7 ways to fun, fearless French fries

Casual and friendly, French fries have earned their place in our collective culinary consciousness. And lest you think fries aren’t fancy, consider this: Auguste Escoffier’s first culinary guide, published in 1902, contained recipes and cooking techniques for many types of frites.

When you start with a base of solid French fries, the sky’s the limit on what you can add to turn a simple side into the main event. Global influences are welcome in today’s French fry innovations, and we found cool examples like citrus chaat fries and pollo asado fries. Featuring signature salsas is a great way to gussy up a nacho-inspired French fry basket.

Rather than just a vehicle for ketchup (or mayo), the trendiest fries these days are loaded up with savory steak, spicy peppers, gooey cheese, sweet marshmallows and more. Before you let your imagination go wild for fries, check out these hot takes on the fabulous French fry.