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Choosing the right cooking fat can elevate your meals, enhance flavors, and contribute to a healthier kitchen. With so many options available, it’s important to focus on high-quality, nutrient-dense, and sustainable cooking fats.
In this guide, we’ve selected the best brands and products for each essential cooking fat, ensuring you have only the best in your kitchen.
4th & Heart Grass-Fed Ghee
Why You Need It: Ghee is a lactose-free alternative to butter, offering a rich, nutty flavor with a high smoke point. It’s packed with healthy fats, CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid), and butyrate, supporting digestion and metabolism.
- Made from 100% grass-fed butter
- No lactose or casein – great for dairy-sensitive individuals
- Shelf-stable and doesn’t require refrigeration
- Great for keto and paleo diets
Best For: Sautéing, baking, bulletproof coffee, and spreading on toast.
South Chicago Packing Wagyu Beef Tallow
Why You Need It: Beef tallow is a high-heat, nutrient-rich fat perfect for frying, roasting, and adding deep flavor to dishes. Sourced from grass-fed, pasture-raised beef, it’s a sustainable and natural alternative to processed vegetable oils.
- 100% Pure Wagyu Beef Tallow
- High smoke point (400°F+)
- Rich in essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins
- Free from artificial trans fats and additives
Best For: Frying, searing meats, roasting vegetables, and making flaky pie crusts.
Nutiva, Organic Coconut Oil
Why You Need It: Coconut oil is a versatile, plant-based fat loaded with medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) that provide a quick source of energy and support brain function.
- USDA Organic, cold-pressed, unrefined
- Non-GMO, virgin coconut oil for maximum nutrients
- Rich in lauric acid for antimicrobial benefits
- Sustainably sourced and fair-trade certified
Best For: Baking, sautéing, making homemade nut butters, and dairy-free cooking.
La Tourangelle California Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Why You Need It: Extra virgin olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats and antioxidants, making it a heart-healthy choice for everyday cooking.
- 100% real extra virgin olive oil (cold-extracted)
- Non-GMO, high-polyphenol content for antioxidant benefits
- Fresh, robust flavor with no additives or fillers
- Sustainably farmed in California
Best For: Drizzling over salads, roasting vegetables, dipping bread, and light sautéing.
Chosen Foods 100% Pure Avocado Oil for Cooking
Why You Need It: Avocado oil has one of the highest smoke points (520°F), making it ideal for high-heat cooking, frying, and grilling while providing healthy monounsaturated fats.
- 100% pure, cold-pressed avocado oil
- High smoke point for frying and roasting
- Non-GMO and naturally refined without chemicals
- Mild, buttery flavor perfect for any dish
Best For: Stir-frying, grilling, roasting, and homemade dressings.
Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter, Salted, 8 oz
Why You Need It: Butter is a classic cooking fat, offering rich flavor and fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K). Grass-fed butter provides superior nutritional benefits compared to conventional butter.
- Made from grass-fed cows for higher omega-3 content
- Naturally yellow due to high beta-carotene levels
- No added hormones or artificial preservatives
- Rich, creamy taste ideal for all cooking applications
Best For: Baking, sautéing, melting over vegetables, and spreading on bread.
Fatworks Premium Pasture Raised Lard
Why You Need It: Lard is a traditional fat perfect for baking and frying, offering a clean taste with high heat stability. It’s naturally high in vitamin D and free from trans fats.
- Sourced from pasture-raised, non-GMO pork
- Neutral flavor, making it ideal for pie crusts and baking
- High smoke point (370°F) for safe frying
- No hydrogenation or artificial additives
Best For: Baking, frying, and enhancing the flakiness of pastries.