Honey BBQ Shake Shake Fries Seasoning

Love McDonald's Honey BBQ Shake Shake Fries but can't always get your hands on the seasoning? This homemade version captures the same sweet, smoky and savoury flavour using ingredients commonly found in UK supermarkets.

The secret ingredient is honey powder, which adds the distinctive honey aroma found in the original seasoning. If you can find it online, it will take this recipe to around 99% of the original flavour. However, honey powder can be difficult to source in the UK, so I've used icing sugar (powdered sugar) as an accessible alternative. It still delivers a delicious result that's around 90% as good as the original.

Before grinding: Already tastes very close to the original McDonald's Honey BBQ seasoning.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Uses simple supermarket ingredients

• Ready in less than 5 minutes

• Perfect for fries, wedges, chicken wings and popcorn chicken

Honey BBQ Shake Shake Fries Seasoning
Serves: 8-10 portions of seasoned fries
Prep: 5 mins | Total: 5 mins
Ingredients	Instructions
Seasoning Mix 1 tbsp smoked paprika 1 tbsp icing sugar (powdered sugar) 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp MSG ¾ tsp fine salt 1 tsp brown sugar ¼ tsp white pepper Pinch of turmeric powder Add After Grinding ½ tsp dried coriander leaf Optional Upgrade 1 tbsp honey powder - If using honey powder, replace the icing sugar for the closest flavour to the original McDonald's seasoning.	Add all ingredients to a small bowl and mix well. For the best texture, grind the seasoning using a spice grinder, coffee grinder, or a mortar and pestle until the mixture becomes a very fine powder. This helps the seasoning coat the fries more evenly and gives a result much closer to McDonald's Shake Shake seasoning. Stir through ½ tsp dried coriander leaf after grinding. This adds a subtle herbaceous flavour and gives the seasoning a more authentic appearance. Transfer the seasoning to an airtight container or seasoning shaker. To Season the Fries Best method: Place hot fries into a paper bag, add 1-2 teaspoons of seasoning, fold the top closed and shake vigorously until evenly coated. Alternative method: Transfer the seasoning to a spice shaker or seasoning bottle and sprinkle evenly over hot fries before tossing to coat. No Honey Powder? If you'd like a stronger honey flavour but don't have honey powder, lightly drizzle ½ teaspoon of runny honey over the hot fries before adding the seasoning. Toss quickly, then add the seasoning and shake to coat. This won't be quite the same as honey powder, but it adds a noticeable honey flavour and brings the seasoning closer to the original.
Nutrition Facts Approx. per serving (1–2 tsp): 8 kcal, 0.2g protein, 0.1g fat, 1.8g carbs Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on specific ingredients and quantities used.

After grinding: Finer texture and colour, making it even closer to the original.

Notes ⭐️

Honey powder is the ingredient that makes the biggest difference to the final flavour. It provides the sweet honey aroma that icing sugar cannot fully replicate. If you can source honey powder online, this recipe becomes remarkably close to the original McDonald's Honey BBQ Shake Shake Fries seasoning.

For everyday cooking, however, the icing sugar version is easier, cheaper and still delivers around 90% of the original flavour using ingredients most people already have at home. If you're craving more honey flavour, the drizzle of honey trick works surprisingly well and uses an ingredient most households already have in the cupboard.

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