January 18, 2024
Review RecipeChili Cheese Fries
These incredible easy chili cheese fries are the perfect meal or delicious appetizer!
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These chili cheese fries are the stuff that dreams are made of! Golden brown French fries, creamy cheese sauce, and meaty chili make this tasty recipe epic.
For an alternative chili recipe to use, try our beef and bean chili or our keto chili.
Chili Cheese Fries Ingredients
You’ll need:
For the Chili
- ¼ large onion diced
- 1 pound of ground beef
- 1 (15-ounce) can of tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
- ½ of a 15-ounce can of petite diced tomatoes
- 2-ounce can of green chilies
- ¼ can of water (use the tomato sauce can to measure)
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the Cheese Sauce
- 1½ cups heavy whipping cream
- 3 cups of extra sharp cheddar (about one eight-ounce block)
- 2 cups of shredded pepper jack (about ¼ of a 2-pound block)
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- ¼ teaspoon of onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon of chili powder
You Will Also Need
- 1 bag of frozen French fries
- jalapeños and green onions for garnish
Fries Chili Cheese Substitutions and Additions
CHILI: Check out our homemade chili recipes. You can make it on the stovetop chili, crockpot chili, or even try turkey chili. If you have leftover chili from a previous meal, you could even reheat it and use it on top.
CHEESE: There is never enough cheesy goodness! You could add shredded cheddar or a little nacho cheese sauce to the top of the fries as well.
TOPPINGS: You can take these up another notch by adding crispy, crumbled bacon on top.
ONIONS: Add diced red onion or sweet onions before serving for an extra bite.
BEANS: Kidney beans or black beans would be a great addition to your easy chili cheese fries.
FRIES: You could use curly fries, sweet potato fries, steak fries, potato wedges, or homemade fries instead of store-bought. Try topping our air fryer baked potato for a complete meal.
SPICE: While there are some spicy elements in this recipe, you can always give it an extra little kick with a bit of hot sauce, red pepper flakes, or cayenne pepper in your chili.
How To Make Chili Cheese Fries
PRO TIP:
The chili can be made up to three days in advance. You could make a pot of chili for dinner, then use the leftovers the second day to prepare this dish.
STEP ONE: Prepare the French fries according to the package directions on a baking sheet.
STEP TWO: In a skillet, sauté a diced onion until it starts to become translucent.
STEP THREE: Add the ground beef and cook until all the pink is gone, then drain the fat off.
STEP FOUR: Next add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, green chilies, water, and seasonings.
Stir and let simmer for three to five minutes while you shred the cheese.
STEP FIVE: In a medium saucepan, heat up the heavy cream until bubbles start to form around the sides.
Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cheeses and seasonings until the cheese is completely melted.
STEP SIX: Now you’re ready to assemble the toppings. Spread some of the cheese on the bottom of a plate, then pile the French fries on top of the cheese.
Add a little more cheese, then top with chili.
Finally, add more cheese sauce and garnish with green onions and jalapeño.
PRO TIP:
Serve your cheese fries right away, as the fries will become soft as they sit under the chili.
How To Serve Chili Fries
If all the fixings you have already added on top of these classic chili cheese fries aren’t enough, add even more of your favorite toppings.
Salsa, sour cream, guacamole, diced tomatoes, and extra shredded cheddar cheese are all great options.
These would be excellent to make for a party on game day. Double your recipe and serve up a great big platter for your guests. Add a few more delicious appetizer ideas including our easy pepperoni rolls and cucumber bites, and you’ll be all set.
MORE CHILI RECIPES
Chili Fries Storage Tips
IN THE FRIDGE: Should this happen, store your leftovers in an airtight container. Preheat your oven to 350°F and pop your leftovers on a baking sheet. Place in the oven for a few minutes.
IN THE FREEZER: This recipe will not keep in the freezer as the chili will make the French fries soggy. It is best to make this fresh.
Why Chili Cheese Fries are the Best
Chili cheese fries are often considered the best by many because they combine several elements that appeal to our taste preferences:
Flavor Complexity: Chili cheese fries are a blend of multiple flavors – the spiciness of the chili, the richness of the cheese, and the savory taste of the fries. This combination creates a complex and satisfying flavor profile.
Texture Variety: The dish offers a variety of textures – the crispiness of the fries, the creaminess of the melted cheese, and the meatiness of the chili. This mix of textures makes for an enjoyable eating experience.
Comfort Food: They are often categorized as comfort food. The warmth and heartiness of chili cheese fries make them particularly comforting, especially in colder weather or after a long day.
Customizability: This dish can be easily customized to suit individual tastes. You can adjust the level of spiciness of the chili, the type of cheese, or even the toppings like onions, jalapeños, sour cream. This versatility makes them popular as they can cater to a wide range of preferences.
Crispy fries, spicy homemade beef chili, and melted cheese make for a delicious and fun meal (you’ll want to try our crispy potatoes, too!). Get busy in the kitchen making these incredible chili cheese fries now.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I use a different chili recipe or canned chili?
Any type of chili would be yummy on these cheese fries. Pick your favorite recipe or save time and grab a can from the store.
Can I freeze any leftover chili?
Chili freezes exceptionally well. Make a big batch of chili for dinner, freeze the extras in an airtight container and thaw it when you are craving chili cheese fries.
What toppings can I use on chili cheese fries?
In addition to the recommended toppings in the recipe, try salsa, sour cream, guacamole, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese – all great options to make your fries even heartier.
More Favorite Recipes You’ll Love
- Cheese Ball Recipe
- Apple Fries
- Dirty Fries
- Crack Chicken Chili
- Chili Cheese Dog Bake
- Loaded Fries Recipe
- Cheeseburger Quesadilla
Chili Cheese Fries
These incredible easy chili cheese fries are the perfect meal or delicious appetizer!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 8
Ingredients
Chili
- ¼ large onion, diced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 15 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 7.5 ounces petite diced tomatoes
- 2 ounces green chilies
- ¼ water, (use the tomato sauce can to measure)
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Cheese Sauce
- 1½ cups heavy whipping cream
- 3 cups extra-sharp cheddar, I shredded one 8-ounce block
- 2 cups shredded pepper jack, I shredded ¼ of a 2-pound block
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
You'll also need
- 1 bag frozen French fries
- jalapeños and green onions for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare French fries according to package directions.
- In a skillet, sauté diced onion until they start to become translucent. Add the ground beef and cook until all the pink is gone. Drain fat.
- Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, green chilies, water and seasonings. Stir and let simmer for 3 to 5 minutes while you shred the cheese.
- In a medium sauce pan, heat up heavy cream until bubbles start to form around the sides. Reduce heat to low and stir in cheeses and seasonings until the cheese is completely melted.
- To assemble the dish, spread some cheese on the bottom of the plate, then pile the fries on top of the cheese, add a little more cheese, top with chili, more cheese sauce and garnish with green onion and jalapeños.
Video
Notes
- The chili can be made up to 3 days in advance. You could make a pot of chili for dinner, then use the leftovers the second day to prepare this dish.
- Go here if you want to make your chili in your crockpot instead.
- Serve your cheese fries right away, as the fries will become soft as they sit under the chili.
Nutrition
Calories: 613kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 51g | Saturated Fat: 29g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 171mg | Sodium: 1207mg | Potassium: 587mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1940IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 588mg | Iron: 3mg
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Layne Henderson says
We LOVE this — it’s SO easy and cheesy and delicious.
Tin says
whooo! chili cheese fries.. will definitely make this on weekend!
Treena Hilchie says
OMG! You can never go wrong with fries. Will definitely be making this again!
Jek says
Make your own fries. Don’t buy frozen.