Ranch Bacon Cheese Fries

Bacon cheese fries are probably one of the best appetizers, sides or munchies out there. Truth be told, I eat them for a whole meal. But do you know what makes them better? Ranch! Queue the Ranch Bacon Cheese Fries!

plate of ranch bacon cheese fries with text overlay for facebook


 

Cheesy bacon fries are perfect for game day, party food, as an appetizer, a side dish or just a quick snack. Crispy French fries topped with a gooey cheese, fresh crunchy onions and salty bacon.

This sounds like a simple concept, but making cheese fries is partially an art, but also personal preference. Here me out…

I don’t like the fake cheese sauce. You know, the liquid cheese sauce that comes in a plastic bag, doesn’t need to be refrigerated and never solidifies. Nope, I would an awesome cheese pull because freshly shredded cheese is heated up perfectly.

This recipe also uses double ranch. Dry ranch seasoning on the frozen fries to season while baking and then actual ranch dressing for dipping or drizzling.

spatula scooping bacon ranch cheese fries

Ranch Bacon Cheese Fries Ingredients

The ingredient list is fairly short and easily varied, so don’t feel like you need to stick to

  • Frozen French fries- I like using a classic fry, but you can also do showstring, steak fries crinkle cut. Waffle fries, even hash brown, really anything. Whatever you do, make sure you have crispy fries.
  • Dry ranch seasoning- make your own or grab a packet of seasoning at the grocery store.
  • Freshly shredded cheese– sharp cheddar, mozzarella and feta cheeses. Swap any of your favorite cheeses out, but using a variety is what makes this cheese fry recipe the best. Try to use freshly shredded cheese instead of bagged shredded cheese which is often tossed in some sort of starch to prevent clumping.
  • Green onions- also known as scallions, also feel free to use chives.
  • Crispy Bacon- cooked and crumbled or grab bacon bits at the store.
  • Ranch dressing- for topping or dipping. If your whole crew loves ranch, feel free to drizzle, but if they are going sit the ranch will make them a little soggy.

Other variations of these loaded fries include shredded chicken, sour cream, jalapeno peppers and hot sauce.

straight on shot of cheese fries on a plate

How to Make Ranch Bacon Cheese Fries

Easy to make, but there are a couple of things to keep in mind to make sure you get the best cheese fries.

  1. Prepare oven and pan. Go ahead and preheat the oven according to the package directions of the fries you are using. This will vary by brand and type. Also prep a rimmed baking sheet with either cooking spray, parchment or aluminum foil. All that cheese baked onto a tray will be hard to clean up, so this prevents sticking and makes clean up easy. Also feel free to make then in the air fryer, but then you’ll need to transfer them to a baking sheet to melt the cheese at the end.
  2. Toss fries. Place the frozen fries in a large bowl and toss with dry ranch seasoning. The small amount of moisture on the frozen fries will be enough to hold the powder. Toss well to evenly coat.
  3. Bake fries. Place fries onto a baking sheet in a single layer. Cook the fries according to package directions, flipping at least once so they are golden brown.
  4. Sprinkle with toppings. When fully cooked, take your fries out of the oven and sprinkle with the cheeses, bacon crumbles and green onions. I love uses a variety of cheese for flavor, color and even texture. Adding a cheese like feta gives them more sophistication that is unexpected. Yep, I just called cheesy fries sophisticated.
  5. Drizzle with ranch. Choose to drizzle with ranch dressing or just serve it on the side for dipping. In all honesty, the dry ranch mix will give them plenty of flavor.
collage of how to make ranch bacon cheese fries

Dipping Sauce

While we suggest ranch as a side, there are plenty of other options for dipping, or none at all!

hand holding french fries

Make Ahead & Storage

Make Ahead: If I’m being honest- fries really aren’t great when made ahead of time. I highly suggest you make them when you are ready to eat them. But this is such as an easy recipe, it shouldn’t take you much time to whip up a fresh batch.

Storage: If you do happen to have leftovers, store them in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge. Reheat in the oven on 300°F for 5 minutes.

collage of ranch bacon cheese froes for pinterest

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Cajun Fries Recipe

A batch of homemade Cajun Fries are just the ticket to satisfy that crispy, potato craving. Steps for both traditional fried and baked fries included!
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overhead of a tray of french fries with dipping sauces

Air Fryer French Fries

Use this Air Fryer French Fries recipe to make perfect crispy french fries at home! This simple recipe requires just 3 ingredients.
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Baked Zucchini Fries

These crispy on the outside, soft on the inside Baked Zucchini Fries are perfect for dipping in all the things! This is one of our favorite ways of using the overabundance of zucchini.
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Copycat In-N-Out Burger Animal Style Fries

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ranch bacon cheese fries on tray with text overlay for pinterest
straight on shot of cheese fries on a plate

Ranch Bacon Cheese Fries

4.32 from 22 votes
Crispy fries tossed with Ranch seasoning topped with a trio of freshly shredded cheese, crumbled bacon and scallions. Serve Ranch sauce on the side or drizzling on top.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven according to package directions. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
  • Place the fries in a large bowl and sprinkle with the ranch seasoning (you can add more to taste) and toss until the fries are coated in the seasoning.
  • Place the fries in an even layer on a baking sheet and cook according to package instructions.
  • Remove from the oven and evenly distribute the cheeses, onion, and bacon and broil on high for about 5 minutes until the cheese is melted.
  • Remove from the oven and drizzle and serve ranch dressing on the side.
  • If you’ve tried this recipe, please leave a comment or rating!

Nutrition

Calories: 391 kcal, Carbohydrates: 36 g, Protein: 9 g, Fat: 24 g, Saturated Fat: 9 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 12 g, Trans Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 25 mg, Sodium: 949 mg, Potassium: 523 mg, Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 1 g, Vitamin A: 159 IU, Vitamin C: 7 mg, Calcium: 143 mg, Iron: 2 mg
Author: Jessica Formicola
Calories: 391
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bacon cheese fries, cheese fries recipe
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to see your recipes – snap a picture and mention @savoryexperiments or tag #savoryexperiments!
Jessica Formicola in her ktichen

About the Author

Chef Jessica Anne Formicola

Jessica the mom, wife and chef behind Savory Experiments. You might see her on the Emmy- nominated TV show Plate It! or on bookshelves as a cookbook author. Jessica is a Le Cordon Bleu certified recipe developer and regularly contributed to Parade, Better Homes & Gardens, The Daily Meal, Mashed and more!

Read More About Jessica

4.32 from 22 votes (13 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




Questions and Reviews

  1. 5 stars
    There is a pizza place down the road that makes these and they are amazing! I always order them when I go there. I’ve thought about making them at home, but didn’t have the right ratio of ingredients. I’m excited to try this!

  2. 5 stars
    These fries are everything! With all the toppings and the ranch sauce, I don’t even think you need a dipping sauce. Yummy cheesy and filling! My new favorite french fry!

  3. 5 stars
    These are perfect for our movie night tonight and looks so delicious! Can’t wait to make thes with my daughter tonight!

  4. 5 stars
    These fries are so LOADED with all the good stuff! These are going to be fantastic to serve for football season snacks.

  5. 5 stars
    What ISN’T better with ranch seasoning?! These fries do sound like an entire meal and I am here for it 🙂