It’s done, guys. I’ve tasted, tweaked, tried again, tweaked again to get to the best Chili Texas cheese fries recipe. It was a hard job, but somebody had to do it! This loaded chili cheese fries recipe was inspired from the Texas Sate Fair fries on the Big Orange menu.
Jump to Recipe
A year or so again, I strayed from my usual Arkansas bacon and cheddar burger at Big Orange and tried the state fair fries instead. And that is where this cheese chili fries obsession began.
What Are Chili Texas Cheese Fries?
Essentially, chili Texas cheese fries are smothered fries, loaded with all kinds of topping goodness like cheese, onions, jalapenos, etc. There are variations into the meat source, though. Some recipes for chili cheese fries call for bacon and other toppings like green onion and sour cream, whereas others have ground beef chili or a chili made with beef stew meat.
Most of the Texas chili cheese fries variations I have tried were no bean chili varieties. This includes the Texas cheese chili fries on the Big Orange menu which I have modeled my homemade chili cheese fries after.
Also, many versions of Texas style chili do not seem to have a heavy tomato base as you often find in other chili.
How to Make This Chili Cheese Fries Recipe
The big thing about figuring out how to make chili cheese fries is simply time management. Basically, you will need to have several things going at once which can get hectic if you aren’t great with time management.
However, you also could have some things prepped beforehand – like chop veggies or make your chili in a slow cooker, as I will explain below.
Make a No Bean Chili
Of course, I’m all for cooking up a big batch of my easy chili recipe. But for this particular recipe today, I have included a simple fast-cooking chili which cooks in about 30 minutes and does not include beans or as strong of a tomato base as the other. You will see in my Texas cheese fries recipe card below instructions for cooking a no bean chili in a slow cooker or on the stove.
The best chili for chili cheese fries will be a chunky, thicker no bean chili rather than a soupy version. Although you want the fries to be consistently coated in the chili, you do not want the fries setting in liquid.
You will I see I used a can of diced tomatoes (with liquid) and omitted about 1/3 of the broth. My family likes tomatoes in chili. But, as I just mentioned, you will typically find Texas chili versions without. Do without them if you wish.
How to Serve Loaded Chili Cheese Fries
The great thing about this chili cheese fries recipe is the versatility. Whether you make this recipe for a game day appetizer or as a main course, it will be well received!
To serve as an appetizer (which is a faster assembly), I have included instructions in the recipe card for serving directly from the baking pan. To serve as a main dish or side dish, there are also instructions for assembling on individual plates.
Chili Texas Cheese Fries
Ingredients
30 Minute Chili with No Beans Recipe
- 1.5 lb ground beef
- 3/4 cup yellow onion diced
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 2 cups beef broth
- 10 oz diced tomatoes (optional) undrained; omit 1/3 cup broth if using tomatoes
Simple Yellow Cheese Dip
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- 12 oz American cheese shredded
- 4 oz Pepper Jack shredded
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup tomatoes chopped
Frozen French Fries
- 5 lbs French fries frozen (shoe string style works well)
Toppings
- 1 cup red onion chopped
- 1 cup jalapeno sliced
- 1 cup pickled jalapenos (jarred)
- 1 cup Colby Jack shredded
Instructions
Making 30 Minute Chili with No Beans
- In a large stock pot, crumble ground beef with 1/2 cup of the chopped onion (reserving the rest for the cheese dip), salt, and pepper. Cook on medium high, stirring occasionally, until all meat is brown and onions are translucent, about 7-8 minutes.
- Drain grease and return all meat to pot.
- *Add the rest of the chili ingredients, ending with broth, to the stock pot.
- Cook, uncovered, on medium-high until boiling. Turn the uncovered pot down to a simmer for the remaining 20 minutes.
Baking Frozen French Fries
- On a shallow baking sheet, add 5 pounds of frozen (not thawed) French Fries. (You may opt to only use half if you are cooking for a smaller number of people.) It is possible you may need two baking pans. Bake French fries according to package directions for time and temperature until fries are slightly browned and crispy. (Typically, instructions will say 400° for 20-25 minutes.)
Making Simple Yellow Cheese Dip
- **While the chili simmers and the fries are in the oven, begin the cheese dip.
- In a large skillet with high edges, add olive oil and 1/4 cup reserved diced onion. Cook onion until translucent, about 5 minutes, adding the garlic during the last minute or so.
- Add both cheeses and carefully stir in the milk. Simmer over medium-low heat while stirring often.
- Once cheese has melted, stir in can of undrained diced tomatoes. Allow cheese mixture to cook down a bit until it is a desirable, pourable consistency that is not too runny.
Layering Chili Texas Cheese Fries
- Assemble plates by layering desired amount of French fries across the bottom of the plate, keeping in mind the number of servings you need.
- Pour 1 cup prepared chili over fries, followed by 1/2 to 3/4 cup cheese dip.
- ***Top each plate with 1/8 cup chopped purple onion, fresh jalapenos, pickled jalapenos, and shredded cheese.
- Serve warm.
Alternative Layering Method
- Rather than layering the fries on individual plates, you can layer directly on the hot pan of cooked fries for a fun appetizer.
- When you remove fries from oven, drizzle fries with generous amounts of chili, cheese dip, and all toppings directly in the baking pan. Serve immediately so fries do not get soggy.
Notes
Nutrition
I hope you love these smothered cheese fries as much as I do!
Other Favorite Comfort Foods
Be sure to check out some of my other favorites like crockpot cream cheese chicken chili and pepper jack mac and cheese!
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