Why Does McDonald's Salt Its Fries But Not Its Hash Browns?

The secret to the delicious flavor of McDonald's fries lies in the chain's meticulous frying and seasoning process. The result is one of the top fast-food spuds ever, especially when Golden Arches fries are blazing hot and sprinkled with just the right amount of salt. If you're a true fast-food connoisseur, you probably know that unlike McDonald's fries, the chain's hash browns come unsalted. If you've ever wondered why that is, a former insider at the restaurant is here to provide some insight.

Once a corporate chef and manager of culinary innovation at McDonald's, Mike Haracz addressed the sodium conundrum on TikTok. Apparently, the primary reason that only one potato product gets salted has to do with the composition of fries vs. hash browns. "Hash browns, tater tots, Pringle-type things" consist of "chopped, ground, grated potato," Haracz explained. This unique composition is precisely why Pringles aren't officially considered potato chips. As a result, the makers of these reconstituted potato products can "add salt to it and blend it through so that it is appropriately seasoned all the way through." Conversely, the chef said, french fries are essentially just sliced potatoes that have been fried in oil, which means they can't be thoroughly pre-seasoned like hash browns.

We should probably take a moment to discuss the similarities between McDonald's fries and hash browns. Both menu items use many of the same ingredients, including vegetable oil and dextrose for browning. Additionally, both potato products are enhanced with natural beef flavoring, one of the semi-secret ingredients that make McDonald's french fries so enticing. Still, sodium-obsessed patrons might wonder why McDonald's doesn't add extra salt to its pre-salted hash browns, much like a patron might request added salt on their fries. To this end, Haracz offers up a no-nonsense explanation. 

Haracz described the chain's hash browns as "delicate" and speculated, "If you toss [the hash browns] a bunch, they would probably break...little pieces would come off." As such, the pre-salting ensures that the spuds are flavorful and fully intact when they make it to the customer. If you'd like to infuse your breakfast spuds with a little more flavor the next time you're at McDonald's, pairing them with a sauce is key. In this case, check out our ranking of every McDonald's dipping sauce for some inspiration.