu in 2025

Beef Tallow—once disregarded as unhealthy and unfit for the restaurant kitchen—is staging a comeback in 2025. 

Steak n Shake kicked off the year by announcing plans to use 100 percent all-natural beef tallow in all of its restaurants instead of seed oils. At the time, chief supply chain officer Chris Ward described beef tallow as an “authentic way” to achieve the “highest quality and best taste.” As of late March, the chain’s fries, onion rings, and chicken tenders are cooked in 100 percent tallow inside restaurants. However, manufacturers were still parfrying products with vegetable oil before freezing and shipping them to stores. 

Robert F. Kennedy, the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, later conducted an interview inside a Steak n Shake restaurant, declaring that he wanted restaurants to move away from seed oils and toward traditional ingredients like beef tallow.

He criticizes seed oils as a key component in ultra-processed foods, which he blames for chronic disease in America. However, some nutrition experts argue that research shows better health outcomes with plant-based fats over animal fats. 

In the mid-20th century, saturated fats (like those in beef tallow) were blamed for rising heart disease rates. McDonald’s switched from beef tallow to vegetable oil in 1990 amid growing public pressure over heart health. 

But beef tallow appears to be gaining momentum in light of growing reluctance around seed oils and a desire for what some believe is better taste and a more natural diet. 

Chicago-based Fry the Coop is part of the movement. Since opening in 2017, the nine-unit chain has exclusively used beef tallow to fry its chicken and fries—a commitment rooted in tradition and taste. 

“Historically, humans have been using some type of animal fat to cook in since the beginning of time,” says founder Joe Fontana. “Even if you just have a steak, and you don’t put any butter down or put anything in your cooking pan, those fats are coming out. So, to me, I think it is a more natural way of cooking.” 

The biggest advantage, however, comes down to flavor. 

“Putting everything else aside, it just tastes better,” Fontana says. “There’s this phenomenal flavor when you’re frying in animal fat. If that was the only benefit, it’d still be worth it. People eat it and are like, ‘Wow, why is this so good?’ I always lean in and say, ‘Well, the secret is that we’re frying in beef tallow.’ It’s like a bakery that uses butter instead of lard.” 

That doesn’t mean Fry the Coop keeps the secret to itself. The brand highlights its use of beef tallow across its website and social media, and it has recently ramped up messaging with table tents and branded packaging that spread the word about its frying method. 

“We market it like crazy, because we think it’s a big differentiator for us,” Fontana says.

Steve Shaw, director of operations for the two-unit Burger Boss, joined the company last year championing a switch to beef tallow. He felt it would match the fast casual’s DNA of clean ingredients, like its halal beef, chicken, and bacon. 

But the process wasn’t easy. It took around three to four months to get samples and test flavor profiles. In the meantime, Burger Boss switched from seed oil to rice bran oil.

The chain is currently using beef tallow for its fries, which are mixing at an all-time high since the switch. If consumers want a vegetarian option, the brand will cook the fries in a different oil. 

Burger Boss is considering expanding beef tallow to other menu items. 

“We’re trying to really make sure that it’s the right thing to do as a brand and make sure it’s the right thing to do for our guests,” Shaw says. “We don’t just jump into these things. We really think about them. We do a lot of in-house testing with guests, getting feedback on flavor profiles. That was a no-brainer. We were cooking up fries and beef tallow and cooking up fries in regular oil and 10 out of 10 [guests] were picking the beef tallow. So that was an overwhelming favorite. If we were to cook our other items in beef tallow, then we’re going to have to make sure that aligns as well.”

Shaw says the cooking process is the same. The biggest change is when the fryers turn off and the beef tallow re-solidifies, so it takes longer to heat the fryers in the morning. 

Brands that make the switch from seed or vegetable oils will also find that cleaning is more intensive, with thicker residue at the end of the night. 

“Tallow has a way of getting all over the place,” Fontana says. “There’s a certain greasiness to it that is going to require a little bit of extra cleaning effort.” 

Another important consideration is the extra cost. 

“Beef tallow could be anywhere from $1 per pound to $1.50 per pound for restaurants, where you probably see seed oil around 60 cents per pound to 70 cents per pound,” Fontana says. “So, you’re talking about 40 percent to double the cost. That can be a hard thing for people to swallow, especially because costs are going up everywhere right now.”

While Shaw and Fontana are proponents of using beef tallow and believe more brands should consider it, they emphasize the importance of learning how to use it properly. Operators should understand how to melt it, drain it, filter it, and manage it in fryers.

“Beef tallow is not for everyone,” Shaw says. “Know what your brand is and know what flavor profile you want. I think all brands should be looking at the ingredients that they’re using and how it affects our guests because ultimately that’s who we work for, the guests.”

“I would say that it’s going to be a little bit of a learning curve,” Fontana adds. “However, once you know it, you’re off to the races. You will taste the difference, your customers will appreciate it, and you’ll see more feet in the door.”