Golden, crispy fries piled high with melty cheese, savory toppings, and fresh garnishes — there’s no wrong way to make loaded fries! Whether you’re craving classic chili cheese fries, taco-inspired toppings, or a BBQ twist, this easy air fryer recipe turns frozen fries into a restaurant-worthy appetizer in just minutes. Perfect for game day, parties, or a fun weeknight dinner, you can customize them with whatever you have on hand.
I love making these with my Air Fryer Steak Fries as the base, then adding toppings like my Simple Perfect Chili Ree Drummond or seasoned taco meat from Taco Meat on a Blackstone. The air fryer gets the fries perfectly crisp without deep frying!
Jump to:
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This has been my favorite meal for the past 7 days. I air fryer some frozen steak fries and top it with homemade taco seasoned ground beef.
You can store the taco beef in the fridge in an air tight container and this makes enough meals for the next 4 days. Perfect for living a lone!
As someone who’s tested a lot of frozen fry recipes, I can confidently say this one is pure magic. You get the crispy edges you love from steak fries, but the fun really happens when you load them up.
Types of Fries you can use:
Ingredients Needed for Loaded Steak Fries
- 1 bag frozen steak fries – Thick-cut style works best for holding toppings. – Air Fryer Steak Fries
- 1 lb lean ground beef – Or ground turkey for a lighter option. – Learn how to cook ground beef
- 1 packet taco seasoning – Low-sodium if preferred. – Low Sodium Taco Seasoning Blend or I like Dano’s Taco Seasoning
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese – Or Mexican cheese blend.
- 1–2 diced tomatoes – For freshness.
- 1 avocado – Diced.
- Hot sauce or salsa – To taste.
- Optional: sour cream, green onions, pickled jalapeños.
How to Make Loaded Fries in the Air Fryer
Step 1 Cook the friesPreheat air fryer to 400°F, Spread steak fries in a single layer, spray lightly with cooking spray. 12–15 minutes, shaking halfway through, until crispy.
Step 2 Make the taco meat While fries cook, brown ground beef in a skillet. Drain excess grease, stir in taco seasoning with a splash of water, and simmer until thickened.
Step 3 Assemble the taco fries. Once fries are crispy, top with taco meat and shredded cheese. Add fresh toppings: Sprinkle with tomatoes and avocado.
Step 4 Return to the air fryer for 2–3 minutes until cheese melts.
Drizzle with hot sauce or salsa, and serve immediately.
Loaded Fries – Variations
There are so many ways you can top of some fries! Here are are some of my favorite ideas.
Taco Fries – Top steak fries with seasoned ground beef, cheddar, fresh tomatoes, avocado, and hot sauce.
Chili Cheese Fries – Load fries with chili, shredded cheese, and diced onions. Return to the air fryer for 2–3 minutes until the cheese melts.
BBQ Pulled Pork Fries – Add shredded BBQ pork and cheddar.
Buffalo Chicken Fries – Toss shredded chicken in buffalo sauce and drizzle with ranch or blue cheese dressing.
Pro Tips for Perfect Loaded Fries
- Layer after cooking – Don’t add wet toppings before air frying or fries will get soggy.
- Go for thick-cut – Steak fries hold toppings better than thin fries.
- Make it a meal – Add a protein-heavy topping like pulled chicken or chili
If you tried this easy Loaded Fries Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you! Follow along on Tiktok @jennarecipediaries
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Recipes Diaries.
Loaded Fries Recipe
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 avocado1 bag frozen steak fries
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Make the taco meat While fries cook, brown ground beef in a skillet. Drain excess grease, stir in taco seasoning with a splash of water, and simmer until thickened.
- Assemble the taco fries. Once fries are crispy, top with taco meat and shredded cheese.
- Add fresh toppings: Sprinkle with tomatoes and avocado.
- Return to the air fryer for 2–3 minutes until cheese melts.
- Drizzle with hot sauce or salsa, and serve immediately.
