McDonald’s Fries Price, Calories & Sizes (2026)
McDonald’s World Famous Fries come in Small, Medium and Large, plus a Kids size in Happy Meals. This guide compares every size on price, weight and calories, explains what’s in them (including the beef flavor that surprises many people), and shows which size gives you the most fries for your money.
McDonald’s Fries Prices by Size
Small fries typically cost $1.89 to $3.49 (under $3 at restaurants on the Under $3 menu), Medium fries $3.49 to $4.19 and Large fries about $5.39. Kids Fries come only in a Happy Meal.
*Prices are set by each restaurant. Prices shown are typical US prices reported online in October 2026, not prices from your restaurant; your local price can be higher or lower. “—” means we don’t have a reliable price yet. Nutrition: McDonald’s USA official data.
Many restaurants also sell 2 Large Fries as a bundle for about $6.29, far less than two single large orders. See it in our family bundles guide.
Which McDonald’s Fries Size Is the Best Value?
A Large fries is the best value at typical prices: about $3.25 per 100 g, against $3.52 for a Medium and $3.45 for a Small. A Large holds roughly twice the fries of a Small.
| Size | Typical price | Approx. weight | Price per 100 g | Calories per $1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small | $1.89–$3.49 | ~78 g | $3.45 | 86 |
| Medium | $3.49–$4.19 | ~109 g | $3.52 | 83 |
| Large | $5.39 | ~166 g | $3.25 | 89 |
The exception is a restaurant on the Under $3 menu, where a Small can drop below $3 and two Smalls may cost about the same as one Large. Check both prices in the app.
Weights are approximate serving weights based on McDonald’s nutrition data; actual fill varies by restaurant.
McDonald’s Fries Calories and Nutrition by Size
McDonald’s fries have 110 calories in a Kids size, 230 in a Small, 320 in a Medium and 480 in a Large. They have no trans fat and no cholesterol, and even a Large has only 400 mg of sodium, less than most sandwiches.
| Size | Calories | Fat | Sat. fat | Carbs | Fiber | Protein | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kids (Happy Meal) | 110 | 5 g | 0.5 g | 14 g | 1 g | 2 g | 90 mg |
| Small | 230 | 11 g | 1.5 g | 31 g | 3 g | 3 g | 190 mg |
| Medium | 320 | 15 g | 2 g | 43 g | 4 g | 5 g | 260 mg |
| Large | 480 | 23 g | 3 g | 65 g | 6 g | 7 g | 400 mg |
Calories by size
What to know
- Going from Medium to Large adds 160 calories, half a Small fries.
- Ordering with no salt cuts the sodium.
- Fries list 0 g of sugar; the dextrose coating is used only for color.
McDonald’s USA nutrition data.
What Are McDonald’s Fries Made Of?
McDonald’s US fries are made from potatoes, a vegetable oil blend, natural beef flavor, dextrose, sodium acid pyrophosphate and salt. The potatoes are mainly Russet Burbank and Shepody varieties.
| Ingredient | Why it’s there |
|---|---|
| Potatoes | Russet Burbank, Shepody and other russet varieties chosen for long, even fries |
| Vegetable oil (canola, corn, soybean, hydrogenated soybean) | Used to par-fry the potatoes before freezing and to cook them in the restaurant |
| Natural beef flavor | Adds the familiar savory taste; made with hydrolyzed wheat and hydrolyzed milk as starting ingredients |
| Dextrose | A simple sugar that helps every fry brown to the same golden color |
| Sodium acid pyrophosphate | Keeps the potatoes from turning gray |
| Salt | Added after frying; you can ask for none |
From McDonald’s USA ingredient statement for World Famous Fries.
Are McDonald’s Fries Vegan, Vegetarian or Gluten-Free?
No. In the US, McDonald’s fries are not vegan, vegetarian-certified or gluten-free, because the natural beef flavor in the frying oil is made with milk and wheat derivatives. McDonald’s lists wheat and milk as their allergens.
