Quick Answer

No, Five Guys does not use beef tallow for cooking their fries or burgers. The chain relies on peanut oil for frying and standard vegetable oils for cooking, which means their food contains the very seed oils that health-conscious diners are trying to avoid. With a 0/5 rating in our database, Five Guys falls short of the ancestral fat standards that make beef tallow such a superior cooking option.

Does Five Guys Actually Use Beef Tallow?

Despite Five Guys' reputation for "fresh, never frozen" beef and hand-cut fries, the chain does not cook with beef tallow. This might come as a surprise given their emphasis on quality ingredients and their willingness to charge premium prices.

Five Guys has built their brand around peanut oil, which they use exclusively for frying their famous boardwalk-style fries. While peanut oil is certainly better than some industrial seed oils like soybean or canola oil, it's still a far cry from the traditional animal fats our ancestors used for cooking.

The chain has never publicly indicated any plans to switch to beef tallow, despite the growing consumer demand for restaurants that cook with traditional fats. This puts them behind more forward-thinking establishments that have recognized the health benefits of returning to ancestral cooking methods.

What Oils Does Five Guys Use Instead?

Five Guys uses peanut oil for all their frying operations, including their signature hand-cut fries. For burger cooking and other preparations, they rely on standard commercial vegetable oils, though the exact blend isn't publicly disclosed.

Peanut oil falls into a gray area for seed oil-conscious diners. While it's not as heavily processed as canola or soybean oil, it's still high in omega-6 fatty acids and lacks the nutritional benefits of traditional animal fats. The oil is also typically refined using high heat and chemical solvents, which can create oxidative compounds.

For those following strict anti-seed oil protocols, peanut oil doesn't make the cut. It's certainly better than the cottonseed oil that McDonald's switched to after abandoning beef tallow in 1990, but it's not the ancestral fat that our bodies are designed to thrive on.

Why Beef Tallow Matters

The difference between cooking with beef tallow and modern vegetable oils goes far beyond taste (though tallow definitely wins on that front too). Beef tallow offers unique health benefits that seed oils simply can't match.

Beef tallow is rich in saturated and monounsaturated fats, with minimal polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). This fat profile is remarkably stable under high heat, meaning it doesn't oxidize and create harmful compounds the way seed oils do during frying.

The high omega-6 content in seed oils drives systemic inflammation and disrupts the delicate omega-3 to omega-6 ratio that's crucial for metabolic health. When you compare beef tallow to vegetable oil, the nutritional superiority becomes crystal clear.

Traditional cultures that cooked with animal fats like tallow, lard, and duck fat had virtually no heart disease, diabetes, or obesity. The switch to industrial seed oils in the 20th century coincided with skyrocketing rates of chronic disease, something researchers like Nina Teicholz have documented extensively in "The Big Fat Surprise."

The McDonald's Lesson

Five Guys could learn from McDonald's historic mistake. Before 1990, McDonald's cooked their world-famous fries in beef tallow, which gave them their legendary flavor and crispy texture. The switch to vegetable oils was driven by misguided health campaigns and cost-cutting measures, not genuine nutritional science.

Restaurants that return to traditional fats aren't just improving their food quality, they're taking a stand for customer health. Beef tallow contains fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, plus conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) when sourced from grass-fed cattle.

How Five Guys Compares to Other Chains

Five Guys isn't alone in avoiding beef tallow. Most major chains have fallen into the seed oil trap, prioritizing cost savings and shelf stability over nutritional quality. However, some establishments are starting to recognize the demand for traditional cooking methods.

Compared to the worst offenders like Subway or Chipotle (which use soybean oil blends), Five Guys' peanut oil is a step up. But compared to the growing number of restaurants that cook with beef tallow, duck fat, or coconut oil, Five Guys falls short of the mark.

The Seed Oil Scout app helps diners identify which restaurants in their area prioritize traditional fats over industrial oils. Our database tracks everything from local farm-to-table establishments to national chains, giving you the information you need to make informed dining decisions.

For a comprehensive look at Five Guys' overall oil usage beyond just tallow, check out our detailed analysis of whether Five Guys uses seed oils across their entire menu.

The Bottom Line

Five Guys does not use beef tallow, opting instead for peanut oil and standard vegetable oils. While their commitment to fresh ingredients is admirable, they're missing the mark when it comes to cooking with ancestral fats that support metabolic health.

If you're serious about avoiding seed oils and supporting restaurants that cook with traditional fats, Five Guys probably isn't your best bet. The good news? There are increasing numbers of establishments that are returning to time-tested cooking methods.

Ready to find restaurants in your area that actually cook with beef tallow and other traditional fats? Download the Seed Oil Scout app and discover dining options that align with your health goals. Your taste buds and your metabolism will thank you. 🫡