Crispy fries, gooey cheese, and crunchy bacon—these Air Fryer Loaded Cheese Fries are the ultimate comfort food! They’re quick, easy, and absolutely delicious.
No deep frying needed—just pop frozen fries in the air fryer, load them up with cheese, bacon, and your favorite toppings, and enjoy.
Let’s get started!
- A side of your favorite dipping sauce, such as ketchup, ranch dressing, or our Thick N Clingy Blue.
- Grilled everything. Try our recipes for Grilled Tomatoes, Grilled Peaches, Grilled Pineapple, and Grilled Corn.
- A cold beer or glass of wine.
- Chili: A bowl of chili is a hearty and flavorful side that can be enjoyed with cheese fries. The chili’s spice and heat can help to cut through the richness of the cheese fries. Or turn it into a plate of chili cheese fries.
- What’s even better than a plate of cheese fries that already has two kinds of cheese? Even more cheese on the side for dipping. Add some reheated queso.
- Guacamole: Guacamole is a creamy and flavorful dip that is made with avocados, tomatoes, onions, and cilantro. The guacamole’s flavor can complement the cheese on the fries, and it can also help to add some freshness to the dish. It’s practically healthy!
- Here’s a surprise for you: Make it Greek with tzatziki: Tzatziki is a creamy and refreshing dip that is made with yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, and dill.
- The right coleslaw on the side turns Air Fryer Loaded Cheese Fries into a full dinner.
Other Toppings for Cheese Fries
- Diced onions
- Green peppers
- Jalapeños
- Hot sauce
- Pico de gallo
- Sriracha mayo
- Buffalo sauce
- BBQ sauce
The bottom line
Air fryer loaded cheese fries are a fully customizable, easy-to-make snack or meal that is sure to please everyone. They are crispy, cheesy, and loaded with decadent flavor.
Air Fryer Loaded Cheese Fries
Make yourself a plate of these homemade cheese fries, with bacon, two kinds of cheese, sour cream, and frozen fries you can make in a few minutes with your air fryer.
Ingredients
- 1 lb frozen french fries
- 2 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1/4 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- ½ c canned cheese like Rico’s or a condensed cheddar soup
- ½ c sour cream
- 2 T milk or water divided
- 1 stalk green onions diced or dried chives or scissored flat parsley
- Optional: Chopped fresh or pickled jalapenos to taste
Instructions
- Start by adding the french fries in a single layer in your air fryer basket. You may have to do two batches.
- Set your air fryer temperature to 400 F for 4 mins. Shake basket. Heat 4 more minutes.
- Begin preparing your toppings: Cook, cool, and chop the bacon. Finely chop parsley and jalapenos if using. Wash and dice the green onion if using. Set all aside, but it's best to have these ready so you can serve warm plated fries as soon as they come out of the air fryer.
- While the fries are cooking, combine the sour cream and 1 T of milk or water. Gently stir and set aside. If it's still very thick, you can add another T so it's creamy but easier to pour.
- Remove the fries from the air fryer but keep them in the basket. Sprinkle on the shredded cheese and heat for up to a minute so the cheese is melted but not browning.
- Spoon out ½ c canned cheese with the other 1 T of milk or water, and heat in the microwave so it’s pourable and warm, about 20 seconds. Same note as the sour cream: add more liquid if needed so it's easier to pour. Set aside.
- Use tongs to transfer the cheesy fries to a serving plate.
- Drizzle on the warmed liquid cheese, add the cooked crumbled bacon, chopped jalapenos, then drizzle the sour cream and garnish with dried chives, chopped green onion, and/or some scissored fresh parsley.
- Serve warm.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
This recipe sounds delicious, but I didn’t see water in the ingredients list.
Did I miss something?
Hi Catherine! Thank you for your note; this has prompted me to revisit the ingredients AND the instructions and quite a bit needed clarifying! You can use milk or water to thin both the sour cream and the cheese sauce, 1 tablespoon in each and if it’s still too thick to add another tablespoon. The cheese sauce may need to be reheated again by the time the fries are ready to serve; just make it the last thing you add over top! —Renee’ and Andi