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Learn how to render beef fat in a slow cooker! Rendering beef fat is the process of melting and cooking down pieces of beef fat to extract and separate the liquid fat from the solid bits. This results in homemade beef tallow (AKA clarified beef fat) which you can use for cooking and items like soap. Get my easy crock pot tallow recipe and learn more beef fat uses here!

crockpot tallow

Rendered beef fat is a great way to save money using up something you’ve bought anyway (especially if you buy grass fed meats from a local farmer). The last time I purchased a Costco brisket, I knew I needed to show you how to make tallow. You won’t believe how simple making this natural fat is!

🥩 How to Render Beef Fat in a Slow Cooker

How do you render beef fat for cooking? There are two main ways to render beef fat: dry rendering and wet rendering.

With dry rendering, we don’t add water to the fat when we cook it down. This is my favorite rendering method because it’s fast, easy, and results in a beefier flavor that’s great for frying.

With wet rendering, water is added to the fat before cooking it down. This method of rendering beef tallow takes longer, but results in a less beefy flavor. Wet rendering is a good choice if you’ll be using the tallow to make candles or body care products like soap.
crock pot tallow

Crock Pot Tallow

Here are the step-by-step instructions for making beef tallow:

beef fat for tallow

Cut approximately 4 lbs of beef fat (1.8kg) into 1-inch (2.54 cm) cubes (or smaller). Try to remove as much meat as possible with a sharp knife. Using a meat grinder, coarsely grind the fat cubes. (Note: your local butcher may do this for you.) It’s easiest to grind fat when it’s very cold (almost frozen). If you don’t have a meat grinder, experiment with pulsing the fat cubes in a food processor.

grind beef fat

Put the ground beef fat in a slow cooker and set it on low. Cover the crockpot.

how to make tallow in crockpot

Every hour, siphon off all of the oil you can into food-safe jars. I used a turkey baster to make this easier. Leave the solids in the slow cooker.

tallow in crockpot

Continue collecting the tallow every hour (or every half hour, if desired) for a total of 3 hours. The liquid fat you collect is pale yellow and nearly odorless, but the color will become more ivory as it cools and solidifies.

tallow slow cooker

Let the tallow cool to room temperature. Put lids on the jars and store them in the fridge or freezer, depending on how quickly they will be used.

tallow crockpot

Hot tip!

If you do pick up residue with the baster, it sinks after the liquid fat solidifies. At this point, you can easily lift off the tallow and put it in a new jar. Alternatively, you can strain the liquid tallow using cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer before it solidifies.
tallow and collagen

How long does it take to render beef fat in a slow cooker?

It takes about 3 hours to render 4 lbs of beef fat in a slow cooker on low. I yielded approximately 3 cups of tallow from this recipe.

Is rendered beef fat the same as lard?

No, rendered beef fat is not the same as lard, which comes from pigs. That said, the directions for how to render beef fat are very similar to how to render lard in a crock pot. Lard is rendered pork fat, and so tallow is pretty much beef lard.

One big difference is the solids left from rendering lard can be fried up in a pan to make cracklings. Though you can technically make beef cracklin with the solids leftover from tallow making, we don’t think they taste nearly as good.

How long does rendered beef tallow last?

According to the Food Keeper App, you can keep animal fats like bacon grease and tallow in the refrigerator for 6-12 months. For long-term storage, put the tallow in jars and store it in the freezer. Make sure to leave headspace in the jars if you want to freeze tallow in glass jars.
slow cooker tallow

🍳 What to do with Rendered Beef Fat

There are so many uses for tallow! Here are a few of my favorite tallow uses:

  • Make a delicious beef gravy
  • Try deep frying potatoes with it or roast other vegetables
  • Use it for baking pie crusts (it’s especially great for savory pot pies)
  • Use it to season cast iron pans
  • Make body care products, such as lotion or soap
  • Make beef tallow candles
  • Use it as a substitute for beef suet or coconut oil (and in some cases vegetable oil or butter)

FAQs

How do you know when tallow is done rendering?

