McDonald’s French Fries

✔ Updated October 25, 2026 · added the 1990 tallow story and a 1980s-style beef tallow method

These copycat McDonald's French fries are thin, salty and crisp on the outside with a soft, fluffy middle, like the ones from the McDonald's down the road.

The trick is a sugar-water soak, a freeze and two fries at different temperatures.

Why You'll Love These Fries

• Thin and crisp, with that soft, steamy middle you get from a really fresh carton.
• Freezer-friendly: par-fry a big batch and finish a few handfuls whenever the craving hits.
• Cheap ingredients: potatoes, oil, a spoonful of sugar and salt.

What Makes McDonald's-Style Fries So Good?

It comes down to three things: a thin cut, a crisp shell with a soft middle, and salt that clings. McDonald's par-fries and freezes its potatoes before they reach the restaurant, then fries them again to order. This copycat recipe copies that two-stage approach at home.

A spoonful of beef tallow or shortening in the oil adds a richer, savory note, but plain canola oil works fine. I make these whenever we're having burgers at home, and they never last long.

Why Did McDonald's Fries Taste Different Before 1990?

Until 1990, McDonald's fried its fries in a blend that was mostly beef tallow, which is rendered beef fat. By most accounts it was about 93 percent tallow, with a little vegetable oil mixed in. That's a lot of beef flavor for a potato.

In the late 1980s, a businessman who had survived a heart attack started buying full-page newspaper ads against saturated fat in fast food, and health groups were pushing the same way. In 1990, McDonald's announced the switch to vegetable oil with added beef flavoring. The shortening it moved to was partially hydrogenated, which meant trans fat, so the oil changed again in the years after.

Why would the fat change the flavor at all? The outside of a fry soaks up a little of whatever it's cooked in. Neutral oil adds almost nothing, while tallow brings a gentle, savory, beefy note, a bit like the edges of a roast. A few chains have even gone back to cooking in beef tallow. If you want the old style at home, my 1980s-style tallow pot is just below the recipe card.

These fries are number four on my countdown of discontinued fast food items you can still make at home, right between the Caramel Apple Empanada and Szechuan Sauce.

Potatoes, Oil and Equipment

• Potatoes: russets. Their starchy, dry flesh fries up fluffy. Waxy potatoes like red or Yukon Gold stay dense.
• Oil: canola, peanut or vegetable oil, at least 2 to 3 inches deep in a heavy pot. Add the optional tallow or shortening for flavor.
• Thermometer: a clip-on or instant-read thermometer is the most useful tool here, because both fries depend on the right oil temperature.
• Cutter: a fry cutter gives even sticks fast, but a sharp knife and a steady hand get you there too.

Step-by-Step Photos

Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.

Tips for Success

• Cut them thin. About 1/4 inch is the sweet spot. Thick-cut fries are lovely, but they won't give you that drive-thru shoestring crunch.
• Dry them like you mean it. My first homemade batch went limp and spat oil everywhere because I rushed this part. Now I roll the fries up in a towel and pat until they feel dry to the touch.
• Don't skip the freeze. Freezing the par-fried fries is how the fluffy middle and glassy shell happen. It also means you can make a big batch on Sunday and fry a few handfuls midweek.
• Watch the thermometer, not the clock. Small batches keep the oil near 325°F and 375°F. Crowd the pot and the temperature crashes, and you get greasy, pale fries.
• Salt immediately. Fine salt sticks to hot fries with a light film of oil. Wait a minute and it just bounces off, so have the bowl and salt ready before the second fry.

For the rest of the lost menu, from the McDLT to McPizza, see my list of other discontinued McDonald's items.

1980s-Style Beef Tallow Fries (The Old-School Pot)

This is my take on the old style. Instead of the optional 1/2 cup of tallow in the card, it's almost all tallow, close to that old mostly-tallow blend. Same potatoes, same soak, same two fries at 325°F and 375°F, same salt. The only thing that changes is the fat.

