INDIANAPOLIS (WKRC) – Steak ‘n Shake, an Indiana-based fast-food chain, made waves on social media this week after announcing that it would begin using 100% beef tallow to cook its shoestring fries.
The news spread quickly after the chain posted an update on its official X account (formerly Twitter) last Thursday. The post, which read “No Cap” – a term meaning “for real” – explained the change to beef tallow, a fat derived from cow kidneys.
As of January 21, the post had been viewed 9 million times.
In a follow-up post the same day, Steak ‘n Shake revealed that the new method of frying fries with beef tallow would be rolled out at all locations nationwide by the end of February 2025.
The company emphasized that the switch would improve the taste and quality of its fries. “If veg oil broke your heart, our tallow will make you fall in love again,” the chain wrote. “Our fries will now be cooked in an authentic way, 100% beef tallow, to achieve the highest quality and best taste,” said Chris Ward, Chief Supply Chain Officer, in a statement to The New York Post.
Beef tallow has long been used in cooking, including by McDonald’s, which used it to fry fries from the 1940s until the 1990s. The company shifted to seed oils, believing animal fats to be unhealthy. However, some health experts, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have criticized seed oils, linking them to the obesity epidemic. Kennedy Jr. recently shared his views on the change in a post on X, mentioning McDonald’s switch and praising Steak ‘n Shake’s decision.
It is still unclear whether Steak ‘n Shake customers will have the option to request fries cooked in other fats.
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