You’ll crave the hot, cheesy goodness of homemade Chili Cheese Fries! This is a fun party appetizer that can double as a family-style meal with the right side dishes.
The Best Chili Cheese Fries, Easy to Make at Home!
Sometimes I just want darn good comfort food, and these hearty chili cheese fries are just the ticket. If you are anything like me, one taste of these crispy cheesy fries and you’ll want to make them again and again – and you can bet that your family will beg you to do just that.
This recipe uses homemade chili and plenty of real cheese sauce, served over frozen fries for super-easy prep. With some simple ingredients and straightforward steps, you’ll have an appetizer on the table that will keep everyone coming back for another bite.
Why You’ll Crave These Chili Cheese Fries
- The Best Textures: Crispy baked fries are the perfect base for rich, flavorful chili and luscious melted cheese.
- Home-Cooked Chili: While frozen fries work really well, you can’t fake this amazing homemade chili. But no worries – it’s easy to pull together.
- Bold, Cheesy Sauce: This amazing melty cheese sauce uses both cheddar and pepper jack cheese for an irresistible, slightly spicy flavor.
- Customizable Toppings: Use whatever toppings float your boat! Sour cream, sliced green onions, you name it.
- Great for All Occasions: These chili cheese fries are great for an appetizer, a fun party snack, or even as a main course!
What Are Chili Cheese Fries Made With?
There are three components you’ll make to get this dish off the ground. Here are the ingredients you’ll need for the fries, chili, and cheese sauce.
Fries
- Fries: You can use frozen fries – regular or steak cut.
- Salt
- Olive Oil: You can also use avocado oil or whatever neutral cooking oil you prefer.
Chili
- Olive Oil: Or, again, whichever oil you like that’s good for sauteing.
- Onion: Diced.
- Garlic: Minced or pressed.
- Ground Beef: You can use lean ground beef, or a fattier ground beef like ground chuck, whatever you prefer. Drain any excess fat.
- Beans: Canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed.
- Tomatoes and Tomato Paste: Canned, diced tomatoes. You’ll also need some tomato paste – make sure to use paste, not sauce!
- Seasonings: Chili powder, cumin, paprika, white pepper, basil, salt, and pepper. You could substitute a packet of your favorite chili seasoning if you like.
Cheese Sauce
- Butter: Unsalted butter is my go-to. If you use salted butter, you may want to reduce the amount of salt in the sauce.
- Heavy Cream: Evaporated milk would also work.
- Seasonings: Salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and cumin.
- Cheese: Cheddar and pepper jack, both shredded.
Optional Toppings
- Sour Cream: Or crema.
- Green Onions: Diced or sliced.
- Jalapenos: Freshly chopped or pickled.
How to Make Chili Cheese Fries
- Bake the Fries. Preheat your oven according to the package directions, and bake the fries with a little oil and salt until crispy and lightly golden.
- Cook the Ground Beef, Onion, and Garlic. While the fries are baking, set a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic, and sauté for a few minutes. Then add in the ground beef and let it brown, breaking it up with a spoon.
- Make the Chili. To the skillet of beef, add your beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, and seasonings. Stir and simmer for about 15 minutes. Then taste it and adjust the seasoning as needed.
- Make the Cheese Sauce. In a separate saucepan, melt the butter and add the cream, along with the seasonings. Stir and heat, and then gradually add in your shredded cheddar and pepper jack cheeses. Stir constantly to melt.
- Assemble! Once the fries are done baking, transfer them to an oven-safe dish or a large platter. Pour the chili evenly over the fries, and then drizzle the cheese sauce generously over the chili and fries.
- Enjoy! Serve hot, as-is or with all of the toppings that you love.
Recipe Tips
For the best chili cheese fries ever, you don’t need any fancy ingredients, techniques, or equipment – but a few helpful recipe tips are always good, right? These are my best tips for a great batch of chili cheese fries.
- Crispy Fries: To make sure the fries are crispy, bake them in a single layer and flip or turn them halfway through the cooking time. You could also air-fry the fries.
- Adjust the Heat: You can control the spice level of the chili by adjusting the amount of white pepper and adding cayenne or jalapeno for extra heat.
- Veggie Options: You can also make this dish vegetarian! Just use your favorite meat substitute, whether that’s additional beans, potatoes, tofu, etc.
