Do Any Fast Food Chains Have Beef Tallow Fries?

There is something extra special about a french fry that has been cooked to crispy perfection in a boiling vat of beef tallow. Tallow is a type of rendered beef fat that can be heated up and used to cook food, with an even higher smoke point than most oils and a subtle umami flavor. It was also once a popular frying medium for many fast food chains — but today, few companies still cook with tallow. Luckily, for those who miss that nostalgic taste, some chains are still serving up beef tallow fries to happy customers.

If you have ever eaten at Smashburger, you've definitely tried beef tallow fries. The so-called Smash fries are cooked in beef fat until golden brown, making them undoubtedly tasty (but not a good option for vegetarian and vegan folks). Popeyes is another fast food joint that puts beef tallow in its fryers. According to the company website, all of the chain's fried foods — including chicken products and fries — are prepared with beef tallow, not only for the added flavor and texture, but also because the ingredient "contributes to more heat stable cooking."

A handful of fast casual dining chains also use tallow. Outback Steakhouse uses the fat to prepare quite a few things on the menu, including fries, chicken wings, and the famous Bloomin' Onion. Beef tallow might also be the reason why Buffalo Wild Wings tastes so good — both its boneless and traditional wings are fried in "beef shortening."

If you've ever wondered why fast food fries taste different now than they did in your childhood, beef tallow may very well be the reason. McDonald's famously cooked its fries in beef tallow since the chain was founded, before changing the recipe in the 1990s. In an attempt to ease customer concerns about the high saturated fat content in its products, McDonald's switched to a blend of canola and seed oils for its fries. To try and preserve that signature beefy taste, beef flavoring is now added to the frying oil, although many customers bemoan that the taste simply isn't the same as it used to be.

If Smashburger and Popeyes aren't readily available near you, there's still a way to get your tallow fry fix: Use this special fat to prepare your own french fries (or any other fried food your heart desires) at home. Readymade beef tallow can sometimes be found at grocery stores and is even more common at butcher shops, usually sold in jars. At room temperature, beef tallow has a pasty consistency similar to lard or solid coconut oil. Toss a spoonful onto a hot skillet and watch it melt down to a liquid state that is perfect for cooking everything from potatoes to steak and roasted veggies.