Tallow is done rendering when the cracklings are crispy and brown, and the liquid fat is clear and golden. Less fat is released into the pot as the process of making tallow is finishing up.

Do you add water when rendering beef fat?

Adding water is optional when rendering beef fat. I prefer a dry rendering method without adding water to make tallow because it’s faster.

Can you overcook beef tallow?

Yes, you can overcook beef tallow, which may result in a burnt or off-flavor. The amount of fat you start with can impact how long it takes to make beef tallow.

How to render beef fat on stove?

To render beef fat on the stove, cut the fat into small pieces, cook them in a heavy-bottomed pan over low heat, and strain when done.

How to render beef fat in oven?

To render beef fat in the oven, place fat pieces in a metal roasting pan at around 250F (121C) until rendered. It will take about 3 hours.

What temperature is best for rendering beef fat?

The best temperature for rendering beef fat in the oven is around 250F (120C) to 300F (150C). The smoke point for beef tallow is 400F (200C), so it’s important to keep the temp lower than that.

Can you render beef fat in the microwave?

It’s not recommended to make rendered tallow in the microwave as it can result in uneven heating and splattering.

👩🏻‍🍳 More Beef Recipes

Now that you have the answer to how to render fat in a slow cooker, try these other recipes for beef:

Watch How to Make It!

crockpot tallow

How to Render Beef Fat in a Slow Cooker (Crock Pot Tallow)

Summer Yule
Learn how to render beef fat in a slow cooker!
5 from 1 vote
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours
Course Slow Food DIY
Cuisine American
Servings 48
Calories 116 kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 lbs beef fat (1.8kg)
  • ¼ cup water (optional; I always skip this, see article for details)
Love this recipe? Please leave a comment below 😊

Instructions

  • Cut approximately 4 lbs of beef fat (1.8kg) into 1-inch (2.54 cm) cubes (or smaller). Try to remove as much meat as possible with a sharp knife. Using a meat grinder, coarsely grind the fat cubes. It’s easiest to grind fat when it’s very cold (almost frozen).
  • Put the ground beef fat in a slow cooker and set it on low. Cover the crockpot. 
  • Every hour, siphon off all of the oil you can into food-safe jars. I used a turkey baster to make this easier. Leave the solids in the slow cooker. 
  • Continue collecting the tallow every hour (or every half hour, if desired) for a total of 3 hours. The liquid fat you collect is pale yellow and nearly odorless, but the color will become more ivory as it cools and solidifies. 
  • Let the tallow cool to room temperature. Put lids on the jars and store them in the fridge or freezer, depending on how quickly they will be used. 

Equipment

Notes

💭 Expert Tips from Dietitian Summer Yule

This is a level 3 recipe (weight maintenance and active lifestyles). Tallow has a high saturated fat content, so it’s not considered “heart healthy” by modern nutrition standards. Like all added fats, if consumed in moderation, it can be part of an overall balanced diet for some people. All added fats are quite calorie dense, and should be used sparingly if you’re trying to achieve a calorie deficit for weight loss. 
That said, this rendered fat is rich in fat-soluble vitamins and fatty acids like conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a polyunsaturated omega-6 fatty acid. It’s important not to dismiss all fats in the diet as empty calories, as they do have important nutritional value. 
Nutrition information is for one serving. 

 

nutrition info disclaimer

 

All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.

 

The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be inaccurate, so please don’t sweat the numbers too much.

 

“To taste” means to your preferences, which may have to be visual to follow food safety rules. Please don’t eat undercooked food x

Nutrition

Calories: 116kcalFat: 12.8gSaturated Fat: 6.4g
Keywords crock pot tallow, how to make tallow, how to render beef fat, how to render beef fat in slow cooker, render beef fat, render tallow, rendered beef fat, rendering beef fat, rendering tallow, slow cooker tallow
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5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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