Skillet Nacho Fries (Frachos)

Some days call for French fries covered in cheese. Other days call for LOADED cheese fries covered in savory taco meat, beans, and nacho toppings. Cue frachos: French fry nachos. Baked in a skillet, this nacho fries recipe is WAY better than anything you’ll pick up from the drive-thru window. It’s easy, satisfying, and a fun twist on classic nachos.

I’m telling you now, homemade nacho fries are where it’s at. Serve them up for all your game days, happy hours, and gatherings, drizzled with chipotle cream or dolloped with guac. Or both.

For more appetizer mash-ups, try my cheeseburger dip and taco monkey bread.

French Fries + Nachos = Frachos!

“Frachos” are loaded nacho fries that replace tortilla chips with crispy French fries. You might already be familiar with the frachos from Taco Bell, but I think this homemade version is even better! I have a copycat of their crunch wraps, too, if you’re craving those next.

• Two favorites in one. Never choose between a platter of cheesy nachos and a plate of fries again.
• Party-ready. A hot skillet of beefy nacho fries is the only way I’ll be starting my game days from now on.
• Use up leftovers. The beefy fracho topping is quick to prep from scratch, but it’s also a great way to repurpose leftover taco meat from taco night. Ground beef, chicken, or otherwise.
• Made for sharing. My carne asada fries are another version baked on a sheet pan. Truly, I can’t think of a better Tex-Mex party food, can you? 

Frachos Ingredients

Here are the ingredients in this cheesy homemade frachos recipe. Refer to the recipe card for the exact amounts for each ingredient.

• Ground Beef – I use lean ground beef. You could make the taco meat topping with ground turkey or ground chicken.
• Taco Seasoning – Fajita seasoning is a good substitute with similar ingredients.
• Black Beans – Drain and rinse the canned black beans. Pinto beans also work well.
• Grated Cheese – You can use a Mexican cheese blend or freshly grated cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Pepper Jack cheese.
• French Fries – Your favorite brand of frozen French fries. I use the Yukon fries from Alexia (totally not a sponsored shout-out, I just really happen to love their fries!). Bake or air fry them according to the package directions. Make sure they’re nice and crispy so they’ll hold up to the toppings.
• Chipotle in Adobo – To make the chipotle cream sauce, you’ll need one pepper from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo, or more if you like it spicy. I’ve also heard of some readers swapping the chipotle pepper with fresh cilantro to make a mild cilantro sauce instead!
• Sour Cream – You’ll add the sour cream and chipotle pepper to a blender with a pinch of salt. Greek yogurt, plain yogurt, and even mayonnaise work here, too.

How to Make the Best Nacho Fries

I’ll usually prepare my meat mixture and frachos in the same skillet: Cook the beef and beans, drain or wipe out any excess grease, and then assemble the nacho fries in the same pan. Easy! Make sure to use an oven-proof skillet, like a cast-iron pan. If not, just assemble and bake the frachos on a sheet pan instead.

1. Make the nacho topping. Brown the lean ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat. Then, lower the heat, and add the drained and rinsed black beans, taco seasoning, and about 3 tablespoons of water. Stir and cook for a few minutes. 
2. Assemble. In the meantime, prepare your French fries so they’re good and crispy. Place half of the fries in a 9” skillet, topped with half the beef and bean mixture, and 1 to 1 ½ cups of shredded cheese. Repeat with the rest of the fries, beef, and cheese. I like to make sure that every fry touches the cheese.
3. Bake. Place the skillet frachos into a 400ºF oven for 7-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. 
4. Make the chipotle cream. While the nacho fries bake, prepare the chipotle cream by blending the chipotle pepper, sour cream, and salt in a blender or food processor. You can also make this up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate it, so it’s ready to go.
5. Serve. Get any guacamole and nacho toppings ready, and when the nacho fries come out of the oven, drizzle over the chipotle cream and serve them right away (as if I need to say that!).

Nacho Toppings

Just about anything you’d add to a taco or taco casserole goes wonderfully on a skillet of crispy nacho fries! These are some favorite topping ideas.

• Chopped tomatoes or salsa
• Guacamole, diced avocado, or avocado salsa
• Fresh chopped cilantro or parsley
• Cowboy caviar
• Shredded lettuce
• Crumbled Oaxaca cheese or feta
• Crushed Fritos crumbs

Variations

• Swap the ground beef. Instead of ground beef, use plain shredded chicken. In this case, skip the browning step and add the taco seasoning, beans, and water as written. You can also make your nacho topping with cooked leftover chipotle chicken or pork carnitas and stir it in with the black beans.
• Flavor boost. Toss the baked French fries with extra taco seasoning to really kick the Tex-Mex flavor up a notch.
• Sweet potato fries. Trade regular French fries for sweet potato fries, either frozen or cooked until crispy in the air fryer.
• Skip the beans. If you aren’t a fan of black beans, you can use pinto beans or skip them altogether and use only the taco beef.
• Use leftover nacho dip. Instead of beef, top or serve the fries with homemade crockpot chicken nacho dip for an easy appetizer. Like an upgraded version of the classic Taco Bell nacho fries!
• Vegetarian. Make a version of vegetarian frachos with the topping from my roasted veggie nachos recipe.

Storing and Reheating

Just like regular fries and nachos, frachos are best served and eaten right away. Over time, the cheese stiffens, and the beef makes the French fries soggy. That being said, if you have leftovers:

• Store the fries and toppings separately. Your best bet, when possible, is to keep any leftover French fries, chipotle cream, and beef mixture stored in separate containers. Refrigerate them for up to 2 days.
• Refrigerate leftovers airtight. If you’re storing leftover baked nacho fries, seal everything in an airtight container in the fridge. I recommend enjoying the frachos within a day or two.
• Reheat. If you’ve stored the ingredients separately, crisp up the fries in the oven while the beef reheats on the stove, then assemble with the cheese and bake as usual. Assembled nacho fries can be reheated in the oven, too, though they won’t be as crispy.

More Favorite Tex-Mex Dishes

• Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
• Taco Truck Chili
• Taco Burgers
• Chili Con Carne
• Taco Pizza
• Chicken Flautas