From whipped to herb-infused varieties, beef tallow is making a comeback as a nourishing and nostalgic fat. Once a staple in traditional cooking and prized for its high smoke point and rich flavor, tallow is being rediscovered by consumers who value ancestral ingredients and are looking for oil alternatives. This old-school fat is having a moment on social media, though it’s actually been used for centuries for frying and baking. Restaurants have also been trading in traditional oils for tallow to elevate everything from french fries to pastries. And for customers supporting “nose to tail” use of the animal, these brands provide a usage for fat that is normally discarded.

At Dough n Joe, owner Brad Livezey is deep frying homemade doughnuts with an old-school ingredient: Beef tallow. His Hampden Township and Mechanicsburg shops recently joined chains such as Steak ‘n Shake, Outback Steakhouse and Popeyes in embracing the cooking method. After researching beef tallow, Livezey now considers it a healthier and more flavorful alternative to the soy-based vegetable oil blend he previously used.

A January 2025 study warns that the real trouble starts when these oils are reheated again and again, like in restaurant deep fryers. According to the research: “Frequent reheating of polyunsaturated-rich oils such as soybean oil can result in lipid peroxidation, increasing the presence of reactive compounds that may promote cellular stress.”

Beef tallow is one of those ingredients that was seldom discussed outside of restaurant circles — until suddenly, it was everywhere. One of the trendiest ingredients of 2025, the demand for this seed oil substitute is so high that it’s actually outpacing supply in some places. And while it’s most commonly associated with adding extra richness to french fries, searing steaks, or seasoning cast iron pans, one of beef tallow’s best uses is one you might not expect: as a butter alternative in pie crusts.

When it comes to the differences between beef tallow and lard, some are obvious — and others you can only learn from experience. Fortunately, Food Republic was able to sit down with Greg Hozinsky, corporate chef for Coast Packing Company, to learn more specifics about how to use each form of animal fat.

Coast Packing Company, the leading supplier of animal fat shortenings in the Western U.S., has released new findings from a new consumer survey highlighting a significant shift away from seed oils as a cooking fat.

Eric Gustafson, chief executive of California-based animal fat refinery Coast Packing Company, said he watched in the 1990s as fast food companies like McDonald’s led a wholesale shift away from beef tallow to vegetable oils in response to medical research linking animal fats to heart disease. Gustafson said he has started to see the pendulum swing back, with sales increasing steadily over the past decade.

Recent discussions highlight tallow as sustainable and healthful alternative to processed oils.

Move over canola oil, sesame oil, and the ever-popular EVOO — there’s a new cooking fat in town. Beef tallow, which is made by rendering and straining beef fat (or by picking it up at the butcher or grocery store), is a great alternative to use when frying, sautéing, roasting, and even grilling. Cooking with this shelf-stable fat is a simple and delicious way to add unique flavor to your food, as it retains much of the savoriness and umami of its original form. It is great for high heat cooking in everything from baked goods to seasoning cast iron pans.

You think you’ve got marketing challenges? Think what it’s been like for Coast Packing, a top supplier of lard and beef tallow, two products dietitians scorn as cholesterol producers of the first order.

Once the enemy of health-conscious diners, animal fats are now a welcome addition to restaurant menus. Learn how animal fats help restaurants build flavor and attract customers.

QSR spoke with Gustavo Arellano, weekly columnist for the opinion section at The Los Angeles Times and author of Ask a Mexican—which is based on the eponymous long-time column in OC Weekly—to learn why fats made in a lab simply can’t compete with mother nature.