Beef Tallow vs Butter
Beef Tallow wins on seed oil PUFA: about 3% of its fat versus roughly 3% for Butter, around 1x less per spoonful.
Per tablespoon that is an estimated 0.4g of PUFA against 0.4g. Values from USDA oil composition data, method on the methodology page.
| Beef Tallow | Butter | |
|---|---|---|
| PUFA share of fat | ~3% | ~3% |
| Est. PUFA per tablespoon | ~0.4g | ~0.4g |
| Type | animal fat | dairy fat |
| Seed oil? | no | no |
Beef Tallow
Rendered beef fat, the classic American fry medium before the 1990s. Mostly saturated and monounsaturated fat, very stable at fryer heat.
A short list of chains discloses tallow fryers. See Tallow Watch.
Butter
Dairy fat, about 3% PUFA. The steakhouse standard for finishing, and what a few breakfast chains still use on the griddle.
Common as a finishing fat; rare as a fryer. See chains cooking in butter or olive oil.
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Or work out any amount with the PUFA calculator.