One might wonder whether Arby’s curly fries, which debuted in 1988, inspired the fries from Checkers and Rally’s, which came out just one year later, in 1989. Both versions are coated with a seasoned batter, but Arby’s fries are cut with a curly slicer, while Checkers & Rally’s fries come in the standard straight-cut or waffle-sliced versions. The flavor of Checkers and Rally’s fries is similar to Arby’s but bolder, with more black pepper and chili pepper for a spicier finish.

To make my copycat recipe for Checkers and Rally’s Famous Seasoned Fries, I started with my hack of Arby’s Curly Fries. But since these fries are crispier, I added cornstarch to the batter for a crunch that flour alone can't provide. For the pepper, I was surprised it took a whole tablespoon of ground black pepper to match the amount of black specks in the real thing, and I found it tasted best when the pepper was freshly ground from whole peppercorns. And to round out the batter's zing, a little cayenne pepper was essential.

For this home hack, you can slice your potatoes by hand, but if you've got one, I recommend using a potato slicer set to ¼-inch. To reproduce the crispy texture of the real fries, this secret recipe requires a 2-stage frying process. After par-frying the potatoes, you’ll freeze them until they’re solid, then fry them again to finish. You can fry them immediately after they freeze, or keep them in the freezer until a craving for seasoned fries hits. To finish, you simply fry them a second time, and they'll be ready in mere minutes.  

Find more of my famous French fries copycat recipes here.