Menu Prices AUMcDonald’s-Style French Fries at Home
McDonald's copycat · ⏱ 70 mins · Difficulty: Medium · Serves 4 · By Sophie Bernard
Thin russet sticks, sugar-water soak, double-fried and salted the second they leave the oil. The real Fries (Small) are $3.85, 1,300 kJ. Copycat method adapted from RecipeFairy and The Cozy Cook McDonald’s fries copycats (updated Oct 2026).
The Original
Fries (Small)
Price: $3.85 (pickup)
Energy: 1,300 kJ (311 cal)
Open the real dish page →
Ingredients
Home-kitchen amounts for 4 — standard home-cooking quantities for this dish, not the chain’s recipe (chains do not publish theirs). Difficulty: Medium.
- 1 kg russet potatoes (about 4 medium)
- 2 litres cold water
- 1 tbsp white sugar
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- Vegetable or peanut oil, for deep-frying
- 1 tsp fine salt, to finish
- ½ tsp sugar and a pinch of white pepper, to finish (optional)
Method
- Peel the potatoes and cut into thin sticks about 6 mm wide. Rinse, then soak in the cold water with the sugar and vinegar for at least 30 minutes (up to 2 hours) to wash off surface starch.
- Drain and pat the sticks completely dry — wet fries spit and go soggy.
- First fry: heat the oil to 165°C and fry in small batches for 3–4 minutes until soft and pale. Lift out and drain.
- Spread on a tray and freeze 30 minutes (or chill well) — this is the step that makes them crisp.
- Second fry: heat the oil to 190°C and fry straight from the freezer in small batches for 2–3 minutes until golden. Salt the second they come out. Tip: salt immediately, while the oil is still glistening — once the fries cool the salt will not stick, and fry in small batches or the oil temperature crashes and they go limp.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How close is this to the real Fries (Small)?
This is a home-kitchen copycat, not the chain’s recipe — the chain does not publish its recipe. It is built to sit beside the original: the real Fries (Small) is $3.85 for pickup with 1,300 kJ (311 cal). Compare the two before you cook — the home version trades the chain’s equipment for a frypan and an oven.
How long does it take, and how hard is it?
About 70 minutes, rated Medium difficulty, serving 4.
What do I need to make it?
The ingredients are listed below — starting with 1 kg russet potatoes (about 4 medium), 2 litres cold water, 1 tbsp white sugar, and 4 more. Quantities are home-kitchen amounts, written to serve 4.
What does the original cost at McDonald's?
The real Fries (Small) is $3.85 (pickup), 1,300 kJ. Prices vary by location and delivery is higher.
Where can I check the original dish?
On its own dish page — open the Fries (Small) at McDonald's page for the price, kJ and calories.
Is this recipe the chain’s official recipe?
No — no Top 10 chain publishes its recipes. Every recipe on this site is a copycat written from the dish’s published description and the home-kitchen method below, and the comparison box shows the real dish’s price and kJ so you can judge it yourself.
Written & checked by Sophie Bernard
Sophie reads every menu directly from each chain’s official Australian ordering site and records the store and price basis on the page. No price is published without a source.