These Copycat Animal Style Fries are a great way to get your favorite fast food side dish without having to leave the house. You can never go wrong with crispy fries coated in melted cheesy goodness!
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❤️ Why this recipe works
- Even the pickiest of eaters love air fryer cheesy fries.
- Plus, when you make air fryer fries, they have less fat than the traditional fried version.
- Homemade animal style fries are affordable. No need to spend money eating out when you can make this dish at home.
🔪 Ingredients
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- Russet potatoes
- American cheese
- white onion, peeled and diced
- unsalted butter
- Thousand Island dressing
- crumbled bacon, sliced green onion optional garnish
🍲 Equipment
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the recipe. The full instructions are below in the recipe card.
Step 1: Preheat the air fryer to 370°F/188°C.
Step 2: Peel your potatoes. Cut them into long, fry shaped length
Step 3: Place potatoes in the air fryer basket and air fryer for 15 minutes at 370°F. Shake basket halfway through at the 7-minute mark, then continue to cook until 15 minutes cook time is complete.
Step 4: While the fries are cooking, in a medium sized sauté pan over medium heat, add butter and let melt and sizzle, add the onions to the pan, sauté until they are golden brown, about 6-7 minutes, set aside.
Step 5: Once the fries are golden brown and cooked, assemble the fries on a plate or serving dish. Evenly place the American cheese slices over the fries.
Step 6: Sprinkle the cooked onions on top of the cheese, then evenly drizzle the dressing over the fries.
Step 7: Serve with crumbled bacon and sliced green onions, optional garnish.
⭐ How to store, reheat and freeze
Store leftovers unassembled in the fridge for up to five days. Make sure to keep the fries separate from the sauce and cheese so that they aren't soggy.
Freezing - You can freeze the cooked fries for up to 2 months. Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet, freeze for 2-3 hours, then transfer the frozen fries to a freezer safe bag or container.
Reheating - To reheat the fries, preheat your air fryer to 390°F/199°C and cook for 3 minutes, shake the basket halfway through.
💭 Expert Tips
Expert Tip: Be careful to not overcrowd your air fryer basket otherwise your fries will not be crispy.
📋 Frequently Asked Questions
Animal style fries are a famous In-N-Out Burger dish of french fries covered in melted cheese, grilled onions, and Thousand Island dressing.
The name actually comes from the toppings of a burger. It's believed that the "inventors" were a surfer and skater who were said to be rowdy.
📖 Variations
Do you want to change up this recipe? Here are some ways that you increase the flavor of this dish.
- Onions -If you are not a fan of onions, you can leave them off.
- Spice -Add jalapeno slices for a bit of heat.
- Sauce - Replace the Thousand Island dressing with BBQ sauce, ranch, or honey mustard.
- Cheese -Try adding different types of cheese such as cheddar, pepper jack, or even mozzarella.
- Toppings - You can also try adding different toppings like mushrooms, peppers, and olives.
🥗 Serving Suggestions
- Homemade Air Fryer Fish Sticks are super crispy, crunchy, and so much better than any store-made kind. Plus, they pair so well this these fries in air fryer.
- Keep up with takeout, home made themed recipes, and whip up Air Fryer Hamburgers for a simple meal that's family and budget-friendly.
- If you prefer chicken then give these Copycat Popeyes Chicken Sandwiches a try next time you need a quick meal.
🍽 Similar recipes
- If you are a fan of french fries you may also enjoy these Baked Spicy French Fries.
- The next time you need a crispy yet tasty appetizer, look no further than this Air Fryer Mozzarella Medallions recipe.
- If you love air fryer recipes, then you may also enjoy these Air Fryer Bagels. They are the perfect way to start off your day.
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Eileen xo
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Animal Style Fries
Equipment Needed:
- As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
Ingredients
- 2 large Russet potatoes
- 4 slices American cheese
- 1 medium white onion, peeled and diced
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ cup Thousand Island dressing
- crumbled bacon, sliced green onion optional garnish
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 370°F/188°C.
- Peel your potatoes. Cut them into long, fry shaped length
- Place potatoes in the air fryer basket and air fryer for 15 minutes at 370°F. Shake basket halfway through at the 7-minute mark, then continue to cook.
- While the fries are cooking, in a medium sized sauté pan over medium heat, add butter and let melt and sizzle, add the onions to the pan, sauté until they are golden brown, about 6-7 minutes, set aside.
- Once the fries are golden brown and cooked, assemble the fries on a plate or serving dish. Evenly place the American cheese slices over the fries.
- Sprinkle the cooked onions on top of the cheese, then evenly drizzle the dressing over the fries.
- Serve with crumbled bacon and sliced green onions, optional garnish.
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