What oil does Popeyes fry in?
Popeyes fries in beef tallow.
In detail: Beef tallow (in the fryers). Popeyes' own U.S. Ingredient Information (April 2025) lists "Tallow: Beef fat, BHT, citric acid, dimethylpolysiloxane" as the frying fat for every fried item: bone-in chicken, tenders, boneless wings, sandwich filets, Cajun Fries, popcorn and butterfly shrimp, and the fried pies. No vegetable oil is listed in the fryer. Vegetable oils come in with supplier ingredients instead: the Cajun Fries are par-fried in a canola, soybean, sunflower, cottonseed or palm blend, the shrimp coating carries cottonseed and/or soybean oil, and soybean oil is the base of the mayo, spreads, dipping sauces and biscuit dressing.
Source: Popeyes U.S. Ingredient Information, April 2025. Tallow: Beef fat, BHT, citric acid, dimethylpolysiloxane.
Ordering at Popeyes? Build your meal in the app and see its seed oil total before you pay.
Build my orderPopeyes at a glance
| Fry oil (US) | Beef tallow |
| Seed oils | Not in the fryer |
| Beef tallow | Yes |
| Peanut oil | No |
| Seed oil grade | B (5.0 g average per item, 101 items) |
| Last checked | April 2025 |
| Is it a seed oil? | Beef tallow: No |
The 5 cleanest things to order at Popeyes
Learn this once: a salad with grilled protein and the dressing left off is nearly always the lowest seed oil order anywhere. So the list below sticks to real meals, salads included, never just a water.
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Chicken Leg | 0.6g |
| 3Pc Blackened Tenders | 1.4g |
| Chicken Breast (Spicy or Classic) | 1.5g |
| 3pc Tenders | 1.5g |
| 5Pc Blackened Tenders | 2.1g |
Lower PUFA is cleaner. These are estimates from published nutrition data and disclosed oils; preparation varies by location.
Build your Popeyes order
Pick your meal, sides, sauces and drink in the app and see your seed oil total before you order. It logs to your day in one tap. Free on iPhone and Android.
Build my orderHow Popeyes has changed its frying oil
By May 2007 Popeyes had rolled out zero gram trans fat biscuits to all 1,878 of its US restaurants and brought its fries down to one gram per serving. The core fried chicken still carried up to 1.5 grams of artificial trans fat while the company kept testing a new shortening for it. Source
Every documented oil switch across the industry lives on the Oil History timeline.
What oil do other chains like Popeyes use?
- What oil does Chick-fil-A use? Peanut oil
- What oil does KFC use? Canola and soybean oil
- What oil does Raising Cane's use? Canola and soybean oil
- What oil does Wingstop use? Soybean oil (estimated)
- What oil does Zaxby's use? Soybean oil
- What oil does Bojangles use? Soybean and canola oil
- What oil does Church's Texas Chicken use? Soybean oil (estimated)
- What oil does Slim Chickens use? Soybean oil and vegetable oil blend
Why the frying oil matters
Most fast-food chains fry in seed oils like soybean, canola, corn, or a blend of them, which are high in polyunsaturated fat (PUFA). A handful still use beef tallow or other stable fats, which are far lower in PUFA. The oil a kitchen fries in is the single biggest driver of how much seed oil ends up on your plate. See the full breakdown on the Popeyes report card, or where it lands on the Seed Oil Index. See which chains fry in real fats on Tallow Watch.
Frequently asked
What oil does Popeyes fry in?
Popeyes fries in beef tallow. In detail: Beef tallow (in the fryers). Popeyes' own U.S. Ingredient Information (April 2025) lists "Tallow: Beef fat, BHT, citric acid, dimethylpolysiloxane" as the frying fat for every fried item: bone-in chicken, tenders, boneless wings, sandwich filets, Cajun Fries, popcorn and butterfly shrimp, and the fried pies. No vegetable oil is listed in the fryer. Vegetable oils come in with supplier ingredients instead: the Cajun Fries are par-fried in a canola, soybean, sunflower, cottonseed or palm blend, the shrimp coating carries cottonseed and/or soybean oil, and soybean oil is the base of the mayo, spreads, dipping sauces and biscuit dressing.
Does Popeyes use seed oils?
Not in the fryer: Popeyes fries in beef tallow. Some other items still contain seed oils, so check the grams for each one.
Does Popeyes use beef tallow?
Yes, at least for some items. Popeyes fries in beef tallow.
Does Popeyes use peanut oil?
Not that we can find. Popeyes fries in beef tallow. If you have a peanut allergy, ask the restaurant directly, because oils and suppliers can vary by location.
What is the lowest seed oil order at Popeyes?
3Pc Blackened Tenders (1.4 g of polyunsaturated fat). Next: 3pc Tenders (1.5 g) and 5Pc Blackened Tenders (2.1 g).
Which Popeyes item has the most seed oil?
6Pc Signature Hot Bone-In Wings, at about 31.3 g of polyunsaturated fat as listed.