13 Toppings To Level-Up French Fries

French fries are perfect just as they are: crispy, golden, salty. You honestly can't fault them in their delicious simplicity. But after a while, eating them with ketchup or mayo as a dip can start to feel uninspired. If you've ever found yourself staring at a plate of fries, wishing for a bit more excitement, you're not the only one.

The good news is you don't need to reinvent the fries to elevate them. You just need to give them a worthy topping. And there are so many things out there that you can pile on top of them. Whether you're craving something rich and creamy, bold and spicy, or filling enough to make your fries a meal, you have options.

You're about to find out about 13 awesome toppings to level-up french fries. Some of them you will definitely have seen before, but others are new and different. You can use just one of our topping suggestions or combine several to make an epic dish. Whether you want to make loaded fries as a snack, a side, or a full meal, you can find the perfect topping below.

Mushrooms and french fries are a pairing that doesn't get nearly enough love. Earthy, savory, and with piles of umami flavor, mushrooms can turn a pile of crisp fries into something special. And what's great is how versatile they are. Whether you're craving something smoky, saucy, or spiced, there's a mushroom fry topping for you.

Mushroom shawarma is one option. Seasoned with warming spices like cumin, paprika, and cinnamon, thinly sliced mushrooms get roasted or sautéed until they're golden and delicious. Pile them onto hot fries, add a drizzle of garlicky tahini sauce, and suddenly you've got something that feels street food-worthy.

If you're leaning toward bold and saucy, BBQ mushrooms are your answer. Meaty portobellos or hearty creminis soak up tangy-sweet barbecue sauce like a dream, their edges caramelized from a stint in the oven or pan. Or keep it classic with creamy mushroom sauce: think buttery sautéed mushrooms swimming in cream, garlic, and a splash of wine. Pour that on your fries and you're in for a treat.

You can mess around with different varieties of mushrooms and cooking methods. Roasting intensifies a mushroom's natural flavors, while sautéing is quicker and easier to control. King oyster mushrooms are perfect if you want something meaty, while porcinis have a particularly intense flavor. There are so many options that you're bound to whip up something amazing.

Cheese and french fries might feel like the obvious duo, but there's a reason they're such a perfect match. The salty, creamy, umami notes of cheese offer a tasty contrast to starchy potatoes. Plus, when melted over fries, cheese is even more delicious. But if you think cheddar is the only contender here, it's time to get a little more adventurous.

You might want to level things up with blue cheese, like stilton or Roquefort. Its sharp funky flavors play beautifully against the salt and crunch of fries, especially with a scattering of fresh herbs or a drizzle of honey for balance. Or there's Gruyère — it's nutty, melty, and perfect for anyone craving something sophisticated. Even crumbled feta has its place here, especially if you add a sprinkle of oregano and a squeeze of lemon, turning your fries into something vaguely Greek and totally tasty.

And don't sleep on cheese sauce. Whether you make it from scratch or opt for the unapologetically gooey, neon kind you'd find at a ballpark, it's the ultimate comfort food. You can even mix in a dash of smoked paprika or a spoonful of pickled jalapeños for an extra kick. Cheese fries might be a predictable choice but people love them for a reason.

You can't go wrong with bean chili on fries. It's hearty and nutritious enough to be dinner, but it feels indulgent. Whether you're spooning over a smoky red chili or a creamy white one, it's your lucky day. The combination of crisp fries, rich beans, and a touch of spice is a great one.

Red bean chili is the classic choice, with its deep tomato base and gentle heat. It brings those familiar chili flavors and pairs them with fries, which just makes them even better. But then there's white chili. Made with creamy white beans and a subtle kick of green chiles, it's a little lighter but just as satisfying. Top it with a handful of sharp cheddar, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime, and you've got yourself a dinner worth bragging about.

If you don't have the time or inclination to simmer chili from scratch, there's no shame in grabbing a can from the store. Using canned chili is a great shortcut for when you need a quick meal. Just warm it through, maybe add a pinch of extra spice or a squeeze of lime, and you're good to go.

Hummus and fries might not be the first combination that springs to mind, but give it a try, and it's easy to see why it works. That creamy chickpea dip is a perfect counterpart to hot, crispy french fries. It's actually my go-to late night food truck snack, and I've scoured my city for the best vendors. But, of course, you can recreate it at home.