- Toppings: Feel free to customize the toppings to your liking. Diced avocado, chopped bacon, or a drizzle of hot sauce are all scrumptious.
- Serve Hot: Serve the chili cheese fries immediately, while they’re still hot and the cheese sauce is gooey and melty.
How to Serve Chili Cheese Fries
Chili cheese fries are a fantastic party food or snack, but you can also make them a meal with a few side dishes. Here are some ideas for starters:
- Coleslaw: Cold, crisp coleslaw adds freshness and balance to the rich flavors in this recipe. The coleslaw recipe from this Instant Pot Pulled Pork with Coleslaw would be just right.
- Cold Salads: Other cold salads are also great with chili cheese fries. One of our favorites is Cowboy Caviar. It’s colorful, healthy, and loaded with zesty contrast.
- Roasted Veggies: Add some healthy veggie power to your dinner with a simple tray of roasted vegetables – they can go into the oven and bake right alongside the fries. These Roasted Brussels Sprouts are a crunchy, crisp-tender option you’ll enjoy.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Chili cheese fries are best served fresh, but if you have leftovers, pop them into an airtight container and refrigerate for 1 to 2 days. You can reheat them in the microwave or bake the leftovers at 375°F until hot.
- I don’t recommend freezing the assembled dish, but if you want to freeze the chili, that’s a great option! Cool down the chili and pack it in freezer containers or bags. Mark with the date, and freeze for around 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating on the stove over medium-low heat.
Chili Cheese Fries
Chili Cheese Fries, a delicious party snack that can also serve as a meal, consists of crunchy French fries topped with flavorful chili and a creamy homemade cheese sauce.
Servings: 8
Calories: 869kcal
Ingredients
For The Fries
- 32 ounces regular or steak-cut frozen french fries
- 1½ teaspoons sea salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For The Chili
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 15 ounces canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 14 ounces canned diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- ½ teaspoon dry basil
- salt and black pepper, to taste
For The Cheese Sauce
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
For The Toppings (optional)
- sour cream
- sliced green onions
- chopped jalapenos
Instructions
For The Fries
- Preheat your oven according to the instructions on the packaging of the frozen French fries. Bake the fries until crispy and lightly golden brown.
For The Chili
- While the fries are baking, prepare the chili. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic, and sauté for a few minutes until the onion is softened. Then, add the ground beef to the skillet and cook for 7 to 8 minutes or until it is browned, breaking up the meat into smaller pieces as it cooks. Drain any excess fat.
- Stir in the kidney beans, diced tomatoes (with the liquid), tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, paprika, white pepper, salt, and black pepper. Mix everything together until well combined.
- Reduce the heat and let the chili simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
For The Cheese Sauce
- In the meantime, prepare the cheese sauce. In a saucepan, melt the unsalted butter over medium heat.
- Add the heavy cream, salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and ground cumin to the saucepan, stirring until well combined.
- Gradually add the shredded cheddar cheese and pepper jack cheese to the saucepan, stirring constantly until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Once the fries are done baking, transfer them to a large serving dish or individual plates.
- Pour the chili over the fries, spreading it evenly to cover them.
- Drizzle the cheese sauce generously over the chili and fries.
For The Toppings
- If you want, top the chili cheese fries with dollops of sour cream, sliced green onions, and chopped jalapeños for added flavor and garnish.
- Serve the chili cheese fries immediately.
Notes
- Crispy Fries: To make sure the fries are crispy, bake them in a single layer and flip or turn them halfway through the cooking time. You could also air-fry the fries to get them super crispy.
- Adjust the Heat: You can control the spice level of the chili by adjusting the amount of white pepper, and adding cayenne or jalapeno for extra heat.
- Veggie Options: You can also make this dish vegetarian! Just use your favorite meat substitute, whether that’s additional beans, potatoes, tofu, etc.
- Toppings: Feel free to customize the toppings to your liking. Diced avocado, chopped bacon, or a drizzle of hot sauce are all scrumptious.
- Serve Hot: Serve the chili cheese fries immediately, while they’re still hot and the cheese sauce is gooey and melty.
Nutrition
Calories: 869kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 61g | Saturated Fat: 29g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 24g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 1789mg | Potassium: 1087mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1535IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 501mg | Iron: 5mg
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