How to Make McDonald's French Fries

Co-authored by Amber Crain

Last Updated: October 21, 2020 References Tested

If you're craving McDonald's crisp, delicious French fries but aren't in the mood to leave your house, you can whip up your own version at home! To make a copycat version of their classic fries, you need a deep fryer and plenty of oil. If you want something a little healthier, try baking or air frying them instead. Be sure to serve your fries immediately with a little salt and your favorite condiments!

Ingredients

Deep Frying

2 large Idaho russet potatoes
1⁄4 cup (50 g) of sugar
2 tablespoons (30 ml) of corn syrup
1 1⁄2-2 cups (354-473 ml) of hot water
6 cups (1.89 kg) of shortening or canola oil
¼ cup (50 g) of beef lard
Salt (to taste)

Makes 4 servings

Baking

1-2 teaspoons (4-8 g) of salt
1-2 russet potatoes
1 teaspoon (5 ml) of extra virgin olive oil
Water

Makes 1 serving

Air Frying

Nonstick cooking spray
1 medium russet potato (about 6 ounces or 170 g)
1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) of olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

Makes 2 servings

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:
Deep Frying

1
Combine sugar, corn syrup, and hot water in a large mixing bowl. Measure out 1⁄4 cup (50 g) of sugar, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of corn syrup, and 1 1⁄2-2 cups (354-473 ml) of hot water and pour them into a mixing bowl. Stir the ingredients until the sugar dissolves completely.^{[1]
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2
Peel the potatoes and cut them into thin slices. Wash off the outside of the potatoes and use a vegetable peeler or sharp knife to remove the outer skins. Then, cut the potatoes into “shoestrings” that are about ¹⁄₄ inch (0.64 cm) wide and 4–6 inches (10–15 cm) long.^{[2]
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- Use a French fry slicer to cut the potatoes if you have one, but a knife works too—it just takes a little longer!
- Make the potato slices as uniform as possible so they cook evenly.^{[3]
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3
Put the potatoes in the bowl and refrigerate them for 30 minutes. Arrange the potato slices in the sugar mixture so they're completely covered. Pop the bowl in your fridge, uncovered, for about half an hour.^{[4]
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- Soaking forces the potatoes to release excess starch. Too much starch makes the fries stick together and they won't get crispy when you fry them.
- A 30-minute soak will do, but you can soak the potatoes for 8 hours or even overnight.^{[5]
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4
Put the shortening in your deep fryer and heat it to 375 °F (191 °C). Measure out 6 cups (1.89 kg) of shortening and pack it into your deep fryer. Turn the heat setting to HIGH and let the shortening heat up. Once the shortening liquifies and reaches 375 °F (191 °C), it’s ready to go!^{[6]
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- Use 4 cups (0.9 l) of canola oil instead of shortening if you prefer.^{[7]
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- Your deep fryer will have a thermometer or digital screen that displays the temperature.
- If you don't have a deep fryer, fill a deep pot or skillet with vegetable or canola oil and place it over medium heat. Clip a thermometer on the side so you can keep track of the oil's temperature.^{[8]
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5
Drain the potatoes with a colander and pat them dry with a paper towel. Put a colander in your sink and pour the potatoes into it. Shake the colander around a bit to get rid of any excess moisture. Then, pat the potatoes dry with paper towels.^{[9]
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6
Lower the potatoes into the hot oil and fry them for 60-90 seconds. If your deep fryer has a basket, place the fries into it and gently lower it into the hot oil.^{[10]
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- Follow the manufacturer’s directions about how much you can fry at one time. Depending on the size of your deep fryer, you may need to work in batches.^{[12]
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- Most deep fryers come with baskets. If yours didn’t, consider picking one up. Be sure to choose a basket that fits inside your fryer, though!
7
Remove the fries from the oil and refrigerate them for 8-10 minutes. Line a plate with a few paper towels. Then, lift the fry basket out of the hot oil and place the fries on the plate. Stick the plate of fries in your fridge to cool them.^{[13]
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- If you don't have a fry basket, or if you're using a pot instead of a deep fryer, use tongs or scoop the fries with a slotted spoon or spider strainer.^{[14]
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8
Add the lard to the fryer and heat it to 375–400 °F (191–204 °C). Measure out ¼ cup (50 g) of beef lard and drop it carefully into the hot oil. Keep the heat on HIGH and gently stir until the lard melts into the oil.^{[15]
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- Beef lard can add extra flavor, but using oil for the second frying is totally fine. Your fries will still turn out crisp and delicious.
- Double-frying French fries helps them get crisp and golden on the outside.^{[16]
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9
Fry the potatoes for 5-7 minutes until they’re golden brown. Take the fries out of your fridge and lower them back into the hot oil a second time. After the potatoes fry for about 5 minutes, check their color. Take them out when they look golden brown.^{[17]
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- If you need to, grab a fry with tongs and inspect it. It should be light golden brown and slightly darker on the ends.^{[18]
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10
Transfer the fries to a bowl and toss them with salt. Lift the basket out of the oil or grab the fries with tongs and transfer them to a large bowl. Sprinkle a generous amount of salt on them and toss the fries to evenly distribute it. Serve the fries immediately while they’re hot and crisp. Enjoy!^{[19]
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- If you want to experiment with seasonings or flavors, try sprinkling them with Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, or red pepper.^{[20]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:
Baking

