Is Beef Tallow a Healthy Choice for You? What Happens When You Cook With It Instead of Other Fats

Beef tallow is having a moment on social media, with influencers promoting it as a “back-to-basics” cooking fat and a return to traditional eating. It’s showing up in everything from home cooking videos to wellness trends—but does that hype match the science? Here’s what nutrition experts and current research actually say.

What is beef tallow, exactly?

Beef tallow is a white, shelf-stable cooking fat made by rendering — or melting — the fatty tissue that surrounds the organs of cows, according to AARP. Lard is the pork equivalent.

Like other saturated fats, beef tallow is solid at room temperature and has a high smoke point, which is part of why it’s gained traction with home cooks looking to fry, sear and roast at higher temperatures. It contains no carbs or protein, and naturally includes small amounts of fat-soluble compounds.

Is beef tallow healthy for you?

The answer is more complicated than a simple yes or no. Beef tallow contains some nutrients that may offer health benefits, but it’s also high in saturated fat, which should be eaten in moderation.

According to the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, beef tallow “contains some nutrients like monosaturated fats, choline and fat-soluble vitamins that may provide health benefits,” while also containing saturated fat that warrants moderation.

Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and director of Tufts University’s Food is Medicine Institute, previously told NBC News that beef tallow is “probably healthier than ultraprocessed foods high in starch, sugar and salt — but it’s less healthy than olive oil, soybean oil, canola oil or fats from nuts or avocados.”

How does beef tallow compare to seed oils?

Beef tallow and seed oils have meaningfully different nutritional profiles, and dietary guidelines generally favor unsaturated fats over saturated ones.

Beef tallow is high in saturated fat, contains no carbs or protein, and naturally contains fat-soluble compounds in small amounts. Seed oils, by contrast, are higher in unsaturated fats — both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated — and are commonly recommended in many dietary guidelines. They’re often considered more heart-friendly when used to replace saturated fats in the diet.

That distinction matters for anyone weighing the social media hype against what cardiologists actually recommend for long-term heart health.

What are the benefits of cooking with beef tallow?

The main appeal of beef tallow is flavor. It adds a subtle beefy, umami depth to foods like potatoes, meats and fried vegetables, and many cooks describe it as giving food a more “restaurant-style” taste.

Its high smoke point also makes it well-suited for high-heat cooking methods like deep-frying and searing. That combination — rich flavor and heat stability — is a big part of why it’s reemerged in home kitchens after decades of being sidelined in favor of vegetable oils.

Should you cook with beef tallow?

Beef tallow can fit into a balanced diet in moderation, but it isn’t the heart-healthiest fat on the shelf. Experts say olive oil, canola oil and fats from nuts and avocados are better default choices for everyday cooking.

If you enjoy the flavor tallow brings to certain dishes, using it occasionally is unlikely to derail an otherwise balanced diet — especially when it’s replacing ultraprocessed foods. But swapping out heart-healthier oils for tallow as a daily staple isn’t supported by current nutrition guidance.