McDonald's Best-Selling Item Isn't A Meaty Burger

Step aside, Big Mac: it's time for the real star to have its moment! While the iconic McRib has caused quite the stir in recent years and the Snack Wrap will make its way back into our patient stomachs prettys oon, the true best-selling item is one that wasn't sold at McDonald's until nine years after it first opened its doors in San Bernardino, California. At the time it was a humble barbecue restaurant crafted by the two McDonald brothers. The coveted item that eventually became the fast food chain's top-selling food is none other than McDonald's French fries. Across the globe, McDonald's sells an impressive estimated 9 million pounds of fries each day, amounting to a whopping 3.29 billion pounds per year.

Initially added to the menu to replace potato chips as fries continued to gain popularity nationwide after WWII, McDonald's has stuck by this menu item ever since. With a variety of dippable sauces available, these fries serve as the perfect subtle salty base for highlighting McDonald's most delicious flavors. Funnily enough, despite how well these iconic fries pair with sauce, they were initially meant to be eaten solo. Ketchup was reserved for burgers and other meat products. However, after numerous customer requests McDonald's began to provide customers with a dipping cup (also known as a Dunk Cup) of ketchup upon request. As ketchup grew in popularity, these Dunk Cups paved the way for the debut of the now-common ketchup packets.

McDonald's French fries were initially not exactly vegetarian-friendly. The fries were cooked in a special frying oil called Formula 47, made primarily of beef tallow mixed with vegetable oil. This rich, buttery flavor became exceedingly popular, but by 1990, McDonald's switched to cooking fries in purely vegetable oil. This was largely due to rising health concerns, particularly due to one outspoken man who claimed beef tallow is why he suffered a premature heart attack. McDonald's quickly denied this claim, but made the change anyway. By 2007, the oil evolved again, this time with lower trans fat (though beef flavoring still remains in the mix). 

Even with the change in flavor, McDonald's fries have only grown in popularity since, besides an initial drop in stock after the company announced it was switching from beef fat to vegetable oils. Even with the temporary setback, French fries were McDonald's most popular order in every state in 2022 and for good reason. They pair well as a side for most McDonald's entrees and despite being frozen prior to frying, the end result still tastes pretty fresh. Try to get a made-to-order batch by requesting your fries without salt.