The best frozen french fries are (almost) restaurant quality, whether you cook them in the air fryer or the oven. In fact, many restaurants even use frozen french fries. Honestly, fresh cut fries are hard to get right and frozen fries are a lot less hassle to make at home. As a bonus, frozen fries tend to have a wonderful texture; most companies add starch, like potato or corn, to create an extra crispy coating.
But what are the best frozen french fries to buy? We did the hard work (read: ate lots of french fries) to find out.
Over the course of multiple taste tests, we ran the gamut of fry styles to find the best frozen fries in several categories. We found the best steak fries, the best crinkle cut fries, the best waffle fries, and even the best sweet potato fries. You’ll also find the best frozen curly fries and the best seasoned fries on this list.
We looked for texture, flavor, and seasoning that befits the style, but in general, the best french fries are crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside, whether you cook them in the air fryer or in the oven. (We cooked ours in the oven, but we imagine the best frozen fries for the oven are the best frozen french fries for the air fryer, too.)
In our most recent taste test, we re-evaluated some of the brands on this list and tasted some new-to-us frozen french fry brands, as well. In the end, we added just one new frozen french fry to this list: Steak ‘n Shake’s seasoned frozen fries. But one other brand proved itself worthy of a quick shoutout: Arby’s frozen crinkle cut fries. They’re still not as good as our number one best frozen crinkle cut fry (they’re shorter and the ridges aren’t as deep) but the flavor is quite good, kind of like if McDonald’s made crinkle cut fries. If you’ve been curious about them, go ahead and give them a try.
And now, without further ado, our ranking of the best frozen fries. No matter what sort of fried potato product you have a hankering for (unless you want frozen tater tots; we ranked those separately), there’s something for you on this list.
- Alexia Crispy Rosemary Fries with Sea Salt
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The seasoning on these Alexia frozen french fries is really lovely. The rosemary adds an extra dimension of flavor, and the salt factor is nice, too. Alexia’s Crispy Rosemary Fries give off fancy, gastropub vibes but without any overpriced gastropub pretension. Sometimes you want a fancy fry. One of my favorite things to do at a nice restaurant is sit down at the bar and order a cold beer and some french fries with aioli. Pair these with some good mayo, and you can experience a little decadence right at home. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Roots Organic Sweet Potato Fries
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Sweet potato fries are great when you want a fried potato side that counts as a vegetable, complete with vitamins. These Roots Organic sweet potato fries are the best frozen sweet potato fries we tasted, largely because they taste the most like something you’d get at a restaurant, even if they don’t have the rustic, hand-cut look you’ll see pictured on the bag they come in. They’re flavorful and fresh tasting, and while they were good in the oven, they’ll be great in the air fryer. Frozen sweet potato fries should always be air fryer french fries to avoid limpness. —Gwynedd Stuart
Read the full ranking of the best sweet potato fries
Credit: Liv Averett / Ralphs
- Ore-Ida Extra Crispy Fast Food Fries
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Ore-Ida is a steady, trusted grocery store brand for fries. I’ve prepared them many times at home, and they rarely disappoint. These fries get really crispy, and they’re also really greasy—that’s a good thing. I think of them as the McDonald’s fries of frozen grocery store fries. I’ll say it again: crispy exterior, creamy interior. That’s the goal, and these nail it. While they rank seventh, they’re still damn good. If you have a hankering for fast food fries, these are the best frozen french fries out there. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Steak ‘n Shake Famous Crispy Fries Seasoned Potato Fries
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A new addition to our ranking of the best frozen french fries, these are some of the best frozen seasoned non-shaped fries we tasted. While they aren’t the shoestring-style fries for which Steak ‘n Shake is known, these crispy fries truly do taste like they were cooked in beef tallow (as Steak ‘n Shake fries now are). They’re richly flavorful. And the seasoning—a mix of paprika, garlic and onion powders, and other unnamed spices—is great. And it’s actually spicy. Will these fries transport you to Steak n’ Shake? Nope. (Unfortunate for us, since ours is about an hour and a half away.) But if you’re looking for classic fries coated in delicious seasoning, these are the best frozen fries to buy. —Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Kroger Crinkle Cut French Fried Potatoes
