Beef tallow fries recipe (2024)

Golden, crisp, and delicious… this beef tallow fries recipe makes the best French fries ever!

Beef tallow fries recipe (1)

Beef tallow fries recipe

What makes these fries so amazing? Beef tallow! That’s right. Tallow from 100% grass fed and grass finished beef is one of my most favorite things ever. I love it because it is so versatile, it has amazing health benefits, and makes food taste absolutely wonderful.

I have several other posts on my blog where I talk about things like the benefits of beef tallow, what is tallow, and how to render tallow. There are also a lot more blog posts, if you’re interested in using tallow to make things like soap, balm, and salves.

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Beef tallow fries recipe (2)

Fast food gone wrong

But back to the beef tallow fries! Here is a bit of trivia: Back in the day, McDonald’s used to fry their French fries in beef tallow. Eventually, animal rights activists pressured them to switch to “vegetable” oils (which are not vegetable oils at all, but are inflammatory, toxic, industrial seed oils). They flavor the “vegetable” oil with MSG. What a shame!

Making French fries with grass fed beef tallow is such a better idea. You get all of the wonderful health benefits of grass fed beef. And the flavor is naturally phenomenal! No need for MSG or any other artificial flavorings. And no health destroying, inflammatory, industrial seed oils. Just pure, beef tallow fries deliciousness. And no guilt!

So skip the low quality restaurant fries, and fry up some beef tallow fries at home. Your body and your taste buds will thank you!

Beef tallow fries recipe (3)

Safety first

If you’re new to frying foods in oil, you’ll want to make sure you know what safety precautions to follow. The most important thing to remember is to never leave hot oil unattended. Fat can ignite, and grease fires are dangerous and difficult to put out. This article will fill you in on everything you need to know about preventing grease fires, and what to do if one happens. Otherwise, just follow normal cooking safety. Make sure that children and pets stay a safe distance away. Keep an eye on the hot oil to make sure it stays at the right temperature, and you should be fine.

Equipment

To slice the potatoes, a mandolin with the proper attachments, or some other slicing gadget can be really handy if you have it. If you don’t, no need to worry. A nice sharp knife will work just fine.

A deep fat fryer is also really handy, but you don’t have to have one of those either. A nice deep pan (at least 5 inches) will work as well.

You’ll need a fryer skimmer, a medium sized mesh strainer, or just a large slotted spoon to life the fries out of the tallow.

A thermometer will be necessary to keep track of the tallow’s temperature.

Since I like to avoid paper products in my kitchen, I use flour sack towels to line my dish for the finished fries to go into. But, you could also use paper towels if you want.

All set? Let’s make some beef tallow fries!

Beef tallow fries recipe (4)

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Beef tallow fries recipe directions

Ingredients:

  • 4 – 6 potatoes, either Russet or sweet potatoes
  • Several cups grass fed beef tallow (you want it to be about 2 inches deep in the pan)
  • Sea salt, pink Himalayan salt, or Redmond Real salt

Instructions:

  1. Start heating tallow in a deep fat fryer or pan on the stove with tall sides to 350 – 360° F.
  2. While tallow is heating, peel and cut potatoes into fry sized sticks.
  3. Once the tallow has reached 350 – 360° F, carefully lower about a handful of potato pieces into the hot tallow.
  4. Give the fries a stir once or twice while cooking so that they fry evenly.
  5. Once they are golden brown, remove the fries from the hot tallow, and let them sit on the flour sack or paper towels.
  6. Immediately season to taste with salt.
  7. Repeat until all potato pieces are fried.
  8. Enjoy immediately! These fries are best eaten right away.

Other things you can make with grass fed tallow

How to Render Tallow

Tallow Soap Recipe

Tallow Lip Balm with Honey Recipe

How to Make Tallow Balm

Black Drawing Salve Recipe

Herb Infused Tallow Salve Recipe

Do you already cook with tallow?

Or are you new to it? What are you excited about making? Let me know in the comments!

Join our traditional wisdom community, and grab a free DIY home remedy recipes eBook when you subscribe!

Beef tallow fries recipe (5)

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Grass fed beef tallow

Mandolin slicer

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Yield: 6 servings

Beef Tallow French Fries

Beef tallow fries recipe (6)

Golden, crisp, and delicious... this beef tallow fries recipe makes the best French fries ever!

Prep Time20 minutes

Cook Time15 minutes

Total Time35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4-6 potatoes
  • several cups grass fed beef tallow, 2 inches in pan
  • sea salt, pink Himalayan salt, or Redmond Real salt

Instructions

  1. Start heating tallow in a deep fat fryer or pan on the stove with tall sides to 350 - 360° F.
  2. While tallow is heating, peel and cut potatoes into fry sized sticks.
  3. Once the tallow has reached 350 - 360° F, carefully lower about a handful of potato pieces into the hot tallow.
  4. Give the fries a stir once or twice while cooking so that they fry evenly.
  5. Once they are golden brown, remove the fries from the hot tallow, and let them sit on the flour sack or paper towels.
  6. Immediately season to taste with salt.
  7. Repeat until all potato pieces are fried.
  8. Enjoy immediately! These fries are best eaten right away.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1 people

Amount Per Serving:Calories: 777Total Fat: 69gSaturated Fat: 34gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 31gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 276mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 4gSugar: 2gProtein: 4g

Beef tallow fries recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is beef tallow good to fry in? ›

Frying with tallow is possibly the best use of beef fat. Tallow has a smoke point of 420ºF which is why tallow lends itself well to high heat cooking like frying. The original McDonald's french fry was fried in tallow. Grass fed beef tallow is also good for getting a nice searing steaks!

