This Is the Only Way to Get Fresh Fries at McDonald’s Every Time

Because nobody wants soggy fries.

mcdonalds friesenchanted_fairy/Shutterstock

You might not go to McDonald’s when you’re looking for farm-fresh fare, but you’d at least hope your meal hasn’t been sitting around for hours before you ordered. Fast food relies on some time-saving techniques like making food ahead of time, then keeping it warm under heat lamps. The food is perfectly safe, but certain items just don’t taste the same after sitting out. Case in point: French fries.

After fries come out of the fryer, it doesn’t take much time for them to turn from hot and crispy to mushy and disappointing. But there is a simple request that will guarantee your fries are cooked fresh every time—and it even has a health perk.

“If you order a burger or fries always ask them without salt or the seasoning on the burger,” a former McDonald’s employee wrote on Reddit. “They will have to make them fresh since they always put each on them.” Other fast food workers echoed that you can ask for any item to be made fresh (with or without salt) and the employees will dish up a made-to-order meal. Learn more facts you never knew about McDonald’s fries.

Getting fresh-made fries could tack an extra five minutes onto your wait time, but it’s worth it for the piping-hot pack you’ll have in front of you. As a bonus, asking for salt-free fries puts you in charge of your sodium intake. Limit the amount of salt you sprinkle on, and you can feel just a little bit better about your meal. Or go on and indulge with a handful of salt packets—we won’t judge. You won’t want to miss these 17 other things McDonald’s employees won’t tell you.

Marissa Laliberte
Marissa Laliberte-Simonian is a London-based associate editor with the global promotions team at WebMD’s Medscape.com and was previously a staff writer for Reader's Digest. Her work has also appeared in Business Insider, Parents magazine, CreakyJoints, and the Baltimore Sun. You can find her on Instagram @marissasimonian.