11 Frozen French Fry Brands, Ranked Worst To Best

It seems like you can find almost anything in the frozen food aisle these days. Whether those foods will actually taste any good once they've been reheated, though, is a toss-up. One frozen dish that never disappoints, though, is french fries. They're easy to keep on hand to use as a simple side dish, and they crisp up nicely in the oven and are one of the best uses for your air fryer. But with so many different frozen fry brands on the market, how do you know you're getting the best one?

You may think that all french fries are created more or less equally, considering that they're ultimately just potatoes. If you think this way, though, you're wrong. There are actually many small but noticeable differences among the different fry brands out there, so it pays to know which brands are worth seeking out and which are better left in the store freezer.

I've tasted fries from 11 different brands to assess how they stack up against each other. Although many of these products are quite similar to one another, they have enough differences to rank them from worst to best. I tried to choose the simplest version of these brands' fries when possible, and I evaluated each based on flavor and texture. Keep reading to get the 411 on which french fry brands you should try next time you're craving a fast food-style meal at home.

Look, I'm a big Trader Joe's fan, and I find myself at the store several times a week. There are some Trader Joe's products you simply can't find anywhere else, and there's a reason those products are so popular. But when it comes to something as simple and ubiquitous as fries, you're probably better off finding them somewhere else. Trader Joe's Handsome Cut Potato Fries aren't bad, per se, but they're definitely not the best out there. They come with seemingly barely any salt, which means they'll need a generous sprinkling of seasoning before you actually plate them.

But that's not the biggest problem these fries face. After all, a lot of the fries on this list are undersalted. The main issue, rather, is that they just don't get that crispy. If you fall under the rare category of people who don't care that much about the crispiness of their fries, then maybe that isn't a problem. But for the rest of the people who are looking for some crunchy texture in fries, there are definitely better options available.

Whole Foods 365 brand doesn't always boast the most delicious products on the market, but it's usually decent when it comes to super basic versions of ingredients that are used on a regular basis. The brand's Organic Straight Cut Fries are no different. These fries are about as simple and basic as they come. They get slightly crispy (although not as crispy as I'd prefer) sans that battered texture that some of the fries on this list happen to have. That's partially why they don't get that crispy, which takes a few points off of this brand for me.

The main issue with these fries, though, is the fact that they're completely unsalted. Now, that could be a good thing if you don't like a lot of salt on your fries or if you're watching your salt intake because of health reasons. But when it comes to flavor, it's definitely a negative. You'd probably have to add a small amount of oil just to get that salt (and/or other seasonings) to stick to the fries. Without some additional work on your part, the result is fries that taste super plain and boring. Of course, if you're treating your fries as an ingredient to enhance with spices and condiments, these fries aren't a bad option. But if you want to eat them straight out of the bag after you cook them, you should seek out other fry brands first.

If you're a regular Whole Foods-goer, you may have seen Strong Roots products before. The brand's Crispy Skinny Fries isn't a bad option, but they're far from my favorite, either. To me, the name of the product is somewhat misleading. First of all, these fries are not that skinny — in fact, many of the other french fries on this list were much, much thinner than these. That's not to say that a thicker fry is necessarily a bad thing, but if you were specifically looking for thin fries and purchased these, you might find yourself a bit disappointed. Additionally, they didn't crisp up much in the air fryer (probably because of their thickness). Again, they didn't taste bad at a softer texture, but the product name doesn't exactly do it justice.

Flavor-wise, these fries are just okay. Essentially, they taste like plain potatoes without much else going on. That means this product is definitely worth a try if you want fries that taste closer to homemade without having to do all the work of peeling and chopping potatoes to make fries from scratch. But if you're looking for more of a fast food fry experience, then this probably isn't the right product for you.

Some people prefer their french fries to be more processed and look less like an actual potato. Others, though, want something that feels a bit more natural. If you fall into the latter camp, then you may want to check out Alexia Organic Yukon Select Fries. First of all, I love that these fries are made with Yukon Gold potatoes, which are, if you ask me, some of the best potatoes out there. And you can actually taste the flavor of Yukon Golds in every single fry since these seem relatively unprocessed. They taste like plain potatoes, and they have a rustic quality to them since the skin is still intact.

That being said, they're not the most flavorful fries of the bunch, and they tasted a bit dry. If you want them to taste as good as possible, it makes sense to use a lot of seasonings and perhaps even a bit of additional oil. For all those who want a more natural-looking and -tasting fry, though, this is a solid option.

Most of the fries I covered on this list are not pre-seasoned, with the exception of some salt, but there are a few expectations. Checkers and Rally's Famous Seasoned Fries are one of them. However, these were the seasoned fries I liked least out of all I tried. Despite their reddish color that supposedly indicates a hefty sprinkling of seasonings, I didn't find them that flavorful at all. They definitely have a distinct peppery note to them, but that's about all I noticed in the flavor department. These fries are surprisingly bland, considering they're literally advertised as seasoned fries.

Texture-wise, though, these fries certainly aren't bad. Although they're not quite as crispy as some of the other fry options on this list, they have a nice crispiness to them that doesn't require any extra oil. Could they be a bit crispier? Sure. But overall, I don't think I would be disappointed in them if I hadn't tried them with so many other types of fries — some of which excelled.

