Is beef tallow healthy? What a dietitian wants you to know

Maybe you’ve heard about beef tallow on social media, noticed it at the grocery store or have a friend who recommends cooking with it.

Beef tallow has become a trendy ingredient among some health and wellness influencers as an alternative to common cooking oils.

While there isn’t much science to back up social media’s most extreme health claims, beef tallow can be enjoyed in moderation as part of a healthy diet, dietitians say.

“The key phrase I will always use is ‘in moderation,’ because (beef tallow) is higher in calories. So just keep that in mind. We don’t have to fear fat, but we don’t want to go overboard, either,” says Erin Good, a registered dietitian and director of nutrition and health at the Iowa Beef Industry Council.

 

What is beef tallow?

Beef tallow is an old-fashioned ingredient that’s getting renewed attention on social media.

Tallow is made from the fat trimmed from beef. This solid fat is produced under USDA or state meat inspection, so it’s safe to eat, Good says.

In general, dietary fat is an important part of a healthy diet, Good says.

“Fat gives us flavor, energy and helps support hormone production,” she says.

“Fats also help absorb nutrients in vegetables. For example, there are fat-soluble vitamins – vitamins A, D, E and K. They absorb better with fat in the meal.”

Beef tallow isn’t a source of protein, however. So if you’re aiming to eat more protein for its nutrition benefits, the best sources of protein include whole beef cuts, like ground beef, steaks and loins, Good explains.

 

Is beef tallow healthy?

Nutritionally, beef tallow is comparable to other cooking oils, Good says.

A 1 tablespoon serving of beef tallow has 115 calories, 12 grams of fat and no carbohydrates or protein, similar to olive oil or soybean oil.

However, beef tallow is higher in saturated fat than liquid cooking oils, Good says.

Saturated fat can raise our LDL or “bad” cholesterol levels, and high LDL levels are a risk factor for heart disease, she explains.

But not all the fat in beef tallow is saturated, Good says. About 42% of the fat is monounsaturated, which can benefit heart health. It’s also the same type of fat found in heart-healthy olive and avocado oils.

And when you break down the types of saturated fatty acids found in beef tallow, the most common is stearic acid, Good says.

Stearic acid is less likely to raise cholesterol than other types of saturated fat, Good says.

 

New dietary guidelines

While beef tallow is getting attention in the wellness space, Good says nutritional research on beef tallow is “very limited.”

The new U.S. Dietary Guidelines, released earlier this year, recommend prioritizing oils with essential fatty acids, such as olive oil. They also note that butter and beef tallow are other cooking options.

The Dietary Guidelines also recommend that no more than 10% of daily calories come from saturated fat.

One tablespoon of beef tallow contains about 6.4 grams of saturated fat. That equals roughly 58 calories, or 2.9% of total calories in a 2,000-calorie diet.

So beef tallow can fit into a healthy diet when paired with a variety of healthy, whole foods, Good says.

“Focusing on reducing saturated fat from highly processed foods can help people meet recommended targets while still enjoying beef and beef tallow,” she adds.

 

Cooking with beef tallow

Good says she often gets questions from local chefs who want to learn more about cooking with beef tallow.

Beef tallow has a neutral flavor and a high smoke point, meaning it can withstand high-heat cooking, such as frying and searing, she says.

That’s why restaurants sometimes use tallow to cook French fries or pan-fry steaks.

Good says that different types of cooking fats work best for different types of recipes.

As a dietitian, Good recommends keeping a variety of oils and fats in your kitchen to fit your cooking needs.

For very high-heat cooking, beef tallow is one option. Olive oil is best for low to no heat recipes, including roasted vegetables and salad dressings, she says.

“It just depends on your recipe. We want you to have a variety (of fats), just like how you have a variety of spices in your pantry,” Good says.

According to chefs at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the best way to try beef tallow for the first time is to use it in place of butter for: 

•  Finishing sauces

•  Flavoring beans

•  Searing steaks

•  Roasting potatoes

•  Roasting vegetables

•  Replacing half the butter in baked goods.

More grocery stores in Iowa now carry beef tallow, usually in the cooking oil aisle.

Many Iowa cattle farmers have also started selling tallow directly to consumers, Good says. Just be sure to buy food-safe beef tallow. Cosmetic-grade beef tallow, used in lotions and balms, isn’t safe to eat.

No matter what foods you choose, remember that healthy eating is all about balance, Good says. It isn’t about focusing on one food group or labeling foods “good” or “bad.”

A healthy diet should include a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, dairy and high-quality proteins, including lean beef, pork and poultry.

“As a dietitian, I think the main thing is we don't want to oversimplify foods. Foods don't just have one single (nutritional) ingredient,” Good says.

“Beef tallow contains saturated fat, but it also contains unsaturated fats, which can help lower our heart disease risk. So having a variety of foods and fats in your diet is what I would recommend,” she says.

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