We Tried 10 Brands of Frozen Fries and You Can Buy the Winner at Target

I’m a huge fan of French fries and with six kids and a busy schedule, these crispy little potatoes are a regular feature at dinnertime in our household. And we’re not alone. According to National Geographic, the average American eats about 30 pounds of fries each year.

Although the majority of the French fries Americans eat come from fast food spots like McDonald's and Wendy's, making fries at home is cheaper way to go. And sure, you could make French fries from scratch, but I prefer to buy frozen French fries and either air fry them or fry them in Crisco when I want to give them a fast-food-at-home vibe.

When I'm shopping for frozen French fries I typically buy either Giant Brand or Rally's/Checkers, but I wondered which one would come out on top if I fried up a bunch of different brands and let my family do a taste test. To do just that, I bought 10 different bags of frozen French fries, fried them up and we all dug in. At the end of the tasting, we had greasy fingers, happy bellies and some insight into the best frozen French fries you can pick up at the grocery store.

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How We Tested and Ranked the Frozen French Fries

To choose the fries for this taste test, I looked for the French fries that were available in grocery stores near me, focusing on those that would be easy for others to find, too. For that reason, some of the fries are seasoned, some are organic and some are crinkle-cut.

Each batch was fried in Crisco to give it more of a fast-food or homemade quality. To make the taste test more doable for us, I divided the options into two tastings and fried up five options for each test.  did one batch of five, and then another batch of five and we took notes on each option.

I had four of my kids and my husband help me with this taste test, which meant there were a lot of opinions. We looked at the color, texture and flavor, and to do that we went without the ketchup for the first few bites.

Each fry was rated on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the lowest and 10 the highest. Some were immediate hits, and others caused some debate, but after some good-natured debate we were able to come up with our final ranking. As you'll see, my personal #1 landed at #3 because other members of my family preferred other options, so nobody's vote counted more than another's. There's a lot to love on this list, so take a read and see if your favorite made the cut.

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10 Frozen French Fries, Ranked Worst to Best

10. Season's Choice Crinkle Cut Frozen French Fries

This was the contender from Aldi, the fan-favorite grocery store. Aldi usually hits, but sadly, we were disappointed by these. These were supposed to be seasoned fries, but they were very bland and the texture was limp, even after frying. Other than the crinkle cut, they were very basic and everyone agreed they were the worst of the bunch.

Cost: $3.19 for a 32-ounce bag

9. Weis Quality Crinkle Cut Fries

My local grocery store is Weis and these crinkle-cut fries weren’t much better than the Aldi version. I think the texture was a bit nicer, but everyone agreed this brand of frozen fries deserved to be at the bottom.

Cost: $3.17 for a 32-ounce bag

8. 365 by Whole Foods Market Straight Cut French Fries

These were pretty bland and the texture was similar to McDonald’s fries that have sat under the heat lamp for a few hours. They weren’t mind-blowing and they tied with the Great Value fries toward the bottom of the list because we couldn't tell much difference between the two.

Cost: $3.19 for a 32-ounce bag

7. Great Value Regular Cut French Fried Potatoes

Walmart's Great Value fries were almost identical to the ones from Whole Foods, but I ranked them one spot above because of cost. When you have to feed a lot of kids, you want to get the most for your money!

Cost: $2.97 for a 32-ounce bag

6. Ore-Ida Extra Crispy Fast Food Fries

Ore Ida is a basic, but well-known brand for frozen fries, and these were surprisingly good. They're lightly salted and they remind me of the fries we get at the local burger stand near our house. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out they're the same ones that the sell there! They're also very close to homemade fries and are crispy outside and decently fluffy inside. Although these are a solid choice, they weren’t the best ones we tried, even after adding extra salt and ketchup.

Cost: $4.47 for a 32-ounce bag at Walmart

5. Alexia House Cut Fries

We got these Alexia fries at Target and they ranked slightly higher than the Ore Ida, but only because they were a little crispier. That may be because they were thinner than the Ore Ida fries, so if you like a thicker cut French fry, skip these. There were very basic fries—not great, not bad. They held the salt well and they had a fluffy inside that was pleasant.

Cost: $5.49 for a 28-ounce bag at Target

4. Checkers/Rally's Famous Seasoned Fries

Checkers has some of my favorite fast-food fries, and I love the frozen ones right out of an air fryer. I had never deep-fried them, though, and I really enjoyed it! These are flavorful and have a great crunch. My kids weren’t sold on them, though, so they didn’t rank as high as I thought they would.

Cost: $4.86 for a 28-ounce bag

3. Grown in Idaho Lamb Weston Hand Cut Style Fries

I found this option at my local Giant grocery store and they tasted just like a fresh batch of fries from Wendy’s—perfect crispy outside, fluffy inside, potato flavor that held salt. They were just exceptional for frozen fries. If you're a fan of Wendy's fries, stop here and head to the store so you can have these in your freezer at all times. These ranked at the top for me, but alas I got outvoted.

Cost: $5.39 for a 28-ounce bag

2. GIANT Crispy Fries

My kids didn’t agree with me, though, and they preferred these Giant brand fries, which I also got at my local Giant grocery store. They liked how crispy and dark they were, and they said they were fluffier inside than the Lamb Weston fries. I admit that these were really good, so I ranked them just a little higher than the Lamb Weston fries simply because my kids will eat them without complaining and they were cheaper.

Cost: $4.15 for a 26-ounce bag

1. Good & Gather Frozen Seasoned Crispy Potato Wedges

I am generally not keen on potato wedges, and neither are my kids, but these wedges from Target were the undeniable favorites. These were crispy on the outside and they had a perfect fluffy center. The seasoning was light and stayed on the potatoes during the frying process, and they were great with or without ketchup. If you want the ideal frozen fries, these are the ones! That said, they were also the most expensive based on the amount you get, so if you want more fries for less money, the Giant brand fries are your best bet.

Cost: $3.21 for a 16-ounce bag at Target

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