You're in the kitchen, ready to produce some of the best roast potatoes known to man. But you're faced with two jars. One is full of golden ghee. The other, brilliant white beef tallow.
Which one do you choose?
Welcome back to real cooking. For years, we've been told that fat is the enemy. We now know what our ancestors did all along: some fats for cooking are not just good, they are fantastic!
These two traditional cooking fats are making a comeback, and for good reason. Your roasties have never been better, your vegetables have never been so crispy, and your food is about to taste next-level amazing.
So, the big question: beef tallow or ghee - which one wins a permanent spot in your cupboard? Let's figure it out.
What's the Difference Between Beef Tallow vs Ghee?
Let's get one thing straight. Ghee and tallow are not the same. They come from different sources and bring different things to your dinner table.
Ghee: The Golden Wonder
Ghee starts as butter from cows, which is then gently simmered. This process removes the water and milk solids (like lactose and casein).
Those milk solids lightly caramelise before being strained out, giving ghee its signature nutty flavour and rich, golden colour. What makes ghee a versatile oil for cooking is its ability to handle both sweet and savoury dishes.
Ghee Nutritional Info
Curious about the numbers? Here’s a look at the typical nutritional values for every 100g of our Grass-Fed Organic Ghee. As you can see, it's a pure fat source, making it a perfect staple for any Keto or Low-Carb kitchen.
| Typical Values | Per 100g |
| Energy |
3697 kJ / 899 kcal
|
| Fat | 100g |
| of which Saturates | 67g |
| Carbohydrates | 0g |
| of which Sugars | 0g |
| Fibre | 0g |
| Protein | 0g |
| Salt | 0.0g |
Is Ghee Completely Dairy-free?
Because the milk solids (lactose and casein) are removed, ghee is extremely low in them. Many people with dairy sensitivities find they can use ghee without issue.
It is not technically 100% dairy-free, but it's about as close as you can get. For many who find dairy tricky, like our co-founder Amy, ghee can be a great option.
Beef Tallow: The Ancestral Staple
Tallow is animal fat, specifically rendered beef fat. It comes from suet, the nutrient-rich fat that surrounds the kidneys of a cow. Beef suet is the raw material that becomes this incredible cooking oil.
For centuries, this was the go-to cooking fat in kitchens up and down the country. The rendering process slowly melts the raw fat, separating the pure liquid from everything else.
You are left with a firm, white cooking fat that is amazing for high-heat cooking methods and has a wonderful savoury taste.
It'll remind you of the Sunday roasts your gran used to make; that rich flavour and high smoke point made it perfect for creating crispy perfection!
Tallow Nutritional Info
Tallow is a traditional, nutrient-dense animal fat. Here’s the nutritional breakdown for our Grass-Fed Organic Tallow, made from 100% pure beef suet. It's all about providing quality, healthy fats, with nothing else getting in the way.
| Typical Values | Per 100g |
| Energy |
3700 kJ / 900 kcal
|
| Fat | 100g |
| of which Saturates | 50g |
| Carbohydrates | 0g |
| of which Sugars | 0g |
| Fibre | 0g |
| Protein | 0g |
| Salt | 0g |
Benefits of Tallow for Skin? Is Tallow More Than Just a Cooking Fat?
Thinking like our ancestors means using things nose-to-tail. Beef tallow for skin might sound odd, but it was a traditional moisturiser for centuries.
Its fatty acid profile is very similar to that of our own skin, making it incredibly nourishing. It's packed with the same fat-soluble vitamins that make beef tallow a healthy fat to eat.
Beef Tallow vs Ghee: A Comparison
To make it even simpler, here's a quick head-to-head comparison of these popular cooking fats:
| Feature | Grass-Fed Ghee | |
| Source | Clarified butter from grass-fed cows |
Rendered suet fat from grass-fed cows
|
| Flavour | Rich, nutty, almost caramel-like |
Deep, savoury, and beefy
|
| Texture | Soft, scoopable solid | Firm, solid block |
| Smoke Point | Very High (approx. 250°C/482°F) |
High (approx. 220°C/428°F)
|
| Best For | Sautéing, curries, baking, and coffee |
Roasting, deep frying, and pastry
|
| Diets | Keto, Low-Carb, Vegetarian |
Keto, Low-Carb, Paleo, Carnivore
|
Nutritional Snapshot: What's Inside?
