You Can Buy McDonald’s Fries at Walmart

The Golden Arches is home to some of our favorite fast food goodies, and perhaps none is more iconic than McDonald’s French fries. They’re consistently ranked among our favorites, thanks to their hot, crispy exteriors dusted with just the right amount of salt, creating potato perfection. And when there’s something that delicious, it’s always tempting to try to replicate it at home.

While making French fries from scratch at home is doable, it requires some time and effort. That’s part of the reason we were so excited to see a recent post from @chefmikeharacz, a former corporate McDonald’s chef, on TikTok. In the video, Haracz says you can actually buy the fries McDonald’s uses at Walmart.

How to Make Fries From Walmart Taste Like McDonald’s

In the video, the chef says that you specifically have to buy Great Value Thin Cut French Fried Potatoes from Walmart. In comparing the ingredient statements from Great Value and McDonald’s, Haracz found the fries to be nearly identical.

But, this isn’t as simple as picking up a bag from the freezer section at Walmart, cooking the fries according to the package instructions, and getting a magically McDonald-ish fry. You’ll need to do a few things in addition.

1. Deep-fry the frozen fries: There are no instructions for deep frying on the bag, so you’ll have to explore the best method through trial and error. “I would recommend deep frying at about 360 to 370 degrees F for maybe about 2 minutes,” Haracz said, “But there are a lot of variables depending on what fryer you have.” One helpful hint: Don’t overload your fryer basket. Fry the French fries in small batches until they reach the color you want.
2. Salt French fries immediately after frying: After you fry the French fries, season them immediately with salt. The key to keeping your fries as similar to McDonald’s comes down to the salt you use. Haracz recommends using Morton’s salt, as that’s what McDonald’s uses.
3. Add beef tallow to your frying oil: McDonald’s adds beef flavor to its fryer oil, according to the chain’s ingredient statement. To replicate McDonald’s French fries, Haracz advises you to add 2 tablespoons of beef tallow per 2 cups of frying oil. If you really want to gild the lily, you can fry the French fries in all beef tallow as McDonald’s did before the '90s.

Now all you need to do is pick up a bag of copycat McDonald’s chicken nuggets, and you’re ready for an at-home fast food feast, no drive-thru visit necessary.