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Crinkle cut fries can be controversial—some people really don’t love them—but I’m a huge fan, especially when they have a luscious, creamy interior and a nice, crispy exterior. Set me up with a heaping pile of crinkle cut fries and a big ol’ dish of ranch dressing and I’m in my happy place. We were pleasantly surprised to discover that Kroger makes some of the best frozen french fries you can buy if you’re similarly into crinkles. These cook up golden brown in the oven and have a potatoey interior that’s creamy rather than grainy. The potatoes taste like they were soaked in salt water, so they aren’t at all bland. If you ever need to satisfy a craving for school lunch fare, these are the best frozen fries you can buy. —Gwynedd Stuart
Read the full ranking of the best crinkle cut fries
Credit: Liv Averett / Ralphs
- Red Robin Seasoned Steak Fries
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IIf you avoid steak fries because they’re too potatoey and bland, these seasoned steak fries inspired by Red Robin’s restaurant fries are the way to go. They are creamy inside, and the seasoning is salty and a little bit zesty, kind of like Lawry’s seasoning salt. The seasoned coating really flavors the whole fry. Sadly, these come in bags—not bottomless baskets like they do at the restaurant. —Gwynedd Stuart
Read the full ranking of the best steak fries
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Arby’s Seasoned Curly Fries
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These frozen french fries are nearly as good as actual Arby’s fries. They taste deep fried even when you cook them in the oven or air fryer. They are already saturated with delicious fryer oil. That greasiness is what we love about fast food fries, and Arby’s keeps that intact. These curly fries are well seasoned with onion, garlic, and a mix of other spices. These store bought frozen french fries are virtually the same product as what you get at an Arby’s restaurant, in my opinion. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Grown in Idaho Super Crispy Waffle Fries
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If you like a lot of dip on your fries—ranch or ketchup or some other french fry dip entirely—waffle fries are the way to go. But these Grown in Idaho Super Crispy waffle fries are also tasty enough to eat all on their own. We cooked these in the oven and they crisped up beautifully, but they would be great air fryer french fries, too. Other brands we tried relied on a starchy coating for crunch, but these don’t even need it. They’re earthy and potato forward and even have a little bit of skin around their edges. Take a big scoop of your favorite fry condiment with these suckers. —Gwynedd Stuart
Read the full ranking of the best waffle fries
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Grown in Idaho Hand Cut Style Fries
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Grown in Idaho (formerly Lamb Weston) is the king of frozen french fries. This is the brand my restaurant pals and chef friends swear by, and I completely understand why. Their fries are golden and delicious, well seasoned, crispy, and fatty. They use modified food starch (potato, corn, and tapioca) to achieve an extra layer of crust. The texture is also amazing—creamy on the inside, crispy on the outside. That’s how a good frozen french fry hits the mark. I’m also willing to bet these have been soaked and blanched, too. I can’t say enough good things about these perfectly executed fries. They’re the best frozen french fries at the grocery store. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
Best Herbed French Fries
Best Sweet Potato Fries
Best Fast Food Fries
Best Seasoned Fries
Best Crinkle Cut Fries
Best Steak Fries
Best Curly Fries
Best Waffle Fries
Best of the Best
Other products we tried: Ore-Ida Steak Fries, Checkers Famous Fries, Kroger Shoestring Fries, Kroger French Fries, Grown in Idaho Shoestring Fries, Whole Foods 365 Golden Crinkle Cut, Great Value Seasoned, Great Value Crinkle Cut, Market Pantry Thin Cut, McCain Quick Cook Waffle Fries, Great Value Waffle Cut Potatoes, Ore-Ida Golden Steak Fries, Great Value Steak Fries, Kroger Steak Fries, Season’s Choice Steak Fries, Ore-Ida Golden Crinkles, Ore-Ida Extra Crispy Seasoned Crinkles, Simple Truth Crinkle Cut Potato Fries, Great Value Crinkle Cut French Fried Potatoes
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