When you first look at Lamb Weston Hand Cut Style Fries while they're still frozen, you might be concerned about them turning out a bit soggy since they're at that weird halfway point between thick and thin. But in reality, these fries have a great texture. They're nice and crispy, even despite the fact that they're not very thin. Although they're quite soft on the inside, the exterior of the fries develops a nice texture that keeps things interesting.

They are also nicely in between natural-style fries and the more processed variety. The edges of the fries still have some skin on them, so you feel like you're getting a more rustic cut, but there aren't really any corner pieces that have a lot of skin on them. Truthfully, these are decent fries, but because they fall in the middle of the pack, they're easy to forget. Regardless, most fry lovers are not going to be disappointed if they pick up a package of them.

There are plenty of basic french fries out there, but McCain Craft Beer Battered Fries is not one of those products. If you want fries that are more classic or traditional, these may not be for you. On the other hand, if you're searching for fries that really prioritize texture above all else, then you've come to the right product. These beer-battered fries have a delicious crispy coating that goes way beyond an average level of crispiness. It's not just the potato itself that's getting crispy — rather, the beer batter adds another layer of texture that gives these fries a special crunch.

So, why are they not ranked higher on this list? Well, that's because they're somewhat lacking on the flavor front. They definitely don't have a lot of salt on them, which could really make that interesting texture pop. That's not too big of a deal since you can always add more salt on your own, but their slightly bland flavor bars them from a higher fry rank.

Ore-Ida is one of the more recognizable french fry brands on the market. Those bold red bags are hard to miss when you're browsing the frozen foods aisle, so chances are, you've tried these fries before. This brand offers many different cuts of fries, but I chose to review its Crispy Shoestrings. As a regular Ore-Ida consumer, I think this is definitely one of the brand's best offerings, and it certainly doesn't disappoint in this taste test.

Admittedly, these fries aren't for everyone, but if you like super thin, crispy fries that taste like they came straight out of a fast food joint, then you're probably going to enjoy them. In fact, out of all the frozen french fries I've had before, I think these are the ones that taste most like McDonald's fries (although you will have to add a bit of salt to achieve that exact flavor profile). Of course, that means that they don't necessarily taste like the highest-quality fries out there, but the fast food nostalgia they evoke means that they're still one of my go-to frozen potato products.

Obviously, seasoned fries are going to come in ahead of many others on this list specifically because they boast more flavor than their less-seasoned counterparts. But Red Robin Seasoned Steak Fries have earned the top-three spot on this list not because of its texture, per se, but because of that seasoning, so keep that in mind when you're doing your own frozen french fry shopping. These seasoned fries are just salty enough and otherwise very well-seasoned. That seasoning isn't overwhelming, but it's just flavorful enough to keep things interesting.

The fries themselves are much different than any of the others on this list because they're steak fries. I'll be the first one to admit that steak fries aren't really my thing — they're too thick for my taste, and they tend to be on the soggier end of the spectrum, almost entirely lacking any crispiness at all. That being said — for steak fries, I think these have a nice texture, with a density and heartiness that'll have you feeling full in no time. And if you already love steak fries, then these are a must-try.

I wasn't expecting to like Signature Select's Extra Crispy Fast Food Style Fries as much as I do. That's because this store brand is really hit or miss. Some of the brand's products are downright bad, made with cheap ingredients, and somehow missing the complexity of their brand-name counterparts. But when it comes to fries, Signature Select obviously knows what it's doing. These fast food-like fries are seriously delicious, with a crispiness that's evident even when you don't put them in the air fryer for long enough. They almost have a crust to them that goes beyond what a basic roasted potato can offer. In that way, the "extra crispy" moniker is definitely accurate.

But what really shines about these fries is the fattiness. They taste a bit richer than the other fries on this list, which is probably what makes them feel more like a fast food treat. That extra touch of fat means they taste better, and they also hold onto salt well if you want to add a bit more to the recipe. And since they're comparatively affordable, they're absolutely worth a try.

Finally, we've come to the most delicious fries in the lineup. I'm usually not big on curly fries, and I don't particularly even like Arby's, so I wasn't expecting much from the frozen version of the fast food chain's fries. But I was surprised to realize that these were actually the best of the whole group. First of all, the shape is fun, if nothing else. But they're also super crispy — crispier, in fact, than most of the other advertised, supposedly crispy fries on this list. A slightly crunchy coating adds another layer of texture to the mix.

But it's not all about the texture. These are seasoned fries, of course, which means they pack a lot more flavor than the vast majority of fries out there. Of course, they may not be seasoned to everyone's taste, but if you like super flavorful, ultra salty, almost umami-tasting fries, then this is a product you should check out the next time you're searching for an easy side dish.

I chose these french fries based on local availability. When possible, I tried to pick the plainest version of each available brand, although that wasn't an option with several of the seasoned varieties. I cooked all of these fries in the air fryer long enough to achieve a crispy texture and tasted all of them at the same time, one after another. The criteria for this ranking considered both flavor and texture equally. More flavorful and texturally interesting fries ranked higher than blander, soggier varieties.