What Does Buffalo Wild Wings Fry Their Wings In?

Buffalo Wild Wings fries their signature wings in beef tallow shortening, making them one of the few major restaurant chains that doesn't use seed oils for their primary menu item. However, before you celebrate, there's more to the story about their cooking practices and the rest of their menu.

The Short Answer

Buffalo Wild Wings uses beef tallow shortening to fry their traditional wings and tenders. This is actually good news for those avoiding seed oils, as beef tallow is an animal-based fat rather than an industrial seed oil. However, their boneless wings and many other menu items are cooked in or contain seed oils.

Buffalo Wild Wings' Cooking Process Explained

The cooking process at Buffalo Wild Wings involves deep frying in dedicated fryers at approximately 375°F. Traditional wings go straight from raw to the fryer, cooking for about 10-12 minutes until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F. The wings are then tossed in your sauce of choice or served with dry rub.

What makes Buffalo Wild Wings unique is their use of separate fryers for different items. Traditional wings and tenders get their own fryers with beef tallow, while other items like fries, onion rings, and boneless wings are cooked in different fryers that use seed oils.

The restaurant made headlines in 2017 when they switched from beef tallow to seed oils, causing an uproar among customers who noticed the taste difference. Due to overwhelming negative feedback, they switched back to beef tallow for their traditional wings, though they kept seed oils for other fried items.

What Oil Does Buffalo Wild Wings Use?

Buffalo Wild Wings uses two main types of cooking oils:

For traditional wings and tenders: Beef tallow shortening (a blend of beef fat)

For everything else: A blend of corn oil, soybean oil, and canola oil

This means items like french fries, onion rings, mozzarella sticks, fried pickles, and boneless wings are all cooked in seed oils. The restaurant's allergen menu confirms that items cooked in the beef tallow fryers are marked separately from those cooked in vegetable oil.

Is It Seed Oil?

Beef tallow is not a seed oil. It's an animal fat rendered from beef, making it a traditional cooking fat that humans have used for thousands of years. Beef tallow is primarily composed of saturated and monounsaturated fats, with a fatty acid profile that includes:

• Saturated fat: 50-55%
• Monounsaturated fat: 40-45%
• Polyunsaturated fat: 3-5%

This composition makes it highly stable at high temperatures, unlike seed oils which are high in polyunsaturated fats that oxidize easily when heated. Studies have shown that cooking with saturated fats like tallow produces fewer harmful compounds compared to cooking with seed oils rich in linoleic acid.

However, the seed oil blend used for other menu items is problematic. Corn, soybean, and canola oils are all industrial seed oils high in omega-6 fatty acids, particularly linoleic acid. These oils undergo extensive processing including hexane extraction, bleaching, and deodorizing.

What to Order Instead

If you're avoiding seed oils at Buffalo Wild Wings, stick to these options:

Safe choices:

• Traditional bone-in wings (any dry rub or sauce)
• Naked tenders (no breading)
• Grilled chicken options
• Burgers without buns (lettuce wrapped)
• Side salads with olive oil and vinegar

Items to avoid:

• Boneless wings (cooked in seed oil)
• All fried sides (fries, onion rings, chips)
• Fried appetizers
• Salad dressings (most contain soybean oil)
• Buns and breaded items

Be aware that many of their sauces also contain seed oils as ingredients. The dry rubs are generally safer options. Always ask your server about current cooking practices, as restaurants can change their procedures.

Healthier Alternatives at Other Chains

If you're looking for restaurants that avoid seed oils entirely, options are limited but growing:

Five Guys: Uses peanut oil for frying, which while not ideal, is less processed than typical seed oils and has a better fatty acid profile than corn or soybean oil.

In-N-Out Burger: Uses sunflower oil, but their burgers are cooked on a flat-top grill without added oils. Order protein-style (lettuce wrapped) to avoid the bun.

Chipotle: Uses rice bran oil for cooking, but you can order bowls with just meat, vegetables, and guacamole to minimize exposure.

Local restaurants: Many independent restaurants are returning to traditional fats like butter, ghee, and tallow. Call ahead to ask about their cooking oils.

The Bottom Line

Buffalo Wild Wings deserves credit for using beef tallow for their signature wings, making them a better choice than many chain restaurants. With a Seed Oil Scout (SOS) rating of 6/10, they offer some good options for those avoiding seed oils, but you need to be selective.

The key is knowing what to order. Stick to traditional wings and naked tenders while avoiding anything else from the fryer. Their decision to maintain beef tallow for wings shows that consumer pressure can influence restaurant practices, even if they haven't eliminated seed oils entirely.

For those strictly avoiding all seed oils, Buffalo Wild Wings can work as an occasional dining option if you're careful with your choices. The traditional wings cooked in beef tallow are among the better fried food options you'll find at major chains.

Want to make healthier choices when dining out? Download Seed Oil Scout to instantly check cooking oils at thousands of restaurants. Our app helps you find seed oil-free options near you and make informed decisions about where and what to eat. Take control of your health one meal at a time.