Are Any Fast Food Chains Using Beef Tallow Today? Here’s What We Know

Beef tallow is back on fast food menus, and chains like Steak ‘n Shake, Popeyes and Outback Steakhouse are leaning into the rendered fat as customers ask which restaurants still cook with it.

Which fast food chains use beef tallow in 2025?

Steak ‘n Shake, Popeyes, Smashburger and Outback Steakhouse all currently fry food in beef tallow or a tallow blend. Steak ‘n Shake switched to 100% beef tallow fries across its locations in 2025, marketing the change as a return to classic frying methods.

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Popeyes uses beef tallow for all of its fried products, including its Cajun fries, according to The Daily Meal. Smashburger fries its potatoes and tots in a blend of beef tallow and canola oil. Outback Steakhouse uses tallow for its Bloomin’ Onion, the appetizer that accounts for one of every four appetizers ordered at the chain, according to Tasting Table.

Why did fast food chains use beef tallow in the first place?

Beef tallow became the standard frying fat at many chains because it has a high smoke point, stays stable under repeated heat and produces a crispier fry than vegetable oils. It also adds a savory, umami flavor and is less likely to burn than butter.

The fat helped restaurants create consistent texture across batches, which mattered as chains scaled up. McDonald’s originally used tallow to fry its french fries, and many longtime customers credited the rendered beef fat as the reason those fries tasted the way they did, according to Tasting Table. Chris Corlew of The Daily Meal describes Popeyes’ tallow-fried Cajun fries as “wonderfully crispy while maintaining a delightful creaminess in the middle.”

Why did most chains stop frying in beef tallow?

Most major chains moved away from beef tallow starting in the late 20th century because of health concerns about saturated fat and pressure from nutrition advocacy groups. Consumer demand for fryer oils marketed as “healthier” pushed restaurants toward vegetable-based alternatives.

Vegetable oils were also cheaper and easier to scale across thousands of locations, and they fit into the standardization that came with industrial food production. The shift was broad enough that tallow fries largely disappeared from American fast food for decades — which is part of why Steak ‘n Shake’s 2025 switch back drew so much attention.

What does beef tallow taste like in fries and fried food?

Beef tallow gives fried food a richer, beefier flavor and a crispier exterior than most vegetable oils produce. The fat coats the food as it cooks, creating a savory finish that fans often describe as the missing ingredient in modern fast food fries.

At Smashburger, the tallow-canola blend gives the fries and tots “that extra beefy kick” that pairs with the chain’s burgers, Corlew writes for The Daily Meal. At Outback, the Bloomin’ Onion’s batter crisps up in the tallow fryer, which Tasting Table identifies as one of the dish’s signature secrets — the chain sells more than 8 million Bloomin’ Onions a year, according to Outback Steakhouse’s website.

Is beef tallow healthier than vegetable oil?

Beef tallow is high in saturated fat, which is why public health groups pushed restaurants to drop it decades ago, but a recent wave of consumers argues the rendered fat is a more natural alternative to industrial seed oils. The debate is unsettled, and chains using tallow are leaning into the “classic” framing rather than making clinical health claims.

Steak ‘n Shake’s 2025 rollout has been the most visible example, with the chain marketing the switch as a return to traditional frying. Whether other major fast food brands follow will depend on how customers respond at the counter — and whether the tallow comeback holds beyond the current moment.

This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.