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Copyright © 2025 Foodies Only
Copyright © 2025 Foodies Only
5 min
22/01/2026
Tallow has become very popular among both professional chefs and busy home cooks, which can be attributed to its high smoke point and heat stability. It has roots in the nose-to-tail philosophy, allowing consumers to take advantage of all parts of the animal.
Tallow is experiencing a resurgence in popularity due to its excellent cooking attributes, especially with the growing trend of moving away from ultra-processed refined seed oils to traditional cooking fats with a history of use in cuisine. More chefs and home cooks have begun to cook with tallow, either by using it as an ingredient in their recipes, frying food in tallow at restaurants, or using tallow as an alternative if they choose to prepare healthier cuisine options.
The recent rise in tallow usage can be attributed to dissatisfaction with the functional quality of industrially produced refined seed oils when cooking, combined with a greater awareness of the importance of heat stability. Industrially refined oils, such as vegetable oils, can only withstand moderate cooking temperatures; however, tallow remains usable for cooking on high heat. Both these characteristics, in conjunction with the fact that tallow is a simple ingredient, make tallow appealing to both professional chefs and busy home cooks.
Tallow has a relatively high smoke point compared with other types of fats. This allows cooks to use tallow at its maximum potential without concern for its rapid oxidation. Therefore, tallow is an excellent choice for searing, shallow frying, or oven roasting foods due to its ability to create an even and crispy texture. Tallow does not impart a greasy aftertaste when cooked into foods, which is one of the many reasons why it was used as the primary frying fat early in history before the rise of vegetable oils as cooking fats.
With the growth in interest regarding the nose-to-tail method of eating, there has been an increase in popularity regarding tallow’s use as a cooking medium. The concept of nose-to-tail eating revolves around the efforts that will lead to less waste by using the entirety of the animal. By rendering fat into tallow, you can give credence to this belief system by creating an edible cooking fat from something that was previously considered waste. This is often the primary factor for many cooks when they decide to use tallow as an ethical choice versus merely a culinary choice.
Tallow used to cook roasted vegetables serves as a reason behind tallow's resurgence in popularity. Tallow promotes the browning and caramelisation of foods while providing a subtle flavour that adds depth without masking the natural sweetness of the vegetables. This is also one of the first dishes that cooks have prepared with tallow to experience using animal fats; hence, tallow's versatility allows for much more than just those dishes that centre on the use of meats.
A long history passed before vegetable oil took over frying potatoes as an ingredient in these highly desired foods. Today, however, many consumers are rediscovering the deliciousness and distinct differences of fries cooked in tallow from their potato peers. Crisp on the outside and soft on the inside are both features you will find when frying in tallow, a clear advantage of using this natural fat for frying purposes. It's an excellent frying fat because it provides consistent results, particularly in applications where consistency is important.
Another notable benefit of tallow is its high smoke point. Tallow is the most suitable fat for searing steak due to its ability to withstand extreme heat. Tallow assists in evenly browning the meat and developing a crust while preserving the natural flavour. This explains why many people feel tallow is an instinctive choice rather than a trend when cooking with meat.
Tallow is also being used in savoury baking to create flaky pie crusts, flatbreads and biscuits. Using tallow to produce these baked goods is another example of the versatility of this type of fat beyond frying applications.
As tallow gains more popularity, it is making its way into everyday kitchen tasks. Whether it's sautéing vegetables or greasing a pan, tallow is a versatile fat with a long shelf life and can be used both for cooking and baking. It is a versatile cooking and baking ingredient. Therefore, the reason tallow continues to be popular is that it is a staple used by people in everyday cooking.