• The fat: about 7 1/2 cups rendered beef tallow plus 1/2 cup canola oil, 2 quarts in total, in a heavy pot no more than half full.
• Melt it low: warm the tallow gently over low heat until fully liquid before you turn the heat up to 325°F for the first fry.
• Then follow the card exactly: soak, dry, fry at 325°F for 3 to 4 minutes, freeze, then fry again at 375°F for 2 to 4 minutes and salt right away.
• What to expect: the tallow batch smells richer and a little like a steakhouse, with a round, savory depth. In my batches they kept their crunch a little longer as they cooled. That part is a cook's impression, not lab science.
• Allergens: plain tallow is just beef fat, so these fries have no wheat or milk, but they are not vegetarian. If you're cooking for someone who avoids beef, use the canola version in the card.

Where to Get Beef Tallow (or Render Your Own)

You'll find rendered beef tallow in jars at a lot of grocery stores, or ask a butcher. It smells mildly beefy when it melts, it's very stable at frying temperatures, and once it cools it sets up firm again, which makes it easy to store.

To render your own, ask the butcher for beef fat trimmings, chop them small and melt them very slowly in a heavy pot over low heat for a couple of hours, until the bits are golden and the fat is clear. Strain it through a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth. Fresh tallow should smell mild. If it smells strongly beefy or a bit sharp before you even start, it's old.

• Store it: let the tallow cool completely in the pot on a back burner, strain it through a fine sieve into a jar and keep it in the fridge. You can fry in it again a few times. When it darkens or smells off, it's done.
• Never pour fat down the drain. Let it set, then put it in the trash.
• Fry safely: use a back burner with the handle turned in, keep a lid nearby, never leave hot fat unattended, turn the heat off if it smokes, and never put water on a fat fire.
• Air fryer version: toss the soaked, dried fries with 1 tablespoon of oil, or 1 tablespoon of melted tallow if you want the flavor, and air fry at 380°F for 15 to 20 minutes, shaking every 5 minutes.

Make-Ahead, Storing and Reheating

• Freeze a batch: after the first fry and freeze, bag the fries and keep them frozen for up to 3 months. Fry straight from frozen at 375°F.
• Leftovers: cool, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• Reheat: bake at 400°F for 5 to 8 minutes or air fry at 375°F for 3 to 4 minutes. There's a full guide in how to reheat McDonald's fries.

What to Serve With Copycat McDonald’s Fries

Make it a full drive-thru night at home with a copycat Big Mac or McDonald's chicken nuggets, and set out a few of our McDonald's dipping sauces. If you like dipping fries in something sweet, a copycat Oreo McFlurry is a very good idea. For more, browse all our McDonald's copycat recipes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What potatoes are best for McDonald's-style fries?

Russet potatoes are the best choice at home. They are high in starch and low in moisture, so they fry up crisp outside and fluffy inside. Look for long, firm russets with no green patches, and cut them about 1/4 inch thick for that thin shoestring shape.

Why soak fries in sugar water?

Soaking rinses away surface starch so the fries don't stick together, and the small amount of sugar helps them turn evenly golden in the short second fry. A splash of vinegar helps the sticks hold their shape. Thirty minutes is enough, and up to 2 hours in the fridge is fine.

Why do you fry French fries twice?

The first fry at 325°F cooks the potato through without browning it. The second fry at 375°F, after the fries have cooled or frozen, crisps and colors the outside fast. One fry at a single temperature tends to give you fries that are either soggy or burnt.

Can I make these fries in an air fryer?

Yes. Soak and dry the fries, toss them with 1 tablespoon of oil (or melted beef tallow for the old-school flavor) and air fry in a single layer at 380°F for 15 to 20 minutes, shaking every 5 minutes. They come out a little less crisp than deep-fried, but they're still really good with plenty of salt.

How do I reheat leftover fries?

Skip the microwave, which makes them soggy. Spread the fries on a sheet pan and bake at 400°F for 5 to 8 minutes, or air fry at 375°F for 3 to 4 minutes, until hot and crisp again. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.