Wendy’s Totally Revamped Its Fries, And They’re Crispier Than Ever

Get ready for the crispiest hot potato bites you’ve ever chowed down on, because Wendy’s is changing up its French fry game. The Ohio-based chain recently revamped its fries to find a way to make soggy fries a thing of the past. If you’re wondering what makes Wendy’s new fries different from its previous recipe, here’s everything you need to know.

This new fry is a long time coming. According to Wendy’s, the chain spent several years perfecting its best recipe for its new Hot & Crispy French Fries. You can try them soon, as the new Wendy’s fries are coming to U.S and Canada locations are currently rolling out and will be in most locations by mid-September 2021.

Wendy’s new Hot & Crispy French Fries were created to retain heat and crispiness even when making the trek in a delivery order. According to Wendy’s, the company uses a combination of factors to make the best fries, including the right potatoes, a signature proprietary process for the perfect amount of batter, and a goal to give customers get what they want: hot and crispy fries.

Although Wendy’s new fries will look like the old fries, it isn’t a standard French fry. The cut isn’t totally square. The potato is cut in a way to make sure one side helps retain heat and the other keeps it crispy. The main difference between the old fries at Wendy’s and the new Hot & Crispy Fries is the proprietary process — a new approach to batter and a coating to prolong the fries' crispy texture. Wendy’s is also using shorter fry baskets to ensure the fries are totally submerged in the frying oil, according to a statement provided by Wendy's President Kurt Kane to CNN Business.

Since fries are the first thing people eat out of the to-go bag, Wendy’s wanted to make sure it would stand up to delivery or to-go orders. The chain says the fries should stay crispy for up to 20 minutes. Prior to this change, Wendy’s hadn’t messed with its French fries since 2010, when the recipe changed to include a natural potato skin cut and sea salt — the first recipe change since Wendy’s opened in 1969.

According to John Li, Wendy’s Vice President of culinary innovation, the road to the new fry was a long one, but well worth it. “We were able to deliver a crispier fry, that is preferred nearly 2:1 over our biggest competitor, McDonald’s,” Li said, per an email from Wendy’s. It’s not clear where the data came from for the taste test, and the company wasn’t able to provide further information about how they reached the preference statistic.

But wether the 2:1 stat holds or not, fans are already chiming in on Twitter with praise for the new fries:

Whether or not Wendy’s is taking the top spot when it comes to fry cravings, it’s clear people are liking the new bites. Before heading to Wendy’s to grab the new French fries, remember to check the CDC guidelines for the most updated health rules.