Let's look beyond the kitchen and see what these fats offer nutritionally. Both beef tallow and ghee are packed with goodness, especially when they come from grass-fed animals.
| Component | Grass-Fed Ghee | |
| Key Fatty Acids | Source of Butyrate |
Source of CLA & Oleic Acid
|
| Vitamins | Good source of A, D, E, K2 |
Good source of A, D, E, K
|
| Lactose & Casein | Virtually none | None |
| Choline | Trace amounts |
Source of Choline
|
Which Has More Health Benefits?
Neither is "better" as ghee and tallow offer different benefits. Ghee offers butyrate for gut health and is rich in fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K2 - essential nutrients that support everything from immune function to bone health.
Meanwhile, grass-fed tallow provides CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) for metabolic support and contains vitamins A, D, E, and K, along with choline for brain and liver function.
Both fats are nutrient-dense powerhouses that deliver these fat-soluble vitamins in their most bioavailable form - something processed vegetable oils simply cannot match.
This makes both ghee and tallow brilliant additions to a real food diet, each bringing their own unique nutritional profile to support your health from different angles.
Cooking with Ghee and Tallow: Let's Talk Smoke Point
This is where the real fun starts. Both fats can handle the heat, making them suitable for high-temperature cooking and much better choices than processed vegetable oils.
Tallow has a mild flavour with a high smoke point of around 220°C, while ghee's smoke point of around 250°C makes it excellent for high-heat cooking methods like frying. The main difference comes down to flavour.
When to Use Ghee...
Reach for ghee when you are:
- Making Indian food. A proper curry needs it; ghee is often used as a staple in South Asian cooking
- Baking something where a buttery flavour is a bonus. Ghee is great for both sweet and savoury applications
- Searing a steak and want that nutty, buttery crust
- Sautéing vegetables for a rich, caramelised taste
When to Use Beef Tallow...
Grab the tallow when you are:
- Making the best chips of your life. Seriously. This is how famous fast food fries used to be made
- Roasting potatoes. Tallow is great for giving them an unbeatable crispy, savoury shell
- Searing meat when you want to double down on that rich, beefy flavour
- Making the flakiest pastry for meat pies
Which is Better for Cooking and Frying, Ghee or Tallow?
Both are excellent choices for choosing the right cooking fat. Ghee has a slightly higher smoke point, making it superb for very high temperature cooking.
But for flavour, it depends if you want the nutty taste of ghee or the savoury notes of tallow. For deep-frying chips, tallow is often the king due to the incredible crispiness it provides.
Why Grass Fed Is a Big Deal to Hunter & Gather
Here's a simple truth... The quality of your ghee or tallow comes down to one thing: what the animal ate. When you choose fat from grass fed animals, you're getting a product with a better nutritional profile.
The flavour is better, too. It's richer and cleaner. The first time you cook with proper grass-fed tallow, the difference will astound you. You can taste the quality.
At Hunter & Gather, our Grass Fed Organic Ghee is a Great Taste Gold Winner. It's made from British grass fed dairy and has that gorgeous golden colour you only get from happy cows. It contains no added sugar, artificial sweeteners, fillers or unnecessary preservatives.
Our Grass Fed Organic Beef Tallow is made from 100% pure suet fat from organically raised British cattle. It is the secret to rich, savoury flavours and incredible crispy textures.
Ghee vs Tallow vs Lard: Can Lard Compete?
While we focus on ghee and beef tallow, it's worth mentioning lard - the rendered fat from pork. But after years of testing and cooking with all three traditional fats, we believe ghee and tallow are the superior choice for serious home cooks, but does lard have a place in your kitchen?
How Does Lard Stack Up Against Ghee and Tallow?