1
Preheat your oven to 400 °F (204 °C). Work on prepping the potatoes while you wait. Be sure to let your oven heat up completely.^{[21]
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2
Peel the potatoes and cut them into thin slices. Rinse the potatoes off and remove the skin with a vegetable peeler. Then, cut the potatoes into thin slices that are about 4–6 inches (10–15 cm) long and ¹⁄₄ inch (0.64 cm) thick.^{[22]
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- You don’t have to be absolutely precise, but try to make the length and thickness as uniform as possible so the fries bake evenly.
3
Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat and salt the water. Fill a medium-sized pot with enough water to completely cover the fries. Put the pot on a burner, set the heat to HIGH, and bring the water to a rolling boil. Drop in 1 teaspoon (4 g) of salt.^{[23]
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- Boiling the potatoes first softens and partially cooks them. That way, they'll cook through completely in the oven and end up with a yummy, golden brown exterior.^{[24]
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4
Add the potatoes to the hot water and boil them for 2 ½ minutes. Use tongs to carefully submerge the potatoes in the boiling water. Once the time is up, place a colander in your sink and pour the potatoes into the colander to drain them.^{[25]
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- Give the fries about 5 minutes to drain and cool off.
5
Toss the cooled potatoes with olive oil and salt. Put the potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of extra virgin olive oil over them. Then, sprinkle ½ teaspoon (2 g) of salt on top and toss or stir the potatoes to distribute everything evenly.^{[26]
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6
Spread the potatoes out on a non-stick baking sheet. Dump the potatoes out of the bowl onto a baking sheet. Use your hand to move them around so they're in a single layer. Avoid overlapping the fries since this can prevent them from cooking evenly.^{[27]
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7
Bake the fries for 20-25 minutes until they look crisp and golden. Use an oven mitt to slide the baking sheet into the oven. After 10-15 minutes, flip the fries over with tongs. At the 20-minute mark, flip them once more. Take them out when they look golden brown and crisp.^{[28]
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- If the fries aren’t crisp enough after 25 minutes, bake them for another 5 minutes or so.
8
Enjoy the fries immediately with your favorite condiments. If you like your French fries plain, just add a little more salt and dig in! Serve the fries with your favorite condiments if you want to add a little extra flavor and zing. They’re delicious when they're hot and crisp, so enjoy them right away!^{[29]
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- To experiment with flavors, try sprinkling the fries with Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, red pepper, or sesame seeds.^{[30]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:
Air Frying

1
Preheat your air fryer to 380 °F (193 °C) and grease the basket. Set the temperature on your air fryer so it can start heating up. Spray the air fryer's basket generously with nonstick cooking spray.^{[31]
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2
Peel the potato and cut into ¹⁄₄ inch (0.64 cm) sticks. Rinse off the potato and remove the skin with a veggie peeler.^{[32]
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Research source} Slice the potato in half and then into ¹⁄₄ inch (0.64 cm) slices. Cut the slices down into ¹⁄₄ inch (0.64 cm) sticks.^{[33]
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- Feel free to leave the potato skin on if you want to.
3
Soak the potato sticks in water for 5 minutes. Put the potatoes in a bowl and cover them with water. Wait about 5 minutes so the potatoes can release excess starch. Drain them with a colander and pat them dry with a paper towel.^{[34]
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4
Toss the fries with olive oil and seasonings. Put the fries in a medium-sized bowl and drizzle them with 1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) of olive oil. Then, sprinkle them with kosher salt and several grinds of fresh black pepper.^{[35]
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- Feel free to adjust the seasonings to your liking.
5
Arrange the fries in a single layer in the fryer basket. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook your fries in batches. Don't let the fries overlap or they may cook unevenly.^{[36]
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6
Fry the potatoes for 14-16 minutes. Lower the basket or slide it into the fryer, depending on how your fryer works. Let the fries cook undisturbed for 7-8 minutes. Then, flip the fries and cook them for another 7-8 minutes until they get golden brown and crisp.^{[37]
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Serve the fries immediately with your favorite seasonings and condiments. The fries are best when they're fresh out of the fryer. Give them a couple of minutes to cool, toss them with more salt, and dig in!^{[38]
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- To customize your fries, try sprinkling them with Parmesan cheese or red pepper.^{[39]
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Community Q&A

Question

How do I heat them?

Skyler Kerney

Community Answer

You can bake them in the oven on a pan lined with aluminum foil. You can also fry them in a deep fryer or air fry them.