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Thanksgiving is the best possible meal for seed oil free cooking because every traditional dish was built for ancestral fats. The turkey was basted with butter. Mashed potatoes used real cream and butter. Pie crust was lard. The green bean casserole before the mid-century processed food version was simply green beans in butter with shallots.
The industrial seed oil versions of these dishes appeared between 1950 and 1980. Crisco marketing replaced lard in pie crust. Vegetable oil replaced butter in stuffing. The good news is that the original recipes are not difficult to find. They are the seed oil free versions of what most Americans think of as traditional Thanksgiving food.
The Thanksgiving Menu — Ancestral Fat by Dish
| Dish | Fat | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Roast Turkey | Tallow + compound butter | Tallow on skin for crisp; butter under breast for moisture |
| Mashed Potatoes | Grass-fed butter + cream | Full fat. No margarine. |
| Stuffing | Butter-soaked bread | Saute aromatics in butter |
| Green Beans | Butter or ghee | Butter, garlic, almonds |
| Gravy | Turkey drippings + butter | Real drippings from tallow-roasted bird |
| Pie Crust | Lard | Flakier than butter, no seed oils |
| Roasted Vegetables | Beef tallow or ghee | High smoke point for caramelisation |
The Recipes
American classics and world cuisine in ancestral fats. The complete seed oil free kitchen guide.
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Get the Book on Amazon →What fat do you use for seed oil free Thanksgiving?
Beef tallow for the turkey exterior, compound butter under the breast skin, grass-fed butter for mashed potatoes and green beans, and lard for pie crust. All four were standard American Thanksgiving fats before the 1970s shift to vegetable oils.
Can you make Thanksgiving without seed oils?
Yes. Every traditional Thanksgiving dish was designed for ancestral fats. The turkey was always basted with butter. Mashed potatoes used cream and real butter. Pie crust was lard. The seed oil versions are a mid-century substitution.
What is the best fat for roasting a Thanksgiving turkey?
Beef tallow rubbed over the skin gives the crispiest result because of its high smoke point (420°F). A compound butter (butter, garlic, herbs) worked under the breast skin adds flavour and keeps the meat moist. Both together is the correct method.
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