Loaded Chili Cheese Fries

Wendy’s Chili Cheese Fries has nothing to do with our Loaded Recipe for Chili Cheese Fries! Crispy fries are topped with homemade or canned chili, cheese and your favorite french fries toppings.

The chili recipe we’re using is the same as in our chili cheese dip recipe. Of course, you can always use your favorite homemade chili recipe or even our popular smoked chili recipe.

Other game day appetizers: Carne Asada fries, Carne Asada nachos, smoked cream cheese and Refried Bean Dip.

Chili fries

This chili fries recipe takes about 50 minutes if you use our homemade chili recipe, or 20 minutes if you use canned chili.

The homemade chili recipe itself is quick to make, full of flavor and the perfect consistency (THICK)! Thinner chili will not work when used as a topping. Note.

To make it, you’ll need a few basic chili ingredients and a pound of ground beef. See the recipe card below for the full list of chili ingredients.

Canned Chili

Going with canned chili only requires 3 ingredients to make + any toppings you prefer:

• Canned Chili
• French fries (frozen or fresh)
• cream cheese

cheese for fries

French fries with cheese are a pretty flexible bunch. You can use pretty much any cheese in your fridge as long as it melts well. Here are a few ideas:

• Cheddar cheese
• Monterey Jack
• pepper shaker
• Colby cheese
• mozzarella cheese
• American cheese
• Provolone
• Oaxaca

Cheese sauce for fries

To make fully loaded cheese fries, why not add cheese sauce ONTO the melted cheese? Any of these queso recipes would be a killer:

The cheese dip pictured below would be AMAZING on fries. It’s like chili and cheese on chili and cheese on fries.

kind of fries

We usually stick with using air fried frozen french fries since they have a golden brown exterior and soft interior.

Here are other options to consider if you want to mix it up or already have some on hand:

• Homemade french fries
• Crinkle cut fries
• Schnitzel fries
• Curly fries
• Waffle Fries (Make Loaded Waffle Fries!)
• Tater Tots Air Fryer
• sweet potato fries
• Seasoned fries

Loaded Chili Cheese Fries

Any topping that belongs on a bowl of chili belongs on loaded french fries. No rules honey! Here are some of our favorite chili toppings:

How to do

This recipe is every easy recipe, especially when using canned chili. See the recipe card below for full instructions. Here’s a quick overview with pictures to see how we roll:

Prepare chili

Either whip up a batch of homemade chili or heat canned chili. Whichever route you choose, make sure you choose a “thick” chili, or the excess moisture will soak your fries with water.

build fries

Bake the fries according to the instructions on the back of the package. Add the first layer of cheese and bake for 1-2 minutes. Add chili and a second layer of cheese and bake for 1-2 minutes.

Keep an eye on the oven as cheese can burn quickly. Nobody wants burnt fries or hard cheese!

Add the toppings

Top the fries with your favorite chilli toppings and get going! It’s best to serve this dish immediately for the best flavor and texture. When lying down, the fries get soggy and cold.

No beans or beans?

We have to face one of the fiercest debates in the kitchen: should chili have beans or stay without beans? Both versions are delicious, so make what you love.

If you’re “pro beans,” just throw in a can of drained kidney beans if you’re making chili from scratch, or use canned chili with beans.

expert tips

• Since the ground beef is drained, you can use any percentage of fat. It doesn’t matter for the end product.
• Don’t want minced meat? Add ground turkey or even chicken.
• You have to grate the cheese! Don’t buy pre-shredded cheese, as it’s coated with cellulose, which keeps it from melting. Break out your cheese grater and get to shredding.
• Get a nice mix of cheeses to add flavor. We love using a blend of 75% cheddar and 25% peppermint.
• Prepare the chili up to 3 days in advance to reduce prep time if serving at a party.

Can I make this recipe ahead of time?

The chili, yes. The fries themselves, no. This cheese and fries recipe is best served straight from the oven. Sitting on the stove for even 10 minutes means cold and/or soggy fries, cold chili, and semi-hard cheese.

Side dish ideas

This is a meal in itself…no sides needed if done right! If you’re serving it as a shared appetizer and need serving ideas, we recommend: hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken wings, or nachos.

drink pairings

An ice cold beer, apple cider, michelada, margarita or a Mexican mule would go very well with it.