Description
This Ultimate Chili Cheese Fries recipe combines crispy oven-baked fries with a flavorful, homemade ground chicken chili topped with melted cheddar and mozzarella cheese. Finished with fresh toppings like tomato, green onions, and sour cream, it’s a perfect indulgent snack or meal for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Fries:
- 2 Russet potatoes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Chili:
- 1 lb ground chicken or turkey
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- Half green pepper, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp Sriracha
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup water
Toppings:
- 1 tomato, seeded and diced
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Chopped green onions
- Sour cream
- Optional: hot peppers, salsa, olives, pickles, lettuce, etc.
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the fries.
- Slice Potatoes: Using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, slice the Russet potatoes as thin as possible, aiming for a McDonald’s-style french fry thickness.
- Toss and Spread Fries: Toss the sliced potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper until evenly coated. Spread them out on baking sheets without overcrowding; you can use up to four sheets at once.
- Bake Fries: Bake the fries in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, flipping them halfway through to ensure even cooking and crispiness.
- Cook Chili: While fries bake, heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add ground chicken or turkey and diced vegetables (onion, celery, green pepper) and cook until meat is browned. Stir in chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, and Sriracha. Add crushed tomatoes and water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes.
- Broil with Cheese: When both fries and chili finish cooking, switch the oven setting from bake to broil. Arrange baked fries stacked on oven-safe plates, ladle the chili over the fries, sprinkle with shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, and broil for 2-3 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Add Toppings and Serve: Remove from oven and finish with your preferred toppings such as diced tomato, chopped green onions, sour cream, and optional extras like hot peppers or salsa. Serve immediately while hot and cheesy.
Notes
- Save time by using frozen fries instead of fresh potatoes.
- Prep toppings in advance to streamline assembly when serving.
- You can make the chili ahead and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days; reheat gently on stovetop or microwave.
- Leftover fries can be revived in the oven at 350°F for 5-10 minutes for crispiness.
- Freeze leftover chili for up to 3 months; reheat from frozen in microwave for 8 minutes or thaw and reheat on stovetop.
- Feel free to customize toppings with black beans, corn chips, jalapenos, olives, or pickles to suit taste preferences.
