Loaded French Fries
Published Mar 18, 2024
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Loaded French Fries are the perfect appetizer for game day or for sharing with friends. I’m talking crispy fries topped with gooey cheese, crispy bacon, and all your favorite toppings!
Loaded cheese fries is one of my husband’s favorite things to order when we eat out, so it feels good to be able to make it at home. The best part is that they are incredibly easy to prepare. With just minimal effort, I can whip up this dish in less than 30 minutes. By using frozen French fries, I save a lot of time!
If you’re hosting a party, you should definitely make this impressive and flavorful appetizer or side dish. Your guests won’t be able to resist the perfectly cooked golden French fries with cheddar and saucy ranch dressing!
This appetizer goes well with other starters, too. For example, you can make a delicious food spread by serving it with my Garlic Butter Wings, chips and 4 Ingredient Guacamole, or Baked Dry Rub Chicken Wings!
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love Loaded French Fries
- Ingredients Needed
- How To Make Loaded French Fries
- 1: Cook the fries in the oven or the air fryer.
- 2: After cooking, transfer the fries to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- 3: Set the oven to the low broil setting (400℉) or, if it has no low broil setting, set it to broil at 500℉.
- 4: Sprinkle crumbled bacon and shredded cheese over fries.
- 5: Place them in the oven to broil until the cheese is melted.
- 6: Drizzle with your favorite ranch dressing after removing them from the oven.
- 7: Garnish the top of the fries with sliced green onions and serve.
- Substitutions and Variations
- Expert Tips For Loaded Fries
- Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
- Serving
- More Appetizer Recipes
- Loaded French Fries Recipe
Why You’ll Love Loaded French Fries
My new favorite thing is Loaded French Fries! I mean, why have regular French fries when you can have them loaded with all sorts of delicious things? My kids gather around these loaded fries and devour them in seconds. They are THAT good. Here are more reasons to love this recipe:
- It’s delicious. Can we just talk about this dish’s incredible combination of flavors and textures? From the crispy french fries to the creamy ranch dressing and the meaty bacon bits, you’ll be in love. The fresh scallions give it a bright finish. And, of course, you can’t forget the cheddar cheese! It’s hard not to love something that tastes this good. It is the ultimate snack or Friday night treat.
- It’s a crowd-pleaser. This recipe yields eight generous servings and can be effortlessly doubled to make two trays. Everyone, regardless of age, will relish these Loaded French Fries! In fact, if you serve them at a gathering, chances are that guests will ask you for the recipe!
- It isn’t hard to make. This recipe is simple to execute, so you won’t have to keep double-checking to make sure you did it right. While the fries are cooking, you can work on other party foods if needed! Then, you only need to sprinkle on two toppings before broiling them. Lastly, add garnishes to finish them off.
Ingredients Needed
Here are the ingredients you need to make these scrumptious french fries:
- French Fries: The recipe requires frozen fries that can be heated in the oven or air fryer. If you prefer homemade fries, you can certainly make them! Regardless of how you cook them, it’s important to spread them on the baking sheet after and follow the directions from there.
- Cheddar Cheese: Cheddar is a great melting cheese. Without it, loaded fries just wouldn’t be the same. Make sure to use fresh cheddar for the best texture and flavor!
- Bacon: You will need cooked and crumbled bacon. You can use whichever cut of bacon you prefer. I suggest freshly cooking the bacon and chopping it instead of purchasing a jar of bacon bits. The difference in quality is very noticeable!
- Ranch Dressing: This dressing is the perfect saucy ingredient to drizzle over top of the loaded fries when they come out of the oven. Its creaminess balances the savory bacon.
- Green Onions: This ingredient adds a green touch to the French fries and has a milder onion flavor than other types. It enhances the presentation and is refreshing.
Make sure to scroll down to the recipe card below to see the exact measurements you need for each ingredient!
Season the fries with the Best Seasoning For French Fries before baking or air frying them. This ensures that the loaded fries start with fries that are already very tasty! If your fries are already salted, make the fries seasoning without salt and toss with the fries. A simple seasoning of just garlic powder or onion powder will elevate fries.
How To Make Loaded French Fries
1: Cook the fries in the oven or the air fryer.
2: After cooking, transfer the fries to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
3: Set the oven to the low broil setting (400℉) or, if it has no low broil setting, set it to broil at 500℉.
4: Sprinkle crumbled bacon and shredded cheese over fries.
5: Place them in the oven to broil until the cheese is melted.
6: Drizzle with your favorite ranch dressing after removing them from the oven.
7: Garnish the top of the fries with sliced green onions and serve.
