TikTok Is Astounded By This Simple McDonald's French Fry Hack

Americans love their fast food. According to The Barbecue Lab, one third of Americans indulge in this rapid option on any given day, and the average household spends a whopping 10% of its annual income on burgers, fries, and other fast food items. In spite of continual warnings from public health experts about the effect of fast food on the body, people continue to go all in on it — and we must admit to occasionally indulging ourselves.

One of our very favorite fast food items is a carton of hot French fries, and we're not alone, as this is the most-ordered selection of all time from McDonald's rather extensive menu (via Reader's Digest). Potatoes deep fried in fat and tossed with salt are pretty good to begin with, but McDonald's fries boast a not-so-secret ingredient that supposedly makes them even more addictive — "natural beef flavor," which adds a meaty deliciousness to the taters (via Reader's Digest).

While people love McDonald's fries, they tend to complain about the ketchup packets provided alongside them (via Newsweek). For drive-thru dining, it's not super convenient to have to open the packet and then squeeze the ketchup onto something else. That's why a recent TikTok video that was shared has gone viral — in it, user @cookiterica demonstrates a ketchup packet hack that makes for less mess and more fry enjoyment.

Have you ever tried to open one of those flimsy fast food ketchup packets and ended up squirting yourself with sticky red sauce? Maybe you've indulged yourself with a trip through the drive-thru, and cursed the fact that you then have to pull over and get your ketchup all set up before being able to resume driving. Most people tend to tear a ketchup packet across the top, narrow end, but mom, home cook, and TikTok user @cookiterica shared a video yesterday that just might revolutionize your fast food dining experience.

In the video, Erica Kuiper demonstrates tearing the ketchup packet along the long side, effectively making a little pot of ketchup that can then be used to dip fries as opposed to having to squirt the ketchup onto something else. It's a timesaving (and perhaps a clean-your-car-saving) hack that, though it has been shared before, is attracting a whole lot of attention. "This is brilliant," commented oner user. "This video is my whole life," wrote another. So there you have it, it's a low-stress way to enjoy ketchup. And now we'll wait while you grab your keys and head to Mickey D's.