This Loaded French Fries Recipe with Jalapeno Ranch is the ultimate snack. Cheese fries are always perfect for game day or a weekend binge-watch session.
Despite my culinary career built on developing healthier wild game and fish recipes, I must confess: I have a few guilty pleasures. Buying a giant container of peanut butter filled pretzels at Sam's Club before I go hunting in Montana is one. And the other is loaded French fries. There's just something about a big pile of French fries smothered in melted cheese and meat!
Whether you’re tailgating in a parking lot, hosting a game day party at home, or just giving yourself permission to lean into a full-on comfort food moment, this Loaded Fries with Jalapeno Ranch recipe is here for it. Hot, cheesy, a little spicy, and unapologetically indulgent, these loaded French fries are everything you crave when you're looking for a savory snack that’s big on flavor and easy on effort.
I’ve tested this cheese fries recipe while watching March Madness, during hunting camp weekends, and even on lazy Friday nights watching a movie with my wife and daughter on the couch. Every time, it disappears fast. And if you’re like me - a home cook who always has ground venison in the freezer - this is one of those dishes that lets you share some of your wild game meat in the most crowd-pleasing way.
If you've always wanted to learn how to make loaded fries that taste like they came straight from your favorite bar or food truck, let me show you just how easy it can be.
Why You'll Love This Loaded French Fries Recipe
Here’s what makes this version of loaded French fries extra special:
- Bold, spicy flavor – The homemade jalapeno ranch delivers cool heat and creamy tang.
- Wild game twist – Ground venison brings a wild game twist rather than using beef or bacon.
- Quick and easy – You’ll use frozen French fries from the grocery store to make your life easy. No need to overthink it.
- Make-ahead friendly – The ranch keeps for up to a week in the fridge.
If you're planning a snack for family or friends, binge-watching The Diplomat on Netflix, or just looking to upgrade frozen fries for a weeknight dinner idea, this is the loaded French fries recipe you'll want to save and come back to again and again.
How To Make Loaded Fries
1. Make the Jalapeno Ranch
In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, mayo, and sour cream. Add the chopped pickled jalapenos and their briny juice. Stir in the parsley, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Taste and adjust the salt if needed. If you like more bite, go ahead and sneak in an extra teaspoon of jalapeno juice. The dressing should be creamy but easy to drizzle.
Make Ahead Tip: This jalapeno ranch recipe can be made up to a week in advance. Just store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
2. Bake the French Fries
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
Spread the frozen French fries out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
Bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden and crispy. Don’t rush this step. Crispy fries are key to holding all those toppings without them turning soggy. No one likes soggy fries!
While the French fries bake in the oven, you’ll brown the meat. I used ground venison because I'm a wild game chef and hunter and that's what we have a lot of in our freezer. But feel free to use ground beef or turkey if that's what you have available.
3. Cook the Meat
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the ground venison and break it up with a wooden spoon or spatula. Season it with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until no pink remains.
4. Assemble the Loaded Fries
Once the fries are done, take them out of the oven.
Scatter the cooked ground venison evenly over the fries. Top with shredded cheddar cheese. Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes, just until the cheese melts.
Remove the fries from the oven. Sprinkle on the chopped green onions and pickled jalapenos. Finish with a generous drizzle of jalapeno ranch. Serve immediately, while everything’s hot and gooey.
Tips For The Best Loaded French Fries
- Use a large rimmed baking sheet so the fries don’t overlap. This helps them crisp up instead of steaming.
- Don’t skimp on the ranch. It ties everything together with creamy, spicy goodness.
- Want more heat? Add extra jalapenos or a few dashes of hot sauce.
- No venison? Ground beef or turkey works great too, but venison is what we have the most of in our freezer.
Jalapeno Ranch Recipe
Jalapeno ranch is lip-smacking good and a perfect accompaniment for loaded fries. This semi-spicy jalapeno ranch was tested and approved by our 10-year-old daughter to make sure it wasn't too spicy. The recipe contains simple ingredients and creates a perfectly creamy homemade ranch dressing. It also keeps well in the refrigerator for up to a week, and only gets better with time as the flavors meld.
Make These Cheese Fries Your Own
While this cheese fries recipe is pretty perfect as-is, you can customize it based on what you have on hand:
- Use whatever ground meat you have in the freezer.
- Add crispy bacon bits for a smoky crunch.
- Swap cheddar for pepper jack if you like more heat.
- Love it really spicy? A drizzle of Sriracha or a sprinkle of cayenne pepper takes it up a notch.
More Ground Venison Recipes
I hope this easy Loaded French Fries recipe becomes a new favorite for you. If you are looking for more dinner inspiration, you can find all of my ground venison recipes here. Or check out these family favorites for your next weeknight dinner:
- Venison Sloppy Joes
- Easy Venison Spaghetti
- Deer Meat and Gravy over Mashed Potatoes
- Sloppy Joe Mac and Cheese
Come Deer Hunting in North Dakota
If you are headed our way for North Dakota deer season, check out the North Dakota Game & Fish Department website. And if you want me to come along with you as your camp cook, photographer, or butcher, you can find out more details here.
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Loaded French Fries with Jalapeno Ranch
Ingredients
Jalapeno Ranch
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup Hellman's mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 Tablespoon minced pickled jalapenos + 1 Tablespoon pickled jalapeno juice
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
Loaded French Fries
- 1 32-ounce bag frozen French fries
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground venison (or ground beef)
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup pickled jalapenos
- 3 green onions, chopped
Instructions
Jalapeno Ranch
- In a bowl, whisk buttermilk, mayonnaise, sour cream, pickled jalapenos, pickled jalapeno juice, parsley, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Taste and add another ⅛ teaspoon of salt if you prefer.
- Make Ahead: Jalapeno Ranch can be made 5 days in advance. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.
Loaded French Fries
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place French fries on rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes until they are extra crispy.
- Meanwhile, place a large skillet over medium high heat with olive oil. Add ground venison and break up with a wooden spoon or spatula. Season with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Sauté over medium high heat, breaking up the venison, and cook until the venison has lost its raw, red color, about 5 minutes.
- Remove fries from oven and top with cooked ground venison and shredded cheese. Bake fries another 5 minutes until cheese is melted.
- Top with pickled jalapenos and green onions, then drizzle with jalapeno ranch. Serve immediately.
Kathy says
My granddaughter loved these fries. Great recipe!
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Kathy. So glad your granddaughter loved these as much as our daughter does!
Tricia says
The kids and I LOVED these fries I made using some of my husband's deer burger in the freezer. Thanks for the recipe.
Ron says
Holy cow this was good! I served this up for football game and my friends devoured it.
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Ron. Glad to hear you and your friends liked the loaded fries as much as we do!