For many, the taste of a perfectly crispy, flavorful french fry is a nostalgic treat. That signature savory depth is often attributed to one specific ingredient: beef tallow. While McDonald's famously abandoned this practice decades ago due to health concerns, several other establishments have maintained or recently reintroduced beef tallow to their cooking process to enhance flavor and texture. This guide will walk you through the restaurants that currently use beef tallow or a beef tallow blend for their fries.
The Return of Tallow-Fried Favorites
After years of focus on vegetable oils, some restaurants are seeing a resurgence of interest in traditional frying fats like beef tallow. This shift is driven by a desire for a more robust flavor profile and a nostalgic taste. Steak 'n Shake is a prominent example, having made headlines by proudly announcing its switch back to 100% beef tallow for its shoestring fries in early 2025. This move was touted as a return to an “authentic” and higher-quality cooking method.
Restaurants Still Using Beef Tallow
- Steak 'n Shake: This Midwestern staple completed its transition to 100% beef tallow fries in early 2025, promoting the move heavily to consumers looking for classic flavor.
- Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen: The fast-food chicken chain uses a combination of beef shortening (a processed form of beef fat) and vegetable oil for frying. This applies to its fries as well, giving them a distinct flavor that complements the Cajun seasoning.
- Outback Steakhouse: A long-time advocate of beef fat frying, Outback has been using beef tallow for its fried foods, including its Aussie Fries, since 1988.
- Smashburger: Known for its customizable burgers, Smashburger uses a blend of beef tallow and canola oil to fry its standard fries, tots, and Brussels sprouts.
- Portillo's: This Chicago-based hot dog chain prepares its crinkle-cut fries with a mix of vegetable oil and beef tallow. This practice also extends to their onion rings.
- Buffalo Wild Wings: The sports bar chain uses beef shortening for its fried items, including both its signature wings and its french fries.
Why Beef Tallow? The Flavor and Texture Advantage
Chefs and food enthusiasts prefer beef tallow for several key reasons, with the primary advantage being flavor. The rendered beef fat imparts a deep, savory, and umami-rich taste to the fries that vegetable oils simply cannot replicate. This is the key reason many former McDonald's fans lament the change made in 1990.
In addition to flavor, beef tallow offers a superior texture. Its high smoke point, around 400°F (249°C), makes it ideal for deep frying. This allows the fries to cook quickly, achieving a crispy, golden-brown exterior while maintaining a soft, fluffy interior. In contrast, some vegetable oils can break down more easily at high temperatures, leading to a less desirable texture.
Comparison of Restaurant Frying Oils
| Restaurant | Frying Fat | Notes | Taste Profile | Vegetarian-Friendly? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steak 'n Shake | 100% Beef Tallow | Recent switch (2025) | Classic, rich, savory beef flavor | No |
| Popeye's | Beef Shortening/Blend | Used for all fried items | Cajun-seasoned, savory beef undertones | No |
| Outback Steakhouse | 100% Beef Tallow | Used since 1988 | Rich, deep, classic steakhouse flavor | No |
| Smashburger | Beef Tallow/Canola Oil Blend | Used for fries and tots | Savory, slight beef flavor | No |
| Portillo's | Beef Tallow/Vegetable Oil Blend | For crinkle-cut fries | Salty, beefy, sometimes cheese-laden | No |
| Buffalo Wild Wings | Beef Shortening | For fries and wings | Savory, beef flavor in all fried items | No |
| Five Guys | 100% Peanut Oil | No beef fat used | Nutty, classic, non-beefy flavor | Yes |
| McDonald's | Vegetable Oil with Beef Flavor | Switched in 1990 | Subtle beef flavor from additive, less rich | Sometimes (check for milk derivatives) |
The Great McDonald's Tallow Debate
No discussion of beef tallow and fries is complete without mentioning McDonald's. For decades, the fast-food giant's legendary fries were cooked in a mixture of 93% beef tallow and 7% cottonseed oil. The result was an unforgettably savory flavor that made their fries famous. However, following a massive public campaign against saturated fats in the late 1980s, McDonald's succumbed to pressure and switched to 100% vegetable oil in 1990. The decision immediately sparked customer backlash over the change in taste, with many finding the new fries inferior. To compensate for the lost beefy flavor, the company began adding 'natural beef flavor' to the oil. However, the taste never fully returned to its former glory, and it served as a wake-up call for many fast-food aficionados about the importance of cooking fats.
Conclusion
While the days of every fast-food fry being cooked in beef tallow are long gone, the resurgence of this traditional fat shows that flavor remains a top priority for many restaurateurs and diners. For those seeking that classic, savory flavor, a number of options are available, from the newly converted Steak 'n Shake to longtime advocates like Outback Steakhouse. Whether it's a 100% tallow approach or a specific blend, these restaurants ensure their fries stand out with a distinct and satisfying flavor profile that sets them apart from the vegetable oil competition. For anyone curious about the differences, a culinary road trip to sample these different fries might be a rewarding journey.
For more insights on the science and history of cooking oils, The Takeout has a detailed exploration of the topic.
