Is Beef Tallow Still Used In Fast Food French Fries?

Once upon a time, McDonald's best-selling menu item — that would be its iconic french fries — was heralded as a humble culinary masterpiece. Fluffy on the inside and fried to crisp, golden brown perfection, they became emblematic of the Golden Arches. Although folks from all walks of life, including celebrities, still crave this McDonald's claim to fame, many who enjoyed the product before the 1990s bemoan the fact that the flavor will never be the same. That's because the chain switched from frying the spuds in beef tallow to hydrogenated vegetable oil.

However, McDonald's is far from the only fast food restaurant out there, and some others have taken a page out of the McDonald's book by using beef tallow to cook their fries. For instance, places like Popeyes and Buffalo Wild Wings continue to use beef tallow to make fries and a few other menu items. Steak 'N Shake made headlines in early 2025 when U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., applauded the fast food joint for its intention to cook french fries in beef tallow.

The debate over using beef tallow versus other frying mediums has been going on for years. Some say the ingredient causes health problems, while others claim it has health benefits that vegetable and seed oils lack. Still, when it comes to flavor, many continue to argue that beef tallow makes a superior french fry. Some hope for the day when this McDonald's menu item is returned to its once-beefy state.

After surviving a heart attack at 43 years old, self-made millionaire Phil Sokolof began to wage a war on cholesterol, including McDonald's french fries. He spent part of his fortune launching media campaigns against the chain's use of high-cholesterol beef tallow, sometimes taking out full-page ads in notable publications. Sokolof's relentless pursuit paid off in 1990 when the company threw in the towel and informed consumers it was switching to hydrogenated vegetable oil to cook its number-one menu item.

Many noticed a difference right away. On an episode of the House of Carbs podcast, best-selling author and original McDonald's french fry recipe enthusiast Malcolm Gladwell noted that the medium used to cook the fries was essential to their tasty makeup. "It's not like when you're frying an egg where it doesn't really matter what you fry it in," he said. "A fried egg is a fried egg. A french fry is a combination of a potato and some kind of cooking element. The thing you fry it in becomes a constituent part of the fry."

The company tried to mimic the original taste by adding beef flavoring to the oil, but those who know declare it is nothing like the old recipe. Beef tallow is currently trending, so who knows? If consumer demands hold, McDonald's could bring beef tallow fries back into its restaurants someday. For now, if you want french fries cooked in this particular fat, Steak 'N Shake, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Popeyes are some of the few fast food restaurants that can make that happen.