Loaded Nacho Fries

These loaded nacho fries are cheesy, spicy, crispy, and creamy all in one. Basically, everything delicious in a single Tex-Mex recipe! They’re crispy baked fries covered with cheese and your favourite taco toppings, including sour cream, beans, diced veggies, and lime.

Let’s talk about that cheese sauce though. This is the sauce that I use in my vegan mac and cheese, and not only is it absolutely delicious, it’s also ridiculously easy. Just add all of the ingredients to your blender and blend! A comment I get a lot on this cheese sauce is that when readers taste it, they’re shocked that it’s vegan. 

I confess, I always want to eat a plate of nacho fries by myself. But they’re perfect game day food, and they make a great last-minute sharing meal on nights when you want something indulgent and fun for dinner.

Why This Nacho Fries Recipe Makes the Best Vegan Appetizer

• No expensive store-bought vegan cheese here! A handful of wholesome ingredients make the best homemade vegan queso in this nacho fries recipe. You will want to eat it with a spoon.
• These are a perfect easy vegan appetizer or meal for any party, game night, or Netflix binge-watching session. Is there ever NOT a good time for nacho cheese fries?!
• Add your favourite toppings like beans, tomatoes, jalapeños, and more, and use as much or as little as you like.
• These fries are (literally) loaded with flavour: spicy, cheesy, savory, and creamy. They’re sure to be a crowd-pleaser!

Notes on Ingredients

Before you get started, gather these ingredients to make the best vegan nacho fries (scroll to the recipe card for the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions):

• Russet potatoes – My favourite for making baked fries. You could also make these nachos using air fryer shoestring fries.
• Coconut oil – Helps the fries crisp in the oven.
• Black beans – You can use canned or cooked dry black beans. If you’re using canned beans, drain and rinse them first.
• Corn – Same as the beans, the corn can be canned, or you can trim the kernels from corn on the cob (or leftover elote).
• Tomatoes – Dice these to a size that’s easy for the fries to hold.
• Sliced jalapeños – Pickled jalapeños are also delicious, or use canned green chiles for a milder pepper.
• Vegan sour cream – Either homemade vegan sour cream or store-bought.
• Lime slices – For garnish.

For the Vegan Cheese Sauce

• Olive oil or coconut oil – Or another cooking oil you like to use.
• Carrot – Carrot adds colour to the sauce.
• Onion and garlic – Diced yellow onion and fresh garlic cloves. If you don’t have fresh garlic, substitute ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder per clove.
• Raw cashews – Soak these in water for 8 hours, or overnight. See below
• Dry ground mustard – This adds a sharper flavour to the cheese sauce. Yellow mustard will work here, too.
• Lime juice – Freshly squeezed is best.
• Tamari or liquid aminos – You can also use soy sauce or lite soy sauce. Choose whichever option works for your diet!
• Nutritional yeast – Key to the cheesy flavour in our vegan nacho cheese sauce.
• Spices – I use sweet paprika or smoked paprika for a little smoky flavour, plus ground nutmeg.
• Unsweetened almond milk – Or another unflavoured, unsweetened plant milk you have on hand.

How Do You Soak Cashews for Vegan Cheese Sauce?

Soaking cashews softens them so they blend into a silky-smooth consistency in the cheese sauce for these vegan nacho fries. It’s best to do this the day before. To soak cashews:

1. Place the desired amount of raw cashews in a bowl and cover them with water.
2. Let them soak overnight. Drain the water before using the cashews in your recipe.

How to Make Vegan Nacho Fries

If you’re ready to get started, follow these steps to make crispy, cheesy loaded nacho fries from scratch! I usually get my fries in the oven first, so I can prepare the cheese sauce and other ingredients while they bake.

• Prepare. Preheat your oven to 450°F and line two baking sheets with a silicone mat or lightly oiled parchment paper. Cut the potatoes as desired.
• Add the oil. Place the fries onto the prepared pans and drizzle them with oil. Rub the fries to coat them evenly. 
• Bake. Arrange the fries in an even layer and bake for 40 minutes, or until crispy. Season with salt and pepper.

• Cook the vegetables for the sauce. Warm the oil in a pan set over medium heat, then stir in the carrots, onions, and garlic. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Cool slightly.
• Blend. Add the vegetables to your blender, along with all of the other cheese sauce ingredients. Blend for about 1 minute on high speed, until sauce is completely smooth. Season to taste.
• Assemble the nacho fries. Plate the fries, then top with the nacho cheese and your desired toppings. Serve with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Tips for the Best Nacho Fries (Plus Variations!)

• Be sure to soak the cashews. This will ensure a smooth and creamy cheese sauce. If you forget to soak them overnight, you can boil them for 10 minutes until they soften.
• Give the fries space. If you cram them onto a single pan, they’ll steam instead of getting crispy. Leave room for air to circulate!
• Don’t overdo it on the toppings. While this recipe allows for lots of customisation, be careful not to overload your fries with toppings. Stick to 2-3 toppings in moderate quantities to prevent the fries from getting soggy. (Or plan on eating them with a fork!)
• Use a high-speed blender. A powerful blender will ensure a smooth and creamy consistency for the cheese sauce.
• Instead of all the individual toppings (diced tomatoes, black beans, corn), top your nacho fries with leftover cowboy caviar.
• Make chicken nacho fries with savory vegan chicken.
• Make totchos! Replace the fries with homemade tater tots for a fun, vegan variation of totchos.

Optional Toppings for Nacho Fries

• Vegan ground beef cooked in taco seasoning (see my original loaded vegan nachos for the recipe)
• Sofritas
• Soyrizo
• Guacamole
• Black olives
• Cilantro
• Sliced green onions

Serving Suggestions

Serve these nacho fries as a fun party appetizer on game day, with restaurant-style salsa on the side. Or enjoy them as a satisfying meal on their own or with a main dish like vegan birria tacos or easy grillable veggie burgers.

How to Store Leftovers

• If possible, store the fries and nacho cheese separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. I don’t recommend freezing nacho fries as they will become soggy and lose their crispy texture. 
• Reheat. When ready to eat, reheat the fries in the oven or air fryer and warm up the cheese sauce on the stovetop or in the microwave. Assemble and add fresh toppings just before serving for optimal taste and texture.
• If you’ve already topped the fries, store them in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days and reheat them in the microwave. They’ll be soggy, but still delicious.

More Vegan Appetizer Recipes

• Mexican Street Corn Dip (Elote Street Corn Dip)
• Vegan Southwest Egg Rolls
• Loaded Potato Skins
• Sweet Potato Fries
• Taco Dip
• Soy Curl Tacos
• Pretzel Dip

Enjoy friends! If you make this loaded nacho fries recipe, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!