I Asked 5 Chefs for the Best Frozen Fries, and Their Favorite Is a McDonald's Copycat

Yahoo

21-07-2025

This winner is "the real deal."
As much as we agree with Allrecipes member Joanna Guido, who believes Chef John's French Fries are "by far the best french fries I have ever made, and easier than you think," we're not too proud to admit that we always keep a bag of frozen fries in stock. Often, about once per week, they fly in to save the day when we're crunched for time and are in need of a quick side dish or snack.
Turns out, we're in great company. After connecting with chefs from coast to coast, we realized that they occasionally outsource the prep work, too. Food blogger and cookbook author MacKenzie Smith admits, "I totally eat them straight from my child's abandoned plate like a raccoon over a campsite trash can." (It's not our proudest moment, but same, MacKenzie. Same.)
Just because we farm out the scrubbing, slicing, and frying doesn't mean that we're willing to sacrifice on quality, though. When we're adding frozen fries to the menu, we want the best money can buy—and we think you deserve the finest fries, too. To help determine which brand is worth your buck, we asked popular chefs to dish about their favorites…and how to make them taste just as good as homemade or restaurant fries.
Our Panel of Fry-Rating Chefs
George Duran, a celebrity chef in New York City
Dina Deleasa Gonsar, the Whippany, New Jersey-based recipe developer behind Dish It Girl and the author of "At the Kitchen Sink"
Mary Payne Moran, chef and owner of The Silver Lake Kitchen cooking school in Los Angeles and the author of "The Vita Gang Mysteries: Who Stole Vita D?"
MacKenzie Schultz, a sous chef at Harbinger in Des Moines, Iowa
MacKenzie Smith, a New Smyrna Beach, Florida-based food blogger and author of "Grilled Cheese Social"
Qualities of the Best Frozen Fries
For all the chefs we spoke to, they're seeking a fry that's similar to what you can get from a fast food restaurant. "If they snap when you bite 'em but are still puffy inside, we're in," mom of two MacKenzie says.
The culinary pros agree that the best frozen fries check these boxes:
Real potato flavor. When it comes to frozen fries, celebrity chef George Duran looks for spuds that can impersonate from-scratch spuds. "I want them to taste like I didn't just pull them out of the freezer. In fact, I look for real potato flavor with a crispy exterior that doesn't require hours of work to achieve perfection."
Crispy exterior. Speaking of that surface area, it was the most important feature for our chefs. "I seek out frozen fries that I know I can get crispy no matter what," says sous chef MacKenzie Schultz. "Some frozen fries are battered or actually designed to be super crispy every time. I always splurge on those because most of the time, they are worth the extra buck or two." Thick-cut fries can be far more finicky than thinner ones, the chefs agree, so they reach for fries that are the sweet spot between steak and shoestring. "The fries must crisp up nicely in the air fryer or oven," MacKenzie Smith adds. "Let's be real, ain't nobody got time to bust out a deep fryer on a Tuesday!"
A short ingredient list. One easy-to-check factor that's a sign the potato flavor can really shine: a compact ingredient list. Recipe developer Dina Deleasa Gonsar avoids unnecessary additives and looks for a recipe that includes potatoes, salt and oil, and ideally, little or nothing else. Or, as chef and cooking school owner Mary Payne Moran explains, "Fries should not be overly sweet or loaded with a fake flavor."
Structural integrity. Since a big part of the fry-enjoyment formula involves dunking or smothering (We're looking at you, poutine!), George says the cooked fries must be able to "hold up to dips without disintegrating like a soap opera villain. If they turn to mush, it's a hard pass."
The Best Frozen Fries, According to Chefs
It was a remarkably close competition, but winning by a drop of ketchup, the best frozen fries are Alexia. They look and taste like potato sticks you'd make yourself, "not a mashup of processed boiled potato starch," George says. "These are the real deal," he adds. His family is particularly fond of Alexia's Organic Yukon Select Fries With a Touch of Sea Salt, which are just thick enough with a crispy exterior and a tender, fluffy interior. Mary and Dina agree.
George tells Allrecipes that they are pan-fried before seasoning. "So they don't need a seasoning to get crispy," he says. "Just pop them in the convection oven or air fryer and you're golden. Literally." Dina adores the fact that you can rely on the package directions for the oven or air fryer, which "consistently yield a crispy texture," she confirms. "And the seasonings they use are usually quite good."
Mary chimes in to compare these to those fresh-cut In-N-Out fries, since they're so unfussy and potato-forward. George thinks Alexia fries are akin to what McDonald's fries used to be. "Back in the 1980s, McDonald's fries felt like they came from actual potatoes," he reminisces. "One bite and you knew you had reached fried potato heaven. Since the '90s, McDonald's fries have changed into these engineered starchy spears that seem to have lost some of their spud glory. However, Alexia Yukon Fries are here to save the day."
Honorable Mention
Coming in a close second with two votes to Alexia's three, the runner-up in our best frozen fries competition is Ore-Ida Extra Crispy Fast Food Fries. MacKenzie Smith deems them the "gold standard" in her house. "They're basically the Michelin star of toddler-approved food," she says, because her kiddos think they taste like McDonald's. MacKenzie Schultz agrees, calling Ore-Ida a solid "McDonald's fry dupe!"
The "Extra Crispy" billing isn't a fib, MacKenzie Schultz verifies. They follow through on the promise of "having the luxury of having fast food fries in the freezer," according to the sous chef. "And who wouldn't want that?!"
If you follow the label directions (especially the air fryer method—chefs' favorite way to prep frozen fries), MacKenzie Smith says the fries "crisp up fast, don't require babysitting, and have a nice neutral flavor base. She adds, "They're perfect for loading up with flaky salt for me and my hubby and going easy for the kiddos. Everyone wins."
How to Upgrade Frozen Fries
While these fries are fabulous as-is, if you'd like to take them to "chef's kiss" territory, the pros suggest:
Transform them into Parmesan garlic truffle fries.
Dip them into sriracha aioli.
Load them up with melted mozzarella and gravy.
Pair them with homemade ranch.
Fry them in beef tallow or another flavorful fat.
Read the original article on ALLRECIPES
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