McDonald's Best-Selling Item Is A Classic For A Reason

Have you ever visited The Golden Arches? If you're American, the answer is probably yes. It's easy to see why. The iconic fast food chain has locations all across the nation (and the world), and lots of delicious, crispy menu items to boot (even the Sprite is crispy at McDonald's). Everyone has a favorite, from the tasty little Chicken McNuggets to the religiously rooted Filet-O-Fish and even the sauced and oft-reclusive cult classic McRib. There is no food at this global chain that doesn't inspire love in one corner of the world or another. With this in mind, one must wonder — what is the most popular menu item at McDonald's?

One might assume, based on McDonald's' beefy reputation, that a burger tops the list of most popular menu items. But you'd be wrong — it's the fries. The crispy, golden, salty fries have consistently ranked as the most popular menu item, though their status as top dog at McDonald's probably has something to do with them being the default side for most meals sold at the chain. Simply put: no matter what you order, you probably get fries. Of course, the crispy texture and delicious, savory taste also help.

Though french fries are now inextricably linked to the fast food Goliath that is McDonald's, they weren't the original spud side that accompanied the iconic burgers. Potato chips were, but they were swapped out for fries in 1949. Back in the 1950s, the french fries were made in-house, including the fries being cut on-site before other prepping and frying. Since then, of course, the chain's fry-making process has gone through some pretty major changes.

The fries are no longer cut in-house. In fact, the fries supplied to McDonald's restaurants are partially precooked before arriving at each location. Then, there's the oil. While the chain's fries were fried in flavorful beef tallow for a long time, the chain switched to vegetable oils in the 1990s due to backlash over health concerns regarding saturated fat in beef tallow. Still, the fries do maintain a beefy flavor thanks to added flavorings. Based on the side's enduring popularity, we'd say these crispy treats are still pretty darn delicious.