Beef Tallow Oven Fried Potatoes

Potatoes Made For Meat

These Beef Tallow Oven Fried Potatoes are one of those simple recipes that proves a handful of ingredients can create something truly special. Yukon Gold or red potatoes are tossed in rich beef tallow and butter. Then seasoned generously with garlic, onion, paprika, chili powder, and rosemary, then roasted until golden brown and irresistibly crispy.

I love the flavor of french fries that are fried in beef tallow. Since beef tallow seems to be having a bit of a moment right now, I decided to give it a try with roasted potatoes. Mr. Tipsy had ordered some online, and I figured it would add great flavor and help create a crispy exterior. Little did I know he was using it for face cream….

I was absolutely right. Combined with a little butter and a generous blend of seasonings, these potatoes turned out beautifully golden brown. They were also incredibly crispy on the outside, and soft and fluffy on the inside. They were the perfect side dish alongside my pork chops and may just become my new favorite way to roast potatoes. These spuds are made for meat!

Never Heard Of Beef Tallow?

Beef tallow is simply rendered beef fat that has been slowly cooked and strained until it becomes a clean, shelf-stable cooking fat. Before vegetable oils became common, beef tallow was a staple in many kitchens and was famously used to fry french fries. This is because of the rich flavor and crisp texture it creates.

When used with potatoes, beef tallow helps develop a beautifully golden, crunchy exterior. It also adds a savory flavor that regular cooking oils just can’t replicate. The inside of the potatoes stays fluffy and tender, while the outside becomes crispy and deeply flavorful. It is easy to see why beef tallow has become popular again with home cooks.

Where To Find Tallow

Beef tallow has become much easier to find in recent years. Many grocery stores now carry it near the cooking oils, specialty fats, or natural foods section. Even Target sells it now.

It is also commonly available at butcher shops, local farms, and online retailers. If you cannot find prepared beef tallow, some butchers will even sell beef fat trimmings that can be rendered at home. But this is a lot of work.

A little goes a long way, so one container can last through many batches of roasted potatoes, vegetables, and other recipes where you want to add rich, savory flavor.

Why The Butter?

I also like to add a little butter along with the beef tallow. The butter helps mellow the richness of the tallow while adding its own delicious flavor to the potatoes. It also helps soften some of the intense savory notes that beef tallow can have on its own. This makes a more balanced flavor that still delivers that classic steakhouse-style potato taste without being overpowering.

Make Sure To Season

One of the biggest mistakes people make when cooking potatoes is under seasoning them. Potatoes are naturally mild in flavor so they need a generous amount of seasoning to really shine. The potatoes absorb some of the salt and spices as they cook. What may seem like a lot of seasoning before roasting often ends up being just right once they come out of the oven. A good balance of salt, pepper, herbs, and spices helps bring out the natural flavor of the potatoes and ensures every bite is flavorful from the crispy exterior to the fluffy center.

Heat Then Add

Heating the beef tallow and butter before adding the potatoes is one of the keys to getting that crispy, golden exterior. When the potatoes hit the hot fat, they immediately begin to cook on the outside instead of slowly absorbing the fat as everything heats up together. This jump starts the browning process. This is what helps create those delicious crispy edges. It also allows the seasonings to adhere more evenly to the potatoes. It’s the same idea as preheating a pan before searing meat. You get better texture, better color, and ultimately a better finished product.

Perfect For The Meats

These potatoes make an excellent side dish for almost any meat. The rich, savory flavor of the beef tallow naturally complements beef, pork, chicken, and even wild game. The crispy exterior and fluffy interior provide the perfect contrast to juicy meats. The blend of garlic, onion, herbs, and spices pairs well with everything from a simple grilled steak to pork chops, roast chicken, meatloaf, or a slow-cooked pot roast. If you’re looking for a classic steakhouse-style side dish that feels a little more special than ordinary roasted potatoes, these are a great choice. I love to serve these with my fried pork chops.