You Know The 'No Salt' McDonald's Fry Hack. Here's How To Make It Better

If you've ever pulled up to McDonald's excited for a big sleeve of fries only to find them soggy and poorly seasoned, you know how disappointing it can be. McDonald's fries are a wonderful treat when prepared correctly (and even placed second in a Tasting Table ranking of fast food fries), but considering how many are made at once, they're often left sitting out for a while before being handed to the customer. Clever McDonald's fans figured out how to get extra crispy fries by ordering them without salt, which forces the staff to make them fresh. However, many people don't like the fries without their signature salt, finding them too plain. Luckily, there's an easy fix for this.

After ordering the fries without salt, simply ask the employee handing you your food if you can also have an extra medium-sized cup and some salt packets. You can then dump the salt in the cup, add the sleeve of fries, and shake it around a bit. The freshly-made fries should still be hot and greasy enough for the salt to stick to them, meaning you now have fresh fries with a delicious layer of salt. Theoretically, this will taste just as good as their freshly-made salted fries, and you won't have to take a gamble on paying for wilted, soggy potatoes. In addition, the cup will fit in a car cupholder much more conveniently than the regular fry sleeve, making it easier to enjoy a snack on the go.

There are tons of ways to upgrade fast food fries, and besides making sure they come hot and salty, you can do plenty of other things to really enhance the flavor. For instance, one popular trick is to order honey packets with the fries, creating a delectably salty and sweet combination. It can work as a little dessert, a snack, or as a great pairing for a savory meal. If you love combining salty and sweet flavors, you could also take a page from Wendy's book and dip your fries in a milkshake. While the McDonald's McFlurries don't have the same consistency that makes the popular Frosty so dippable, their milkshakes are fair game if you want to give your fries a hit of that sweet, cold chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla taste.

If you really love Wendy's fries but are craving a Big Mac, you can also mimic their taste in McDonald's fries by using sea salt. You'd need to bring your own sea salt, though, meaning this hack takes a bit of pre-planning, but it's simple enough to order your fries without salt, get a cup, and dump your own sea salt into it before shaking them up. With a handful of honey-coated, fresh McDonald's fries and sea salt, you'll forget you're even eating fast food.