How to Make Your Own Tallow
Okay, beef fat on your face, it sounds wild. But honestly, don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried. it. Tallow is considered an ancestral skincare and culinary ingredient and is making a huge comeback. It was historically used by many cultures for its moisturising and nourishing properties, particularly in skincare and cooking. You can make candles with it, use it on your skin, fry with it, cook with it, and, while you can buy it ready-made, you can also render your own at home (which is a lot easier than it sounds)
Below is how we make our own, a few places you can look at where to source the fat and why tallow is making a comeback! Plus some companies I love that use tallow in their ingredients!
What is Tallow?
Tallow is rendered fat from cows (or sometimes sheep), often taken from around the kidneys, called suet. Suet generally smells less beefy than other beef fat because it has less impurities. Once rendered, it becomes shelf-stable and versatile used for:
Cooking (it’s heat-stable and nutrient-dense)
Skin balms and moisturisers
Soap and candle-making
Why I Use Tallow
It’s natural—no additives, just pure fat and is a great alternative to petroleum-based balms and lotions.
It’s local and zero waste when sourced from a good butcher and supports using the whole animal using fat that is often discarded.
Tallow is deeply nourishing, it’s full of vitamins (A, D, E & K) which help repair and hydrate the skin. It’s absorbed easily by the skin, great for sensitive skin and great for the healing of the skin if you’re suffering from eczema.
Our food tastes AMAZING cooked in it and it’s very nutrient dense. Try homemade chips cooked in tallow and tell me it’s not great. Tallow is thought to have heart health benefits amongst others.
Where to Find Suet or Beef Fat
You can ask your local butcher for grass-fed suet or beef fat. It’s usually pretty cheap as it’s not always used and I have got it for free multiple times. You can buy it online but I find it more costly this way. You can ask for fat from around the kidneys, as it produces the cleanest, least “beefy” smell.
What You’ll Need
Raw suet or beef fat (about 500g or more)
Sharp knife & chopping board
Slow cooker, heavy pot, or oven-safe dish
Fine mesh strainer or muslin cloth
Glass jars or tins for storage
How to Render Tallow (Step-by-Step)
Step 1: Chop the Fat
Cut the fat into small chunks or you can pulse in a food processor for a finer blend—this helps it render more evenly. Nb. The first time I did this I was mildly FREAKING out. I am not a huge fan of preparing meat so this did feel full on and I didn’t love the smell but go with it! I cut the fat up with a knife rather than using a processor. It sometimes can be tough depending what fat they give you.
Step 2: Heat Gently
Place the fat into a slow cooker on low, a heavy-bottomed pot on the stove, or an oven-safe dish at 110°C (230°F). Let it melt slowly—this can take 1-6 hours depending on how much you have and the method. You can stir it every now and then make sure it’s not smoking or going brown (golden is okay) if it is, turn the heat down.
STEP 3: STRAIN
Once the fat has melted and you’re left with golden liquid and crispy bits (crackling), strain it through a muslin cloth or fine mesh sieve into clean jars.
Step 4: Cool & Store
Let it cool at room temperature. It will set into a creamy white solid. Store in a glass jar with a lid at room temp (for a few weeks) or in the fridge (for months).
How We Use It
Skincare: As a base for homemade balm or straight on dry skin.
Cooking: Perfect for frying eggs, roasting veg, I LOVE IT FOR POTATOES or greasing pans.
Soap making: great as a soap base
wHY NOT GIVE IT A GO?!
If making it isn’t for you: These are my favourite tallow products.
The Suncream we use for everything- it smells DIVINE! And a few of my favourite products from Fierce Nature! You can get 10% off with SLOWHOME10
