Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Potato Fries
- 800 g russet potatoes, scrubbed and unpeeled
- 30 ml olive oil
- 5 g fine sea salt
- 2 g smoked paprika
- 2 g garlic powder
Roasted Vegetables
- 150 g red bell pepper, deseeded and sliced into strips
- 30 g fresh jalapeños, thinly sliced into rings
- 10 ml olive oil
Cheese Layer
- 100 g sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- 100 g monterey jack cheese, freshly grated
Fresh Toppings
- 150 g avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
- 120 g tomato salsa, drained slightly if very watery
- 100 g soured cream, stirred until smooth
- 5 g fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 575 kcal
- Protein
- 19 g
- Carbohydrates
- 47 g
- Fat
- 37 g
- Fiber
- 7 g
- Sugar
- 6 g
- Sodium
- 1030 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 15 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 14 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 37 mg
- Potassium
- 1293 mg
- Calcium
- 437 mg
- Iron
- 2.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 85 mg
- Phosphorus
- 407 mg
- Zinc
- 2.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 236 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 73 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 3.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 27 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 1.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.3 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.23 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.31 mg
- Niacin
- 3.6 mg
- Folate
- 86 mcg
- Water
- 283 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 220°C/430°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
Cut the scrubbed potatoes into uniform sticks, approximately 1cm thick. Keep the skin on for better texture and nutritional value.
In a large mixing bowl, toss the potato sticks with 30ml of olive oil, salt, smoked paprika, and garlic powder until evenly coated.
Spread the seasoned fries in a single, even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.
While the fries bake, toss the sliced red bell pepper and jalapeño rings in a small bowl with 10ml of olive oil and a small pinch of salt.
After the fries have baked for 25 minutes, remove the tray from the oven. Flip the fries, then scatter the oiled peppers and jalapeños over and around the fries. Return to the oven for another 15 minutes.
Remove the tray from the oven and carefully push the fries and roasted vegetables slightly closer together to form a mound. Sprinkle the grated cheddar and monterey jack evenly over the top.
Return the tray to the oven for 3 to 5 minutes until the cheese is completely melted and bubbling.
Remove from the oven. Spoon the tomato salsa and diced avocado evenly over the melted cheese layer.
Dollop the soured cream across the top, sprinkle with freshly chopped cilantro, and serve immediately straight from the pan.
Chef's Notes
- For the ultimate cheese pull, blend a sharp aged cheese for flavor (like mature cheddar) with a high-moisture melting cheese (like monterey jack or low-moisture mozzarella).
- Moisture is the enemy of crispy loaded fries. If your tomato salsa is quite liquid, strain it lightly through a fine mesh sieve before spooning it over the fries.
- Baking the peppers and jalapeños alongside the potatoes in the final stage marries their flavors, allowing the spicy and sweet oils from the peppers to coat the potatoes as they finish roasting.
Storage
Troubleshooting
Fries are soggy and not crisping up
Cause: Potatoes were crowded on the pan, creating steam instead of dry heat.
Fix: Increase oven temperature slightly and bake for an extra 5-10 minutes before adding the cheese.
Prevention: Ensure potatoes are in a single layer with space between them. Use two baking sheets if necessary.
Cheese has separated and looks greasy
Cause: Pre-shredded bagged cheese was used, which contains anti-caking agents, or cheese was baked too long.
Fix: Cannot be completely fixed, but the fresh toppings will help hide the texture.
Prevention: Grate cheese from a block yourself and only bake long enough to melt.
Cultural Context
Often referred to as 'Irish Nachos' or 'Carne Asada Fries' (when meat is included), loading crispy potatoes with Tex-Mex toppings is a modern fusion comfort food. It takes the architectural joy of nachos and replaces the tortilla chips with the hearty, comforting base of a baked potato fry, bridging casual American pub food with Mexican flavor profiles.
