South Chicago Packing Wagyu Beef Tallow Review: Jar vs 42 oz Tub vs Spray

Quick verdict: South Chicago Packing Wagyu Beef Tallow is the best-tasting widely available tallow we’ve cooked with. It is richer and more buttery than standard beef tallow, it sears and fries cleanly, and the 42 oz tub is one of the better-value ways to buy a flavorful tallow in volume. The wagyu advantage is real on fries, popcorn, hash browns and steak, and mostly disappears in baking or heavily seasoned food, where a cheaper tallow does the same job.

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Where to buy: SCP Wagyu Beef Tallow 11.5 oz jar · 42 oz tub · Wagyu Tallow Spray 7 oz (check current prices)

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Our Rating: 4.3 / 5

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Who Is South Chicago Packing?

South Chicago Packing is a family-owned animal-fats company in Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood. The company describes itself as a fifth-generation family business with roots in the Chicago Stockyards more than 120 years ago; the Miniat family bought South Chicago Packing in 1972, and it has rendered and sold beef tallow and lard ever since, mostly to restaurants and food manufacturers. Its foodservice arm, SCP Professional, sells tallow and lard shortenings to commercial kitchens, including a pourable deodorized beef tallow.

The retail line is newer. The wagyu tallow came first, followed by the wagyu tallow spray, and in April 2026 the company launched an Angus beef tallow in the same jar and tub sizes. So when people search “south chicago packing,” they are usually looking for one of four things: the wagyu jar, the 42 oz wagyu tub, the spray, or the Angus tallow. This review covers all four.

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What Makes Wagyu Tallow Different

Wagyu cattle deposit more fat, and that fat is higher in monounsaturated fatty acids (mainly oleic acid) than fat from conventional beef breeds. Meat scientists, including Stephen Smith’s group at Texas A&M, have published work on the higher oleic acid content of wagyu and wagyu-cross cattle. Two practical effects follow:

• Texture. Wagyu tallow is softer at room temperature. You can scoop it with a spoon, where standard tallow often needs a knife.
• Flavor. It tastes milder and more buttery, with less of the “beefy” finish regular tallow has. Think ribeye vs strip steak: both are beef, one is richer and rounder.

Smoke behavior is similar to regular tallow. Tallow’s heat stability comes from its low polyunsaturated fat content, and wagyu tallow is still low in polyunsaturates. Our smoke point guide covers the temperatures for each cooking method, and our best wagyu beef tallow guide compares SCP with other wagyu brands.

Is it actually wagyu? SCP labels it “100% pure Wagyu beef tallow.” It doesn’t publish the ranches or the percentage of wagyu genetics. In the US, “American Wagyu” usually means wagyu crossbred with Angus or other breeds, and that is the realistic expectation for a grocery-priced wagyu tallow. It is not Japanese A5 fat; for that, see our A5 wagyu tallow guide.

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Kitchen Testing

I ran South Chicago Packing wagyu tallow through the same tests I use on every tallow brand, then kept using the 42 oz tub for everyday cooking over several months.

Searing a Ribeye

Two tablespoons in a cast iron skillet until shimmering, then a room-temperature ribeye. The crust formed quickly and tasted as if the steak had been basted in browned butter. No smoke at normal searing heat, and the smell in the pan was pleasant and slightly sweet rather than sharp.

Double-Fried French Fries

First fry at 325°F, rest, second fry at 375°F. The best fries I’ve made at home: a shattering exterior, a fluffy center and a rich background flavor without a heavy beef note. When I dropped a pound of cut potatoes into the pot, the oil temperature dipped and recovered within a couple of minutes. After straining, the used tallow was still pale and clean-smelling. For the full method, see our guide to making beef tallow french fries at home.

Hash Browns and Fried Chicken

Hash browns pressed into a hot cast iron pan with three tablespoons of wagyu tallow came out with an excellent crust and clean potato flavor. Fried chicken thighs at 350°F were also very good, but the paprika-and-garlic dredge covered most of the wagyu difference. Heavily seasoned food is where the premium matters least.

Eggs and Biscuits

Eggs fried in wagyu tallow got lacy, crisp edges and only a gentle richness. In buttermilk biscuits it behaved almost exactly like regular tallow: flaky, tender, a faint savory note. Baking is where the wagyu advantage shrinks the most.

Popcorn

Stovetop popcorn is the strongest case for wagyu tallow. Two tablespoons per batch gives a butter-like richness with a faint beefy background, and unlike butter it doesn’t scorch at popping temperature. Standard tallow works too, but its beefier finish competes with the salt more.

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Jar vs 42 oz Tub vs Spray

11.5 oz glass jar: the one to buy if you want to try wagyu tallow or only use it for searing and popcorn. It costs more per ounce than the tub.

