What are the best sources of animal fats?

December 24, 2025 •

4 min read

For decades, animal fats were wrongly demonized, but modern research indicates they are crucial for many bodily functions. This complete guide explains what are the best sources of animal fats, their unique properties, and how to incorporate them into your diet for optimal health and flavor.

Quick Summary

This article explores top sources of dietary animal fats, detailing types like tallow, lard, ghee, and fish oil. It covers their nutritional benefits, best culinary uses, and distinguishes them from processed vegetable oils for a healthier diet.

Key Points

High-Quality Sources: Opt for fats from healthy, pasture-raised animals to ensure a higher nutritional content and better health outcomes.
Flavor and Functionality: Different animal fats like tallow, lard, and schmaltz offer unique flavors and are suited for various cooking methods, from high-heat frying to delicate baking.
Nutrient-Dense: Animal fats are rich in fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, as well as essential fatty acids like omega-3s and CLA.
Brain and Hormone Health: The brain relies on dietary fat for proper function, and animal fats provide the necessary building blocks for hormones and cellular integrity.
Stability for Cooking: Fats like ghee and tallow have high smoke points, making them more stable and less prone to oxidation during cooking compared to many seed oils.
Beyond Rendered Fats: Whole food sources like fatty fish (salmon, mackerel) and full-fat dairy products are also excellent sources of beneficial animal fats.

Reclaiming the Role of Animal Fats in Nutrition

For much of the 20th century, animal fats were vilified, leading to a dietary shift towards processed vegetable oils. However, this narrative is shifting as more studies reveal the critical role of high-quality animal fats in human health. These fats are not just a source of energy; they are packed with fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K), essential fatty acids, and unique nutrients like Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA). The key is focusing on minimally processed, high-quality sources, which are a cornerstone of many traditional diets.

Leading Sources of Animal Fats

Many animal fats can be sourced from whole foods or can be rendered for pure cooking applications. Here are some of the most prominent sources to consider:

Tallow (Beef and Lamb Fat): Extracted from the suet (hard fat around the kidneys) of beef or lamb, tallow is rich in saturated and monounsaturated fats. Its high smoke point makes it incredibly stable and ideal for high-heat cooking like frying and roasting. Tallow from grass-fed animals is known for having a higher nutrient and CLA content.
Lard (Pork Fat): Pork fat, especially from pastured pigs, is rendered into lard. Leaf lard, from the fat around the kidneys, is particularly prized for its light flavor and use in flaky baked goods like pastries. Lard is higher in monounsaturated fat than saturated fat and is a great option for sautéing.
Ghee (Clarified Butter): An ancient staple in many cuisines, ghee is created by simmering butter to remove the milk solids and water. The result is a pure butterfat with a nutty flavor and a very high smoke point (485°F), making it an excellent, versatile cooking fat. Ghee is also rich in butyric acid, which supports gut health.
Fatty Fish and Fish Oil: Cold-water, fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, and sardines are outstanding sources of omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA). These fats are crucial for brain health and reducing inflammation. Cod liver oil is another potent source, also providing significant amounts of vitamins A and D.
Poultry Fats (Schmaltz): Chicken, duck, and goose fat, often called schmaltz, offer a rich, savory flavor perfect for roasting vegetables or searing meats. Schmaltz is higher in monounsaturated fats than some other animal fats and is highly prized in Jewish cooking.

How to Incorporate Animal Fats into Your Diet

Instead of being seen as a culinary afterthought, animal fats can be intentionally added to cooking to enhance flavor and nutritional value. For instance, using butter or bacon grease to cook eggs, roasting potatoes in duck fat for an unparalleled crispiness, or adding a spoonful of ghee to a sauce are all simple ways to reap their benefits. Furthermore, choosing grass-fed and pastured products helps ensure a higher nutrient density in the fat itself.

Comparison of Common Animal Fats

To help you decide which fat is right for your needs, here is a comparison of some popular options:


Fat Type	Primary Source	Fatty Acid Profile	Smoke Point	Best Culinary Use
Tallow	Beef/Lamb	Saturated & Monounsaturated	High (~400°F)	Frying, roasting vegetables, high-heat searing
Lard	Pork	Higher Monounsaturated than Sat.	High (~370°F)	Baking pastries, frying, general sautéing
Ghee	Butter	Saturated & Monounsaturated	Very High (~485°F)	High-heat cooking, sautéing, nutty flavor additive
Fish Oil	Fatty Fish	Polyunsaturated (Omega-3s)	Low/Varies	Omega-3 supplements, low/no-heat applications
Schmaltz	Poultry	Monounsaturated & Linoleic	Medium-High (~375°F)	Sautéing, roasting, flavoring stews
Butter	Dairy	Saturated & Monounsaturated	Medium (~350°F)	Spreading, baking, general cooking

Beyond the Kitchen: Additional Benefits

Beyond their culinary applications, animal fats provide structural support for our bodies. They are fundamental components of cell membranes and are essential for hormone production. The brain, composed of roughly 60% fat, relies on dietary fats for proper function, with omega-3s from fish being particularly important for cognitive health. Animal fats from grass-fed and pastured sources also contain Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), which has been studied for its anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. For more insights into the health effects of animal fats, a critical review can be found on Consensus.

Conclusion

High-quality animal fats are a vital part of a balanced diet, offering a wealth of nutrients and a richness of flavor often missing in modern cooking. The best sources include rendered fats like tallow, lard, and ghee, as well as whole-food sources like fatty fish and grass-fed dairy. By moving past outdated dietary dogma and embracing these nutrient-dense options, you can improve everything from brain health to hormone regulation while creating more flavorful and satisfying meals. Always prioritize minimally processed fats from healthy, pasture-raised animals for the greatest benefit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Decades of research have overturned the initial demonization of saturated fats. Modern studies suggest that, consumed as part of a balanced diet and sourced from high-quality animals, they are not inherently bad and play important roles in cellular and hormone function.

Tallow is rendered beef or lamb fat, which is typically harder and has a higher smoke point. Lard is rendered pork fat, which is softer and slightly higher in monounsaturated fats. They each have different culinary applications, with leaf lard being preferred for baking.

Ghee and tallow have very high smoke points, making them the most stable and suitable animal fats for high-heat applications like frying, deep-frying, and roasting.

Yes, rendering fat at home is a straightforward process that involves slowly cooking animal fat over low heat until the liquid fat separates from the solids. The process can be done on a stovetop or in a slow cooker.

Yes, due to their higher saturated fat content, many animal fats are more molecularly stable than polyunsaturated-rich plant oils and are less prone to oxidation and rancidity, especially when exposed to high heat.

Ghee is rich in nutrients and boasts a very high smoke point. It contains butyric acid, which supports gut health, and is free of the milk solids that some people are sensitive to in regular butter.

Rendered fats like tallow and lard should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator to maximize freshness. They can also be frozen for longer-term storage.

While fatty fish like salmon and mackerel are the most notable animal sources of omega-3s (EPA and DHA), grass-fed beef and dairy products can also contain beneficial amounts of omega-3s and CLA.