Does McDonald's use beef tallow for fries? ›

From 1940 - 1985, McDonald's famous french fries used to be cooked in beef tallow. Everything changed in 1990 when a motivated millionaire pressured them to switch to vegetable oil. Since 1954, McDonald's has been the behemoth of fast food.

Why doesn't McDonald's use beef tallow anymore? ›

Sokolof spent several decades and $15 million on his crusade. Facing full-page ads and consistent attacks from Sokolof, McDonald's caved. In 1990, the company announced that they would replace the beef tallow with 100 percent vegetable oil. After the announcement, McDonald's stock fell 8.3 percent.

Is lard or tallow better for fries? ›

With a smoke point of approximately 400 degrees Fahrenheit, tallow is more suitable for high-temperature cooking methods such as frying.

Are beef tallow fries unhealthy? ›

Plus, when used for frying, beef tallow has a high smoke point, which means that it can withstand high temperatures without breaking down and releasing harmful toxins. So not only does it taste great, but it's also a healthier option compared to other cooking oils.

Is beef tallow healthier than butter? ›

Beef tallow is a healthy ingredient that boasts benefits that far outweigh the use of vegetable oils and even butter. It adds a mild beef flavor to any recipe, which can be a subtle addition to flavor—but also render it perhaps not the first choice for, let's say, a cake recipe.

Can you reuse tallow after frying? ›

You can reuse beef tallow for frying multiple times! 💡 Simply strain and store it properly, and it can be reused about 3-4 times. In fact our founder, @catherine_farrant, reuses her beef tallow without straining often and it's wonderful 🙌

Is beef tallow healthy? ›

In addition to fat, beef tallow contains fat-soluble vitamins that are vital for various bodily functions, including immune support, bone health, cellular function and skin health. Animal varities that are 100% grass fed will provide a more expensive nutrient profile.

What is the difference between lard and tallow? ›

Tallow is made from beef fat, while lard consists of pork fat. The variation in sources creates distinctive flavors and textures. Hardness: Tallow is slightly harder than lard and has a texture similar to solid butter or a bar of soap.

Is beef tallow better than vegetable oil? ›

Unlike popular vegetable oils, tallow possesses a unique nutritional profile. It's rich in fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K and even contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), linked to potential health benefits like inflammation reduction and improved fat metabolism.

Is beef dripping beef tallow? ›

For hundreds of years beef dripping, also known as tallow or beef fat, was found in the larder of most households. This was THE fat used for frying, baking, and even smearing on skin as a moisturiser. Not only is beef dripping delicious, it is also very healthy.

Why don't McDonald's fries taste like potatoes? ›

On its website, McDonald's explains that when its “suppliers partially fry our cut potatoes, they use an oil blend that contains beef flavoring.” “Natural beef flavor contains hydrolyzed wheat and hydrolyzed milk as starting ingredients,” the company notes on its site. In hydrolysis, water breaks chemical bonds.

What is the best thing to fry in beef tallow? ›

Because rendered beef fat, tallow, naturally high a very high smoke point of about 400 degrees F. This makes it perfect for frying french fries or roasting just about anything.

Is bison tallow better than beef tallow? ›

Obviously, whether you're cooking or using tallow for skin care, you do not want to use tallow or fat with high levels of toxins or pharmaceuticals meant for animals! Additionally, bison consistently have higher omega 3:6 ratios in their fat than beef do.

How do you fry eggs in beef tallow? ›

For these fried eggs, melt a bit of the creamy tallow in a pan over medium heat. Once lightly shimmering, slide in your eggs and allow the whites to set gently. While we recommend removing while the yolks may still run, cook to your preference, but always top with fresh-cracked pepper and flaky salt for contrast.

How many times can I deep fry with beef tallow? ›

We avoid raising the temperature above 180°C because beyond that, the fat can burn. 1 kg of beef fat = 1 liter of oil in your frying recipes. If your fryer needs to use 5 liters of oil and you want to fry with beef fat, take 5kg of beef fat. You can use your beef fat ten times, filtering it well after each use.

Can you use beef tallow as cooking oil? ›

If the recipe doesn't call for beef tallow specifically, you can use it in place of oil or butter.

What is the best way to use beef tallow? ›

Tallow has a high smoke point of 420 degrees Fahrenheit, so it's great for fried, sautéed and pan-seared food. Frying with beef tallow lends food a hearty, beefy flavor that beautifully complements everyone's favorite comfort foods. In fact, beef tallow is a popular ingredient in the fryers of many restaurants.

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