I garnished this cheesy goodness with some sliced jalapeños too!
Substitutions and Variations
This recipe is great because it allows you to add your own unique twist. Here are some ways you can experiment with it and use different ingredients!
- French Fries: you can use whichever fry shape you want! Even though I love crinkle cut fries, you can use waffle fries, straight-cut, steak fries, curly fries, tater tots, or even potato wedges. Sweet potato fries are also an option!
- Chives: You can use chives instead of green onions as a garnish.
- Dressing: Although my recipe suggests using ranch or Chipotle ranch, you can experiment with different types of dressing. For instance, drizzle on Buffalo sauce or even BBQ sauce!
- Cheese: Get creative with different cheeses, but make sure to choose a cheese that melts well, such as mozzarella cheese, smoked gouda, monterey jack, or American cheese.
- Additional Toppings: Feel free to pile on the toppings — after all, it’s called loaded French fries! Some delicious toppings that pair well with this dish include diced tomatoes, jalapeños, red onions, sliced avocado, or even ground beef. You can also add a dollop of sour cream or guacamole on top.
Expert Tips For Loaded Fries
- I recommend preparing loaded fries only when you plan to consume it immediately. You can refrigerate and reheat it if you must, but the fries won’t be as crunchy. However, it’s best not to freeze it as melted cheese doesn’t freeze and thaw well. So, if you think that eight servings are too much for your family, you can adjust the recipe by halving the ingredients!
- To make the process go more smoothly, it’s best to have the bacon cooked and crumbled beforehand instead of trying to cook it while the fries cook. That way, it is ready to go.
- When transferring the French fries to the baking sheet, spread them out in a single layer. This allows you to evenly distribute the toppings and dressing, ensuring every fry gets its fair share of deliciousness!
- Make sure to use fresh cheese and shred it yourself! You might not realize it, but the pre-shredded cheese doesn’t melt as well because it contains additives that prevent it from doing so.
Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
There are many versions of loaded French fries. Typically, they’re a delicious pile of fries loaded with melted cheese, bacon, green onions, and other toppings. However, this is somewhat regional, so it can vary depending on where you live!
Sometimes, they have ranch dressing, like my recipe, or they simply have sour cream or another sauce. Other versions might swap the bacon for another type of meat.
Loaded French Fries are a popular American dish often served at restaurants, bars, and game-day parties. This dish was originally just cheese fries, which, over time, transformed into the loaded fries we know today.
Cheese fries with toppings were invented in the United States! However, other cultures have their own versions, including Ireland, Puerto Rico, and Canada, each with unique toppings and meats.
Poutine is a type of loaded fries that is popular in Canada. It starts with French fries as the base but is topped with gravy and cheese curds.
The cheese curds aren’t melted, but it is still a way to dress up French fries and makes for a perfect appetizer. So, the concept is similar to loaded fries, except the toppings are different!
Serving
Serve these easy loaded french fries with the following:
- Your favorite ranch dressing
- Homemade cheese sauce
- Fry sauce
- Hot sauce
More Appetizer Recipes
These appetizers will look great on your table along with Loaded French Fries!
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Loaded French Fries
Ingredients
- 32 ounces frozen French fries
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 8 ounces bacon cooked and crumbled
- ½ cup ranch dressing I love Chipotle ranch
- 2 green onions thinly sliced, sub with chives
Instructions
- Cook fries in the oven or the air fryer: To cook fries in the oven, preheat oven to 425℉. Add the fries to a rimmed baking sheet and cook following the package instructions or for about 25 minutes until crispy. Flip the fries at the 15-minute mark. To air-fry them, set the air fryer to 400℉ and air-fry for 15 minutes. Turn the fries after the first ten minutes. Remove fries from the oven or air fryer, and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (easy cleanup!).
- Set the oven to the low broil setting (400℉) if your oven has that setting. Broiling uses the upper heating element of the oven. If your oven has no low broil setting, just set it to broil at 500℉.
- Top the fries with bacon and cheese.
- Place in the oven to broil until the cheese is melted. It takes about 2-3 minutes. Watch closely so the cheese doesn't burn. Remove from the oven as soon as the cheese melts.
- Drizzle with your favorite ranch dressing.
- Garnish with sliced green onions.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Other toppings you could add include sliced jalapenos, seasoned and browned ground beef, diced tomatoes, avocados, and a dollop of sour cream.
- Please shred a block of cheddar cheese for the best melty cheddar cheese. Pre-shredded cheese contains additives which prevent it from shredding well.
- I love using crinkle-cut fries for this recipe as they make for a great presentation, but any fries you have, including waffle fries or sweet potato fries, will work.
