Chili Cheese Fries
intro
Crispy double-fried potatoes smothered in hearty beef chili, melted cheddar, and zesty toppings: the ultimate shareable, indulgent comfort food for casual gatherings.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep the potato fries
Scrub 900g russet potatoes clean, cut into uniform 1cm-thick sticks with skins left on for extra texture. Submerge cut fries in a bowl of cold water for 30 minutes to remove excess surface starch, then drain and pat completely dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Complete this step while the chili simmers to cut down total cook time.
Simmer the beef chili
Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat (175°C/350°F). Add 450g 80/20 ground beef, break apart with a stiff spatula, and cook for 5 minutes until fully browned. Add 150g diced yellow onion, cook 3 minutes until translucent and soft, then stir in 10g minced garlic, 30g tomato paste, 14g chili powder, 2g ground cumin, 2g smoked paprika, 1g ground black pepper, and 1 teaspoon (6g) of the kosher salt. Cook 1 minute until spices release a rich fragrance, then stir in 400g canned diced tomatoes (with juice) and 425g drained, rinsed kidney beans. Reduce heat to medium-low, simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chili thickens to a spoon-coating consistency.
Fry the crispy fries
Heat 1L vegetable oil in a deep heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven to 160°C/320°F. Working in 2 equal batches to avoid overcrowding the pot (which drops oil temperature and makes fries soggy), lower dried fries into the oil carefully and first-fry for 5 minutes until pale and tender. Remove with a slotted spoon, let drain on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then increase oil temperature to 190°C/375°F. Fry each batch a second time for 2-3 minutes until deep golden and shatteringly crisp, then remove, toss with the remaining ½ teaspoon (3g) kosher salt, and arrange in a single even layer on a large oven-safe platter.
Layer chili over fries
Spoon the hot, thickened beef chili evenly over the layer of crispy fries, covering most of the fry surface but leaving a 2cm border of bare, crisp fries exposed around the platter edge for easy grabbing. Avoid pouring excess watery chili liquid over the fries to prevent them from turning soggy before serving.
Melt cheddar cheese
Sprinkle 340g packed freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese evenly over the chili-topped fries, covering the chili completely in an even layer. Place the platter under a preheated broiler (260°C/500°F) on the middle oven rack for 2-3 minutes, watching closely the entire time, until the cheese is fully melted, bubbly, and just starting to turn light golden in spots. Remove carefully from the oven using thick oven mitts to avoid burns.
Add final toppings
Top the hot, melted cheese with 60g sliced pickled jalapeños, evenly spaced dollops of 120g sour cream, and a light sprinkle of 5g chopped fresh cilantro. Serve immediately while the fries are crisp, cheese is stretchy, and chili is piping hot.
Tips
2.Shred cheddar cheese fresh from a block instead of using pre-shredded packaged cheese; pre-shredded cheese is coated in potato starch or anti-caking agents that prevent smooth, stretchy melting.
3.For a quicker weeknight version, swap the double-fried homemade fries for 700g of frozen crispy French fries, baked according to package directions before adding chili and cheese.
OMG these chili cheese fries were a total game changer for our Sunday football watch party! I used leftover homemade chili from the night before, topped with extra pickled jalapeños on the side, and every single plate was wiped clean. Even my picky 7 year old asked for seconds! For being labeled easy with a 45 minute cook time, I was shocked how loaded and flavorful they turned out — 10/10.
Made these for my roommate’s apartment potluck last weekend and people were hounding me for the recipe all night! I’m definitely not a confident cook, so the easy difficulty rating was what sold me on trying it. I swapped the regular cheddar for a mix of pepper jack and sharp cheddar, added a dollop of sour cream and sliced green onions on top, and they were SO good. Only tiny note is I’d maybe bake the fries a little crispier next time so they don’t get soggy under the chili, but that’s just my personal preference.
Tried a test batch of these last night to prep for next week’s family dinners, and while the flavor was absolutely chef’s kiss, the fries got a little soggy under the chili! I was crunched for time so I used frozen crinkle cuts instead of fresh, maybe that’s why? Has anyone tried this with frozen fries and had it turn out? My husband already demanded I add these to our regular rotation even with the soft fries, so I need to nail the texture next time!