Lard has been unfairly demonised alongside other traditional fats, but when compared directly, it does fall short of our premium options:
| Feature | Grass-Fed Ghee | Grass-Fed Tallow |
High-Quality Lard
|
| Source | Clarified butter from grass-fed cows | Rendered suet fat from grass-fed cows |
Rendered pork fat
|
| Flavour | Rich, nutty, award-winning taste | Deep, savoury perfection |
Mild, can be bland
|
| Smoke Point | Very High (approx. 250°C/482°F) | High (approx. 220°C/428°F) |
Moderate (approx. 190°C/374°F)
|
| Best For | Sautéing, curries, baking, and coffee | Roasting, deep frying, and pastry |
Baking & moderate-heat frying
|
| Texture | Soft, scoopable solid | Firm, solid block |
Soft, can be greasy
|
Where Lard Falls Short
While lard has its traditional uses in baking and moderate-heat cooking, it simply can't match what beef tallow and ghee bring to your kitchen:
Lower smoke point: At around 190°C, lard's smoke point is ideal for baking and moderate frying, but it can't match the high-heat searing and roasting performance of tallow (~220°C) and ghee (~250°C).
Limited flavour complexity: Lard's deliberately mild taste means it doesn't enhance your food the way our rich, complex fats do. While this neutrality works for pastry, it adds nothing to your roasts or sautés.
Sourcing concerns: Finding truly high-quality, pasture-raised lard is challenging, whereas we guarantee the provenance of every jar.
Storage issues: Lard can go rancid more quickly and doesn't have the shelf stability of properly rendered tallow or our award-winning ghee.
Why Ghee and Tallow Win Every Time
Superior versatility: Between our grass-fed ghee and premium tallow, you can handle any cooking challenge - from delicate sautéing to high-heat roasting to the crispiest deep frying.
Unmatched quality: Our British grass-fed sources ensure you get the richest flavours and highest nutritional content available.
Perfect pairing: Ghee covers your buttery, nutty needs while tallow delivers that deep, savoury richness. Lard simply offers a neutral alternative without the flavour enhancement these two provide.
Proven performance: Our Great Taste Gold Winner ghee and premium tallow have been tested by thousands of satisfied customers who've discovered they don't need anything else.
The Smart Kitchen Choice
Why complicate your cooking with three fats when two superior options cover everything better? Professional chefs know that quality beats quantity every time. With our grass-fed ghee and organic beef tallow in your kitchen, you have everything you need to create restaurant-quality meals at any temperature.
Lard might have its place in traditional baking and moderate-heat cooking, but when you're serious about flavour, performance, and the highest-heat cooking methods, ghee and tallow are the only fats you need. They're not just better - they make lard unnecessary.
The Verdict: The Final Showdown of Tallow vs Ghee
Honestly, there isn't a single winner when comparing beef tallow vs ghee. The best choice is the one that fits what you're cooking and your way of eating.
Choose Ghee if:
- You love a rich, buttery, nutty flavour
- You are cooking for vegetarians
- You want a versatile fat for both sweet and savoury dishes
- You need something used for high-heat cooking with a slightly higher smoke point
Choose Tallow if:
- You are all about maximum crispiness and savoury flavour
- You follow a strict Paleo or Carnivore diet
- You want to embrace traditional, nose-to-tail eating
- You primarily cook savoury dishes
The best kitchens often have a jar of each. Tallow and ghee are not rivals; they are a team. The important thing is that you're choosing a real, traditional fat over the highly processed seed oils that have taken over our supermarkets. You're making a choice that supports your health and makes your food taste better.
Ready to upgrade your cooking? Try our Grass Fed Organic Ghee for its award-winning nutty richness, or our Premium Beef Tallow for those savoury masterpieces. Your taste buds will thank you.
All information provided on our website and within our articles is simply information, opinion, anecdotal thoughts and experiences to provide you with the tools to thrive.
It is not intended to treat or diagnose symptoms and is definitely not intended to be misconstrued for medical advice. We always advise you seek the advice of a trained professional when implementing any changes to your lifestyle and dietary habits.
We do however recommend seeking the services of a trained professional who questions the conventional wisdom to enable you to become the best version of yourself.