42 oz tub: about three and a half jars’ worth in one container, at a lower price per ounce. It holds enough to shallow fry or run a small pot of fries. If you cook with tallow most days, this is the better buy.

7 fl oz Wagyu Tallow Spray: SCP markets it as the first sprayable wagyu beef tallow and lists it as 100% wagyu beef fat. It is built for air fryers, grill grates, sheet-pan vegetables and greasing pans, where you want a thin, even coat rather than a spoonful. It’s a convenience product and costs far more per ounce than the tub, so it doesn’t replace jarred tallow for frying.

Angus Beef Tallow: SCP’s newer non-wagyu line, sold in the same sizes at a lower price. It suits everyday cooking where you don’t need the wagyu richness. SCP Angus Beef Tallow on Amazon.

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What We Liked

• Flavor: the richest, most buttery tallow in our cooking tests
• Choice of sizes: a jar to try it, a 42 oz tub for real cooking, and a spray
• Clean frying: holds temperature and strains well for reuse
• Established company: decades of rendering experience, not a new white-label brand
• Wide availability: Amazon, Walmart and other retailers

What Could Be Better

• Sourcing isn’t disclosed beyond “100% pure Wagyu”
• Not grass-fed or organic, if those labels matter to you
• The advantage shrinks in baking and heavily seasoned dishes
• The plastic tub is practical but feels basic at this price
• The small jar is poor value compared with the tub

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Where to Buy South Chicago Packing Tallow

As of September 2026:

• Amazon: the jar, the 42 oz tub, the spray and the Angus tallow are all listed.
• Walmart: walmart.com lists the 11.5 oz wagyu jar, the 42 oz tub and the spray. Stock varies by store.
• Whole Foods: wholefoodsmarket.com lists the wagyu tallow spray.
• Sam’s Club: lists the SCP Angus Beef Tallow 11.5 oz 2-pack.
• Direct: southchicagopacking.com sells the full retail line.

Check each store’s app for local stock before you go. Our guide to finding beef tallow near you covers other chains, butchers and farmers markets.

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How SCP Compares

If grass-fed sourcing matters more to you than flavor, read our Fatworks beef tallow review or the head-to-head Fatworks vs South Chicago Packing. For the full field, see our best beef tallow for cooking roundup.

Cheaper alternative: Cornhusker Kitchen Wagyu Beef Tallow Tub, 1.5 lb. Another wagyu tallow in a tub, usually at a lower price per ounce than the SCP jar. See our Cornhusker Kitchen review.

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Who It’s For

Buy South Chicago Packing wagyu tallow if you:

• Sear steaks or make fries, hash browns or popcorn where the fat flavor comes through
• Cook with tallow most days and want the 42 oz tub
• Want an air fryer or grill spray (the spray)

Skip it if you:

• Mostly bake or cook heavily seasoned food
• Want grass-fed or organic certification
• Need a deodorized base for skincare or soap

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is South Chicago Packing wagyu beef tallow good?

Yes. It’s the richest-tasting tallow in our cooking tests and fries and sears cleanly. Its main weakness is that it doesn’t say much about sourcing beyond “100% pure Wagyu.”

Where is South Chicago Packing located?

Chicago, Illinois, in the Bridgeport neighborhood on the city’s south side. The company is family-owned and has been under the Miniat family since 1972.

What’s the difference between SCP’s wagyu and Angus beef tallow?

The wagyu tallow comes from wagyu-type cattle and is softer, richer and more buttery. The Angus tallow, launched in 2026, is a standard beef tallow with a more classic beef flavor and a lower price. Both come in 11.5 oz jars and 42 oz tubs.

Is South Chicago Packing tallow grass-fed?

The label doesn’t claim grass-fed. If you want grass-fed or grass-finished tallow, choose Fatworks Grass-Fed or another brand that states it on the label.

How long does it last once opened?

Kept closed in a cool, dark pantry, opened tallow lasts for months; refrigeration extends that. Check the best-by date on the container. Our beef tallow shelf life guide explains the signs of rancidity.

Can I use wagyu tallow for skincare?

You can, but it isn’t sold or processed as a cosmetic product, it keeps a light beef smell, and it’s an expensive way to buy a balm base. A dedicated tallow balm makes more sense for skin.

Is the wagyu tallow spray pure tallow?

SCP lists the spray as 100% wagyu beef fat. Read the ingredient panel on any tallow spray you buy, because some competing sprays blend tallow with other oils.

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Bottom Line

South Chicago Packing Wagyu Beef Tallow is worth buying if you care how your fries, steaks and popcorn taste. The 42 oz tub is the smart buy for regular cooks, the 11.5 oz jar is the easy way to try it, and the spray is a convenience add-on for air fryers and grills. If you mostly bake or want grass-fed sourcing, a standard grass-fed tallow is the better fit.

New to cooking with tallow? Start with our top cooking uses for beef tallow.