Vegan
Not vegan: the beef flavor contains milk derivatives, and McDonald’s doesn’t say whether it contains meat.
Gluten-free
Not gluten-free: hydrolyzed wheat is a starting ingredient of the beef flavor.
Other countries
Recipes differ abroad. In the UK and several other markets, fries are made without beef flavor and are suitable for vegans.
McDonald’s cooked its fries in a beef tallow blend until 1990, when it switched to vegetable oil and added beef flavoring to keep the taste. In 2002 it paid $10 million to settle lawsuits claiming the fries had been marketed as vegetarian.
How McDonald’s Fries Are Made
McDonald’s fries are cut, blanched, par-fried and frozen at supplier plants, then finished in the restaurant fryer. The process has been the same idea since the 1960s, when frozen fries replaced fresh-cut potatoes.
- Grow and store. Russet potatoes are cured in storage so sugars turn to starch, which gives a fluffy inside.
- Cut and blanch. Potatoes are peeled, cut into long strips and briefly blanched in hot water.
- Dip. A dextrose and sodium acid pyrophosphate solution evens out color.
- Par-fry and freeze. The fries are partly cooked in oil, flash-frozen and shipped to restaurants.
- Finish and salt. In the restaurant they’re fried for a few minutes, drained and salted right before serving.
Lamb Weston is one of McDonald’s main US fry suppliers; J.R. Simplot began supplying frozen fries in 1967. McDonald’s removed trans fats from its US frying oil in 2008.
McDonald’s Fries Deals
The cheapest ways to get McDonald’s fries are the Under $3 menu, the Meal Deals and app offers.
| Deal | What you get | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Under $3 menu | Small fries for under $3 | Participating restaurants |
| $5 / $6 Meal Deal | Small fries with a McChicken or McDouble, 4 McNuggets and a drink | Limited time, no end date |
| Free medium fries with $1 purchase | Weekly app offer for Rewards members | Ran until October 4, 2026 |
| 2 Large Fries bundle | Two large fries for about $6.29 | Many restaurants, in the app |
| MyMcDonald’s Rewards | Redeem points for free fries | Ongoing |
See every value offer in our McDonald’s value menu guide.
How to Get Hot, Fresh McDonald’s Fries
A few simple requests make a big difference to fries.
- Ask for no salt. Unsalted fries are cooked fresh; add salt packets yourself.
- Order at a busy time. High turnover means shorter holding times.
- Eat them first. Fries lose crispness within minutes as steam softens them.
- Reheat in an air fryer. About 3 to 4 minutes at 375°F brings back the crunch; a microwave makes them limp.
McDonald’s Fries FAQ
Are McDonald's fries available at breakfast?
Usually not. Most restaurants serve Hash Browns at breakfast and start the fries when the lunch menu begins, around 10:30 or 11 a.m.
How many fries are in a Large?
There's no fixed count. A Large weighs roughly 160 g, about twice a Small, but the number of fries depends on their length.
Why do McDonald's fries taste different now?
Most changes come from the 1990 switch from beef tallow to vegetable oil with beef flavoring. Taste also varies with oil age and how long fries sit.
Can I get fries without salt?
Yes. Ask for no salt at the counter or choose it in the app; the fries are usually made fresh.
Do McDonald's fries contain sugar?
They list 0 g of sugar per serving. A small amount of dextrose is applied before freezing to even out color.
How We Checked This Post
- Official menu: McDonald’s USA Fries & Sides menu
- Nutrition, ingredients and allergens: McDonald’s USA product data for each fries size and Kids Fries
- History and process: Wikipedia’s sourced history of McDonald’s french fries and McDonald’s own descriptions
- Deals: McDonald’s US Deals page
- Prices: typical US prices reported online in October 2026; your restaurant sets its own price
Menu Facts USA is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by McDonald’s Corporation. World Famous Fries and related names are trademarks of McDonald’s. If you have a food allergy, confirm ingredients with your restaurant before ordering.
