Chili Cheese Fries Recipe

Why I Just Can’t Get Enough of These Vegan Chili Cheese Fries

I have to admit, these have become a go-to in our house lately. Even my little one loves this recipe—although I usually have her eat them with a fork because a toddler eating chili cheese fries? Not a mess I want to deal with!

• Crowd-pleasing comfort food. These chili cheese fries are boldly flavoured, full of gooey vegan cheese, and they’ve got that comfort food carb factor going for it too. Is it any wonder these are a hit?!
• Easy to customise. Use your own favourite chili, a different kind of fry, load on some additional toppings (maybe Quick Pickled Red Onions?), and make this recipe your own.
• Indulgent without overdoing it. Make no mistake about it, this chili cheese fries recipe is over-the-top, but not in a way that makes you feel heavy afterwards.

Notes on Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this vegan chili cheese fries recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

For the Chili:

• Olive oil – Or another oil you like to cook with.
  Onion and garlic – Aromatics that build the backbone of flavour of the chili.
• Vegetables – Carrot, red bell pepper, and chili pepper add more flavour and some extra substance to the recipe.
  Vegan meat alternative crumbles – If you’d rather not use store-bought crumbles, hydrated TVP or crumbled tempeh would work instead.
• Chili seasonings – Chili powder, ground cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, and sea salt.
  Diced tomatoes – Canned tomatoes keep it easy.
  Tomato sauce – For a thick, hearty base. Remember, we don’t want a soupy chili when making chili cheese fries!
  Red beans – Or your preferred chili bean.
  Vegetable broth – I like to use my Homemade Vegetable Broth.

For the Assembling:

• Frozen French fries – Use crinkle-cut, wedge, or steak fries—basically, you want something that’ll stand up to being smothered with chili and cheese.
• Vegan cheddar cheese – Vegan pepper jack would also be tasty!
• Optional toppings – Like chopped scallions, cilantro, jalapeños, or Vegan Sour Cream.

How to Make Vegan Chili Cheese Fries

If you want to make this for a party and get a head start, you can cook the chili up to 3 days in advance.

• Bake the fries. Spread the frozen fries on a baking sheet and bake at 425°F for 20 to 25 minutes, or follow the package instructions if they’re different. (You can use the air fryer instead if you’d like.)
• Start the chili. While the fries bake, make the chili. Sauté the onion in olive oil, then the add garlic, carrot, bell pepper, and chili pepper. Cook until the veggies are softened.

• Add the vegan crumbles. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Season the chili. Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, and sea salt.
• Simmer. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, red beans, and vegetable broth. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until thickened.

• Assemble. Transfer the fries to a skillet or parchment-lined baking sheet. Spoon the chili on top, and sprinkle with the vegan cheddar.
• Melt. Bake the fries for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
• Serve. Garnish as desired and serve immediately.

Variations and Additional Topping Ideas

Here are some ways you can switch up this recipe and put your own spin on it.

• Use another chili. Any vegan chili will work, provided it’s thick and not soupy. If the chili you’re using has a lot of liquid, you can use a slotted spoon to remove just the solids. Try my Vegan Pumpkin Chili, One Pot Red Lentil Chili, or Vegan Chili in a Slow Cooker.
• Swap in homemade fries. Sweet Potato Fries would be awesome too!
• Use queso or cheese sauce. For an even gooey-er option and crispier fries, you can spoon warm chili and warm Vegan Queso or Vegan Cheese Sauce on the fries and then serve immediately without the trip to the oven to melt the cheese. This will keep the fries crispier since you’re serving immediately after topping them.
• Get creative with the toppings. Guacamole, diced avocado, cilantro, pickled jalapeños, or anything you like on chili!

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

• Refrigerator: Store leftovers of this chili cheese fries recipe in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Note that the fries will get quite soggy, so it’s really best to make what you can eat in one sitting.
• To reheat: Warm the fries in the oven at 375°F for 10–12 minutes, until the chili, cheese, and French fries are all warmed through.

More Epic Vegan French Fry Recipes

• Truffle Fries
• Garlic Fries (Baked or Fried!)
• Loaded Nacho Fries