Frozen Fries Taste Test

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If you're a French fry fan—and really, who isn't?—then frozen fries from the grocery store are probably one of your go-to side dishes. The convenience of frozen French fries can't be beat. For most brands, all you need to do is pop them in the oven on a baking sheet.

Frozen fries may not qualify as health food, but the nice part about them is that you can count out the portion you want to eat or serve, then stick the rest back in the freezer for next time. With so many varieties, shapes and sizes of fries available at the grocery store, there's something to please everyone. But, which ones are the best and which ones should you pass up?

For my French fry taste test, I chose six popular brands from the grocery store freezer and cooked them all according to the instructions on the package in a conventional oven. Sure, I dipped each fry in some ketchup, but other than that, I did not alter the fries in any way. Spoiler alert: there were a couple of brands that were downright fantastic and one or two that I'd never buy again.

Read on for the top frozen fries money can buy—ranked from my least favorite to the absolute best—and see which ones are so lackluster that even a load of ketchup can't make taste good.

Bowl & Basket Seasoned Fries

bowl basket fries — Photos by Ronnie Koenig / Art by Jené Sena for Eat This, Not That!

Per serving (3 ounces): 140 cal, 7 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 240 mg sodium, 20 g carbs (2 g fiber, <1 g sugar), 2 g protein

The ShopRite brand of French fries demonstrated what can go wrong when selling a product pre-seasoned. Although there was clearly some stuff sprinkled on these fries, they were surprisingly bland. The fries were nice and long, so my kids could have a contest to see who had the longest fry, but beyond measuring these potatoes, I did not have any use for them.

Rating 3/10

8 Restaurant Chains That Serve the Best French Fries

Lamb Weston Super Crispy Crinkle Cut Fries

lamb weston fries — Photo by Ronnie Koenig / Art by Jené Sena for Eat This, Not That!

Per serving (3 ounces): 150 cal, 7 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 330 mg sodium, 21 g carbs (2 g fiber, 1 g sugar), 2 g protein

I had never heard of Lamb Weston before, but I've since learned that it's a huge company headquartered in Idaho that specializes in potato products. These French fries baked up to an unappealing yellow color. They were super crunchy out of the oven and while edible, they were not particularly tasty and reminded me of some fries you'd get at an amusement park or the bowling alley.

Rating 4/10

Nathan's Famous Jumbo Crinkle Cut French Fries

nathan's crinkle fries — Photo by Ronnie Koenig / Art by Jené Sena for Eat This, Not That!

Per serving (3 ounces): 100 cal, 3 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 20 mg sodium, 17 g carbs (2 g fiber, 1 g sugar), 2 g protein[/nutrinfo-black]

Sometimes a restaurant brand has trouble translating its product into the grocery store while keeping the original taste the same, but these <a rel="noopener noreferrer external" href="https

://nathansfranks.sfdbrands.com/en-us/products/snacks-and-appetizers/jumbo-crinkle-cut-french-fries-28-oz-bag/" target="_blank">crinkle cut fries from Nathan's Famous made me feel like I was on the boardwalk at Coney Island, ready to ride the Cyclone! (OK, maybe I'd do that before eating the fries.) In any case, these fries cooked up slightly greasy but had a nice "meaty" potato taste. My kids agreed that we should buy them again.

Rating

: 7/10 [slidetitle num="3"]Ore-Ida Golden Steak Fries[/slidetitle]

Photo: Ronnie Koenig / Art by Jené Sena for Eat This, Not That!

[nutrinfo-black]Per serving (3 ounces)

: 90 cal, 3 g fat (0.5 g saturated fat), 290 mg sodium, 14 g carbs (1 g fiber, <1 g sugar), 2 g protein

Thick, wedge cut fries are so good that they almost feel like a meal themselves, and these fries from Ore-Ida deliver big on taste. These babies baked up to a golden-brown color and are the perfect vehicle for ketchup or any dipping sauce of your choosing. I love how they are very potato-y but still full of flavor—and one serving is surprising low in calories!

Rating: 8/10

Alexia Crinkle Cut Sweet Potato Fries

alexia sweet potato fries — Photo by Ronnie Koenig / Art by Jené Sena for Eat This, Not That!

Per serving (3 ounces): 140 cal, 5 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 240 mg sodium, 22 g carbs (2 g fiber, 8 g sugar), 2 g protein

I love sweet potato fries and will always choose them on a menu if it's an option, and I buy these from Alexia on the regular. (I've tried almost all the Alexia varieties and this one is my fave). These fries are seasoned and have a nice kick to them. One caveat is that you have to cook them precisely and check them from time to time, lest you undercook and end up with a soggy fry, or overcook them and end up with something burnt. But if you get the timing right, these fries are pretty much perfection.

Rating: 9/10

McCain Seasoned Waffle Fries

mccain waffle fries — Photo by Ronnie Koenig / Art by Jené Sena for Eat This, Not That!

Per serving (3 ounces), 160 cal, 10 g fat (1.5 g saturated fat), 210 mg sodium, 19 g carbs (1 g fiber, < 1 g sugar), 2 g protein

While the fries in this package vary in size, most of them are big and they are just delicious to bite into. A waffle fry gives you great texture and lots of space for ketchup to seep in as you ferry the fry to your mouth. While some seasoned fries just taste overly salty, the seasoning on McCain Waffles Fries is just perfect—a little salty, slightly spicy, and downright yummy. Even my husband, who doesn't love French fries, commented, "I like these fries."

Rating: 10/10