I Tried the New “Grinch Salt” Fries from McDonald’s, and I Was Totally *Shocked* by This Flavor

We’re already a few days into December, but it’s not ~officially~ the holiday season in my house until I start watching all the classic holiday movies. One of my favorites that I’ve loved since I was young is The Grinch (the Jim Carrey one — IYKYK). A must-have during the holiday movie viewing experience is, of course, the snacks, so I was super jazzed to see the new McDonald’s Grinch Meal, complete with pickle-flavored fries and a pair of socks! As a huge fan of the movie, I knew I had to try it. 

The most unique feature of this meal is definitely the Dill Pickle “Grinch Salt” McShake Fries, but I was also equally as excited to see which pair of spirited socks came with my meal. Check out what I really thought of this limited-edition meal and which socks I’ll be wearing to stay cozy while I watch all the holiday movies this month. 

The McDonald’s Grinch Meal is a limited-time offering that is tangy and “mischievous,” according to McDonald’s. The meal includes a choice of a Big Mac or 10-piece Chicken McNuggets with a medium drink, Dill Pickle “Grinch Salt” McShaker Fries, and a pair of festive socks. These unique pickle-flavored fries are making their U.S. restaurant debut, but they were available in Canada last holiday season. 

Dill Pickle “Grinch Salt” McShaker Fries are the (edible) star of this show. They’re classic McDonald’s fries paired with a dill pickle seasoning (aka “Grinch Salt”) that you can pour over them, plus a McShaker package to make sure the fries get evenly coated. 

Your “toy” is a pair of socks that come in red, blue, yellow, or green and are “scribbled with messages from the Grinch himself to let everyone know exactly how he feels this holiday season,” according to McDonald’s. 

I paid $15.30 for the meal at my McDonald’s location in Chicago. You can also get The Grinch McShaker Fries on their own; in the McDonald’s app for my Chicago location, a medium size costs $4.19 before taxes.

I’ll get to the full meal shortly, but I’ve gotta start with the fries. I was impressed right away with the presentation. Being able to shake my own seasoning on the fresh, crispy fries helped evenly distribute the flavor on all of them, and I loved the cute shaker bag. When I opened the bag after shaking the seasoning, I was immediately hit with a classic pickle scent. I was expecting it to smell more artificial than it did, and the scent of the seasoning got me even more excited to taste the fries — especially as someone who’s a huge fan of pickles. 

After taking a bite of the pickle seasoning-coated fry, I was surprised (and honestly a little shocked!) by how well-seasoned it was. You could actually see the flecks on the fries, and I really loved all the flavors. The dill pickle flavor was perfect, in my opinion. In addition to a sour, salty classic pickle taste, there was also a ranch flavor that hit my palate.

I really appreciated how easy it was to eat the fries out of the shaker bag. I often find McDonald’s fries to be spilling all over the place out of the carton, so the bag made it a much more enjoyable experience. It was a little more challenging transferring the fries from the carton to the shaker bag, so do that step carefully. I’d also recommend having a pair of scissors nearby; I needed mine to cut open the seasoning packet. 

Overall, I loved the taste of these Dill Pickle “Grinch Salt” McShake Fries fries, and can’t wait to get my hands on them again. 

For the meal as a whole, I opted for the 10-piece Chicken McNugget with a Diet Coke to go with my “Grinch Salt” fries. I ate everything the way I’d usually eat a meal — a little of this, then a little of that — but I think if I were to order this again, I might save the fries for their own moment at the end. I didn’t love how the nuggets tasted with the dill pickle seasoning on my fingers from the fries, and Diet Coke with the dill pickle seasoning was also a unique flavor combination for my palate (but some people might love it, considering the viral Dua Lipa drink last year). 

I think my favorite way to eat the “Grinch Salt” dill pickle-flavored fries is on their own. They’d be great for snacking on during a holiday movie marathon.

Getting a pair of socks with the meal was so fun, and it reminded me of the excitement that came with seeing which Happy Meal toy I got when I was younger. I received the blue socks with my meal, and The Grinch character details on them are adorable. I’ll totally be rocking these year-round.