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Easy, cheesy Pizza Fries are the perfect blend of everyone’s favorite French fries and zesty pizza. Crispy fries are topped with tomato sauce, plenty of melty cheese, and a savory homemade herb blend.
For my French fries fans, you’ve got to try my chili cheese fries and garlic fries, too. They’re equally delicious and are great as an appetizer, snack, or meal!
I love combining two favorites to create something new! This pizza fries recipe brings together the best of French fries and pepperoni pizza: crispy, salty fries topped with tangy pizza sauce, gooey melted mozzarella, and a touch of cheddar. They’re a huge hit in our house, and I’m sure you’ll love them, too! They’re especially perfect served alongside beer-battered chicken or a blue steak for the ultimate meal.
Why I Love These Pizza Cheese Fries
- Versatile – If you’re a fan of homemade pizza, you know how easy it is to change up the toppings. Look at pizza fries in the same way – you can switch out the cheese, sauce, meat, and more.
- Easy – Since we use frozen french fries, you won’t have to do any chopping or peeling. Just a bit of whisking and stirring is all that’s needed to quickly make this recipe.
- Always welcome – When you’re craving pizza but don’t want to embark on making a whole pie, this pizza fries recipe is the perfect choice! Kids love them, but I think you’ll find adults will be happy with them, too.
What You’ll Need
Here’s a quick look at the few basic ingredients you should grab to make these fries. I’ve added some notes about substitutions, but for the full amounts and thorough instructions, please scroll down to the recipe card.
- Frozen French Fries – You can buy any type of pre-made French fry you prefer – sometimes I use thicker cut fries while other times I prefer thin fries – and then cook them according to the package directions.
- Fries Seasoning –This easy homemade seasoning blend includes onion powder, garlic powder, dried basil, oregano, and thyme. You can substitute Italian seasoning if needed.
- Sauce – Use your favorite store-bought or homemade pizza sauce or marinara sauce. You’ll use it on the fries and also have some on the side for dipping.
- Tomato Puree – This adds a little more tomato flavor. You can swap in more sauce if needed.
- Mozzarella – Pick up a bag of shredded mozzarella for that melty pizza effect.
- Cheddar Cheese – You can use pre-shredded cheddar, but I like to shred my cheddar by hand. Use your favorite mild, sharp, or extra-sharp cheddar.
- Pepperoni – You can easily omit the pepperoni to make these in to cheese pizza (vegetarian) fries.
- Fresh Herbs – Basil and/or fresh parsley make a wonderful garnish.
- Parmesan Cheese – A little grated or shredded Parmesan cheese can be used to finish the fries.
Pizza Toppings Ideas
- Vegetables – All sorts of veggies can work on pizza fries. I do recommend chopping them up first so that you get little concentrated bites of vegetables that blend into the fries rather than competing with them. You could try chopped onions, garlic, spinach, red bell pepper, or zucchini, first sauteed until soft and then tossed into the fries with the seasoning blend.
- Olives – Add pitted, sliced olives to pizza fries for a salty, briny flavor!
- Meat – Make these into meat lovers’ pizza cheese fries by adding little bits of sausage, Canadian bacon, or bacon.
- A different sauce – Instead of the marinara sauce, try a bolognese (meat-based sauce) for extra heartiness. You could also try pesto for a completely different flavor. Or, omit the sauce altogether and rely on the seasoning mix for a more simple preparation!
How To Make Pizza Fries
Fans of pizza and fries, you’re about to make your next favorite treat! Pizza fries are the perfect snack or side dish. Follow the steps below and see how you can make this delicious fusion dish at home!
- Make the fries. Bake the frozen according to the package instructions.
- Prep the fry seasoning. While the fries bake, combine the ingredients for the fries seasoning.
- Add the sauce. Combine the sauce with the tomato puree. When the fries are done, toss them with the seasoning mix, then drizzle with the pizza sauce mixture.
- Add the cheese. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese over the pizza.
- Top with pepperoni and bake. Add the pepperoni and bake for another 10 minutes.
- Serve! Let the fries cool slightly then garnish with the fresh herbs and Parmesan, and enjoy.
Recipe Tips
- Make the fries in the air fryer – If you don’t want to use the oven, you can easily cook the fries in the air fryer at 390°F for about 15 minutes, until crisp. Then continue with the recipe to assemble the pizza fries.
- Go vegetarian – Make these fries into pizza cheese fries only by omitting the pepperoni. You can add olives or vegetables, or keep them simple with just cheese.
- Add more cheese – You can add more cheese, like pepper jack, feta cheese crumbles, or blue cheese for more flavor.
- Serving options – If you want to let everyone choose his way to enjoy pizza fries, you can make the fries, and then place them on a big platter. Add bowls of cheese, toppings, and sauce to the table so they can be individually assembled (kids love this method!).
- Double the batch – You can double or triple the amount of fries you wish to make depending on how many people you can expect to serve. In the recipe card, click the “2X” button to easily increase the quantities needed.
Serving Suggestions
Pizza fries are a great appetizer, or you can add a salad and turn them into dinner! Make these pizza cheese fries into a meal with my Avocado Tomato Salad which is always a favorite. You could also try a hearty Italian Antipasto Pasta Salad.
Keep the theme going and serve the fries with other Italian-inspired appetizers like my Garlic Bread Bruschetta, Pizza Bites, and Mozzarella Sticks.
A glass of red wine or champagne is the perfect accompaniment to a plate of fries. For a refreshing drink pairing that has a kick, make a pitcher of Strawberry Lemonade Sangria or a Frozen Berry Margarita.
Can I Make These In Advance?
In my opinion, fries are best when they are fresh and crisp. The longer you let pizza fries sit in the sauce, the soggier they will become, so I don’t recommend making these in advance. However, if you need to put them together a couple of hours ahead of time, you can cook the fries and keep them warm in a low-heat oven. Then, just before you wish to serve them, add the sauce and cheese, finish cooking them, and serve them hot and fresh.
More Appetizer Recipes To Try
- Chicken Egg Rolls
- Zucchini Chips
- Steak Nachos
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders
- Slow Cooker Spinach Artichoke Dip
Pizza Fries
Ingredients
For the Pizza Fries:
- 2 pounds frozen french fries
- 1½ teaspoons fries seasoning, divided, recipe follows
- ¾ cup pizza sauce or marinara sauce, plus ¼ cup for dipping
- 2 tablespoons tomato puree
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 10 slices pepperoni
- finely chopped fresh basil or parsley, for garnish
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese, for garnishing
For the French Fry Seasoning:
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅓ teaspoon dried oregano
- ⅓ teaspoon dried thyme
- ⅓ teaspoon dried basil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it to ensure the fries don't stick. Spread the frozen French fries on the prepared sheet and bake according to the package instructions until golden and crispy, about 20 to 25 minutes.
- While the fries are baking, combine all the ingredients for the fries seasoning in a small bowl: onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, and dried basil. Set aside.
- Then, combine the pizza sauce (or marinara sauce) with the tomato puree paste in a separate bowl. Mix well and set aside.
- Once the fries are done, remove them from the oven and immediately sprinkle them with the prepared fry seasoning. Use tongs to toss the fries, ensuring they are evenly coated.
- Gather the seasoned fries towards the center of the baking sheet, slightly piling them up. Add the pizza sauce mixture evenly over the fries.
- Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese over the pizza sauce and top with pepperoni.
- Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted and bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Garnish with freshly chopped basil or parsley. Sprinkle with some Parmesan cheese on top.
- Serve immediately with the remaining pizza sauce on the side for dipping, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
