McDonald’s French Fries

When it comes to quick-serve fries, making a this coycat McDonald’s French fries recipe is one of my all-time favorites. But, what is it that makes these fries so good that you just can’t get enough of it? Is there a magic trick or a secret ingredient that McDonald’s use to create these popular fries?

It turns out, anyone can make them in their own home. That’s right. You can make a batch of McDonald’s crispy, delicious fries over and over again. There are, however, a few things to keep in mind when making them in your kitchen, such as frying them twice and soaking them in a brine.

So, let’s find out everything you need to know to make them at home.

How to Make McDonald’s French Fries

If you’re one of the millions McDonald’s French fries fans, then you’ve come to the right place. Even though you can always go to one of their restaurants and buy some, making them from scratch is without a doubt a better idea.

That’s because McDonald’s uses some unwanted ingredients in the process of making their fries, so a homemade version is a lot healthier for you. What’s more, you won’t have to bother traveling to their restaurants to get some of your favorite French fries as this recipe teaches how to make them in the comforts of your own kitchen.

So, what should you know about making your own McDonald’s French fries?

First things first, the type of potatoes you should use. The best type of potatoes is the one that McDonald’s use – non-GMO Idaho potatoes and Shepody potatoes.

Another thing to have in mind is the type of oil McDonald’s uses to make their crispy fries. Actually, they use four types of oil in the process – canola oil, soybean oil, corn oil, and hydrogenated soybean oil. Don’t worry, you won’t have to use all these types of oil in your homemade version of French fries, but only canola or vegetable oil and vegetable shortening for both rounds of frying, respectively.

Cutting the potatoes in the right shape, width, and length is a big deal when it comes to replicating McDonald’s French fries. Ideally, you’d want ½ inch thick strings and the best way to get them is to use a French fry cutter. You can also get this form by using a knife, although it’ll take you a bit longer.

Now that you have the right type of potatoes cut into the right thickness of strings, it’s time to make the brine. You’ll need corn syrup, cold water, white vinegar, and salt. The potato slices are soaked in the brine to eliminate the starch. This gives the perfect crispiness to your fries.

Another reason why the cold brine helps you to make perfectly crispy McDonald’s French fries is the sugar in it. It doesn’t allow your potatoes to soak up excessive amounts of oil during frying. The general rule is, the longer you let your potatoes soak in the brine, the better, so ideally you’d want to let them soak in the fridge overnight. Those are the reasons why McDonald’s uses a brine when making their crispy French fries.

McDonald’s French Fries

4 from 17 votes

Recipe by Laura Ritterman Course: SidesCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

12

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Soaking Time

120

minutes

Making homemade McDonalds’ french fries is no longer a secret with our in depth instructions. You can quickly be serving this recipe up in your own home today.

Ingredients

• Ingredients for the Brine

• ½ cup corn syrup or 1/3 cup sugar

• 8 cups 8 cold water

• 1 tsp. 1 white vinegar

• 3 tbsp. 3 salt

• Ingredients for the French Fries

• 4.5 pounds 4.5 Idaho potatoes, about 6 large potatoes

• ½ cup vegetable shortening

• 1 quart 1 vegetable oil

• Salt

Directions

• To make the brine, mix all ingredients and set it aside.
• Slice your peeled and rinsed potatoes into ½ inch thick strings using a knife or French fry potato cutter.
• Soak the potato slices in the brine and add as much cold water as needed to submerge them completely. Let them soak for 2 hours or overnight covered in the fridge.
• Rinse your potatoes with cold water once or twice and pat them dry.
• Fry the dried potatoes in batches in a preheated oil at 300°F for five minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the oil and put them on a plate lined with paper towels to remove excess oil.
• Once you add the vegetable shortening to the oil, increase the heat to 400°F and prepare for the second round of frying. Fry the potatoes in batches until they turn golden brown.
• Once again, place them on paper towels once removed from heat.
• Season with salt while still hot. Enjoy.

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Tips & Tricks

When it comes to the frying process, McDonald’s fries their potatoes twice for extra crispiness on the outside and heavenly softness on the inside. The perfect combination.

In case you make more McDonald’s French fries than you can eat, you can always store them and reheat them later.

However, you have to store them properly before reheating them. For that, you’ll need a freezer bag. Once your leftovers cool, put them in a freezer bag so that maximum air is removed and store it in the fridge. Leftover fries stored in this way can be reheated when wanted or needed by baking them at 350°F for ten minutes.

You can also flash freeze your leftover fries on a plate or baking sheet until sold. Pack them in a freezer bag and store them in the freezer. To reheat them, bake them in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 15 minutes, until they are warm and crisp once again.

Conclusion

The love for French fries is widespread, especially if it comes from McDonald’s. Their perfectly crispy, soft, and flavorful fries can be made in the comfort of your own home by knowing a few tips and tricks, and this copycat recipe explains everything. You also have the option of pairing them with our take on the homemade big mac, something everyone should try making once.

Get some Idaho potatoes and follow the instructions to make homemade McDonald’s French fries for your entire family. Serve them while still hot and store any leftovers as instructed. Bon Appetite.