Miss Taco Bell's Nacho Fries? You Can Whip Them Up At Home In No Time

What a glorious time 2018 was. "Black Panther" hit the box office, we found out Barbra Streisand had cloned her dog, and Taco Bell introduced Nacho Fries to the world. These delicious, crispy fries coated with a Mexican seasoning and served with a cup of nacho cheese sauce are a perfect guilty indulgence when regular french fries just aren't hitting the right way. But what if it's too late to go to Taco Bell? Or what if it's one of those times when the chain has taken them off the menu again? We've got just the thing to help you whip up your own Taco Bell Nacho Fries at home.

Making nacho fries that mimic Taco Bell's version at home is simple yet strangely more complex than you would think. These are just fries with a dash of Taco Bell's Mexican seasoning, but getting the flavor just right is where the challenge lies. Many have offered up their version of the seasoning online, but the results often fall short of the real thing. This is because Taco Bell doesn't share the recipe, so it has to be reverse engineered by taste alone.

As it turns out, there is an easy way to make nacho fries at home. Simply place your desired amount of frozen french fries in a bowl and drizzle with a tiny bit of vegetable oil to coat them. Then, all you need is paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt for your homemade seasoning. Toss the fries with the seasoning and cook in your air fryer for about 10 minutes or until they're as crispy as you like.

This recipe works so well because it uses just a few simple spices that you probably have on hand already. Of course, others online have offered other suggestions that are a bit more complex, including using coriander and cumin, which the chili powder should already cover. There are also some that suggest cheese powder, but Taco Bell does not use cheese powder. In fact, Taco Bell unveiled vegan Nacho Fries back in 2023.

While Taco Bell doesn't disclose what brand of frozen french fries it uses, they contain an extra crispy coating on them. Ore-Ida makes an extra crispy fry that is marketed as "fast food style," which may just work, but other brands have similar offerings as well. That crispy texture is an important part of the Nacho Fry experience. The coating isn't just crispy; it's also mildly seasoned with salt, which affects the flavor.

If you check out the ingredients for Taco Bell Nacho Fries, you'll see there are a few things that could affect the flavor that aren't accounted for. Notably, citric acid and vinegar, which give a sour tang to the fries, are missing, as is sugar for a hint of sweetness. If you tried the original recipe and it felt lacking, consider a faint spritz of apple cider vinegar for sweetness and acid before tossing the fries in the dry mix. Serve with your favorite nacho cheese and enjoy!