Leftover McDonald’s French Fries Are the Secret Ingredient to This Savory Breakfast Recipe

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Justine Sterling | February 7, 2026 | Leave A Comment

mcdonald's fries breakfast hash

Credit: Liv Averett / Kraft / McDonalds

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Say what you will about McDonald’s, you can’t deny that the fries are perfection. At least, when they’re fresh. If you don’t finish those suckers in ten minutes, you’re left with super-salty, spongy potato straws. But wait! Don’t throw leftover McDonald’s french fries away! Stash them in the fridge and eat them for breakfast.

No, I’m not suggesting you eat cold fries for breakfast. I have a way to re-use those fries and restore them to their former glory while creating a brunch dish so good you’ll be ordering extra fries just to have more leftovers. Let’s talk about how to use McDonald’s french fries in a crispy, savory hash.

How to make breakfast hash with leftover McDonald’s french fries

First, chop up your leftover fries. Don’t worry about cutting uniform sizes. You’re about to eat leftover McDonald fries for breakfast. Let’s not be precious about this. Then, heat some oil or butter or bacon fat (!!) in a cast iron skillet. Cook, stirring, until the fry chunks are golden and crispy. It won’t take long. This is when this dish becomes a choose-your-own-adventure recipe, because the other components of your hash are up to you.

Mix-in ideas for McDonald’s french fries hash

Bell pepper: Red, yellow, green? It doesn’t matter! Whatever you’ve got in the fridge will work!

Onion: You know you’ve got some leftover onion butt in your fridge, just begging to be used up.

Mushrooms: Saute these up ahead of time so you’re not left with rubbery, nearly raw mushrooms in your hash.

Bacon: Make it first so you have that good, good bacon grease to cook the fries in!

Leftover meat of any sort: Scraps of last night’s T-bone? That one sad hot dog? Deli meat you need to use up? The rest of your Big Mac? Chop it up and throw it all in!

How to finish your McDonald’s french fries hash

Stir your chosen ingredients together with your fries in the pan, then make a hole and crack an egg into it. Cook until done to your liking, then top with your choice of shredded cheese, green onions, and hot sauce.

Ta-da! You’ve helped fight food waste! Who knew saving the world could be so tasty?

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About the Author

Justine Sterling

Hi! I’m the editor-in-chief of Sporked. I will never turn down a fresh-shucked oyster but I’ll also leap at whatever new product Reese’s releases and I love a Tostitos Hint of Lime, even if there is no actual lime in the ingredients. Why you should trust me: I have been writing about food and beverages for well over a decade and am an avid at-home cook and snacker. I began my career writing about fine dining and recipes, moved into cocktails and spirits, and now I talk about groceries. If you can eat it or drink it, I’ve probably written about it. What I buy every week: Trader Joe’s dried okra. Appleton Farms prosciutto from Aldi. Some sort of Trader Joe’s cheese (I’m into the aged gouda at the moment). Frozen waffles (usually the Eggo Cinnamon Toast Minis). Spindrift water (loving the Cosmopolitan right now). Favorite ranking: Smoked salmon. Imagine me as Scrooge McDuck but instead of coins I’m diving into a vault of slippery smoked salmon slices. Pure joy. I also found some real steals in that taste test! Least favorite ranking: Canned oysters. I had such high hopes for this but it quickly became a chore. The kitchen smelled like an uncleaned aquarium.

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