Beef Tallow vs Soybean Oil
Beef Tallow wins on seed oil PUFA: about 5% of its fat versus roughly 60% for Soybean Oil, around 12x less per spoonful.
Per tablespoon that is an estimated 0.7g of PUFA against 8.2g. The shares are the ones our estimates use (how we estimate).
| Beef Tallow | Soybean Oil | |
|---|---|---|
| PUFA share of fat | ~5% | ~60% |
| Est. PUFA per tablespoon | ~0.7g | ~8.2g |
| Type | animal fat | seed oil |
| Seed oil? | no | yes |
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.
Soybean Oil
The default American restaurant oil at roughly 60% PUFA, also labeled soya oil. Cheapest per gallon and what the big distributors stock by default.
The distributor standard; assume it when nothing is disclosed. See chains using soybean oil.
Restaurants that cook with beef tallow
49 restaurant chains we track name beef tallow in their cooking oil information.
Restaurants that cook with soybean oil
452 restaurant chains we track name soybean oil in their cooking oil information.
Frequently asked
Which has less PUFA, beef tallow or soybean oil?
Beef Tallow carries less polyunsaturated fat: an estimated 5% of its fat versus about 60% for soybean oil, by the shares our estimates use.
How much PUFA is in a tablespoon of beef tallow?
Roughly 0.7g of PUFA per tablespoon, since a tablespoon of oil carries about 14g of fat and beef tallow runs about 5% PUFA.
Which is more stable for frying, beef tallow or soybean oil?
Beef Tallow is more stable: about 5% of its fat is polyunsaturated, against about 60% for soybean oil, and polyunsaturated fat is the part that breaks down fastest under heat.
Is beef tallow or soybean oil a seed oil?
Beef Tallow is not a seed oil. Soybean Oil is a seed oil.
More matchups
Or work out any amount with the PUFA calculator.