Chili Cheese Fries (Restaurant Style)
Crispy french fries topped with beanless hot dog chili and melted cheese. Using fine-textured taco meat chili coats the fries properly instead of sliding off like chunky chili. Everyone's favorite comfort food ready in 20 minutes.
Equipment
- Large Sheet Pan
- Parchment Paper
- Small Pot
- Oven-Safe Serving Dish
Ingredients
Fries
- 2 lb Frozen French Fries or fresh-cut
- Avocado Oil spray or drizzle, for baking
Toppings
- 2 cups Hot Dog Chili beanless — see Hot Dog Chili recipe
- 2 cups Shredded Cheese cheddar, Mexican blend, or white American
- ¼ cup Green Onions sliced, optional
- ¼ cup Pickled Jalapeños sliced, optional
- Sour Cream optional
Instructions
Prep and Bake Fries
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Spread frozen fries in a single layer and lightly spray or drizzle with oil.
- Bake according to package directions until golden and crispy, typically 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Heat Chili
- Heat the hot dog chili in a small pot over low heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through, about 5-7 minutes.
Assemble and Melt
- Increase oven to 450°F.
- Transfer fries to an oven-safe serving dish or keep on the sheet pan.
- Ladle the warm chili generously over the fries.
- Sprinkle shredded cheese over the top.
- Return to oven for 3-5 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Serve
- Remove and immediately top with green onions and jalapeños if desired.
- Serve hot with sour cream on the side.
Notes
I don't care where you go or who you're with - everyone loves chili cheese fries. I love them too, but always had an issue when restaurants used real chunky chili for the dish. The beans competed with the french fries for texture and mouthfeel. I think using beanless chili is the way to go, which is why I use my Hot Dog Chili made from taco beef with tomato sauce. The fine texture provides the best style of protein and sauce that will coat and stay with the french fries rather than just make them wet and fall to the bottom of the plate like chunky chili with beans does. The taco meat-based chili clings to each fry and creates that perfect balance of crispy, meaty, and cheesy in every bite.
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