What's cool is that it's as low-effort or high-effort as you want it to be. Store-bought hummus works perfectly well here, though it's best if you bring it up to room temperature first. But if you're feeling ambitious, homemade hummus is even better. Blend chickpeas with tahini, lemon, garlic, and a glug of good olive oil until it's silky-smooth, and you're onto a winner. The same goes for the fries. Frozen oven fries are perfectly good for this, but you can elevate the meal by making your own, whether in the oven or in a fryer.

Adding some contrast is good here, as the rich, earthy notes of hummus can be a lot. A drizzle of chile sauce takes this from good to unforgettable. Something smoky and sweet like harissa is ideal, but even a squirt of sriracha is great. The heat slices through the richness of the hummus, adding brightness. Other ways to add contrast include a drizzle of zhoug, a sprinkling of za'atar, or a handful of pomegranate seeds scattered over the top.

If you love nachos, there's a good chance you'll fall hard for fully loaded nacho fries. They're all the messy, melty joy of classic nachos but with fries instead of tortilla chips. And when you think about it, fries are the perfect base. Crispy on the outside, fluffy within, they're a great counterpart to those tasty toppings.

You'll want to start with a blanket of melted cheese, such as cheddar, Monterey Jack, or a queso-style sauce. Then, it's time for the rest of the toppings. A chunky tomato salsa brings freshness and acidity to balance the richness of the fries and cheese, while dollops of guacamole are buttery but zingy from the lime. And, naturally, you can't skip the sour cream. It's cool, tangy, and essential for tying all the flavors together. Plus, you might want to add a scattering of sliced jalapeños to bring the heat.

Forget about Five Guys nacho-style fries. Making your own is the way to get the best toppings. And you can adapt them to suit your wants and needs. If you're vegan or dairy-intolerant, use a cashew queso or a store-bought vegan cheese. Or if you want something heartier, throw some bean chili on top. There are so many options for making this your own.

Wondering how to make your french fries feel fancy? The answer is béchamel sauce. It might not seem like the obvious choice. Wouldn't you just throw some fromage in there and make cheese fries? But, although it's more subtle than some toppings, it works incredibly well at elevating simple spuds.

But we don't stop there in our air fryer béchamel fries recipe. Once the sauce is generously spooned over those golden, crispy fries, you can add a generous helping of Parmesan and scattering of fresh chives. This takes it beyond just a mild white sauce over fries and turns this dish into a showstopper side or a delicious meal in its own right.

Plus, you could level it up with even more extras. Sautéed mushrooms add some substance and a deep umami flavor. Or you could add some sweet caramelized onions to contrast the richness of the rest of the dish. A squeeze of lemon or drizzle of balsamic vinegar would also brighten things up.

There's something deeply satisfying about fries drenched in gravy. It's comfort food in its purest, messiest form. Whether you're in the mood for a British-style brown gravy or a classic American version, you've got choices. Either way, you're getting a tasty combination of crispy potatoes and savory sauce that's bound to quench those cravings.

The British approach keeps it straightforward: a rich brown gravy poured generously over a mound of hot fries — or chips, if you're on my side of the pond. You want enough gravy to coat every bite but not so much that the fries completely lose their crunch. It's the kind of dish you find yourself craving on a rainy afternoon, paired with nothing but a strong cup of tea. It's the staple of chip shops and school canteens all across the British Isles.

But you can douse fries in American-style gravy, too. White gravy, sausage gravy, mushroom gravy — they're all prime contenders for pouring over potatoes, whatever their form. This kind of gravy on fries is something that tastes like it belongs at a holiday table but works just as well for dinner on the couch. And, of course, there's the Canadian take on fries and gravy: poutine. This pairs a simple gravy with cheese curds.

Curry sauce is something you'll find in basically any fish and chip shop in the U.K. and Ireland. It might seem like a weird addition to the menu, but it's commonly slathered over fries in this part of the world. If you've never had British-style curry sauce on fries, you're missing out. This isn't your standard Indian curry or Thai coconut number. This is chip shop curry sauce, a mainstay of British takeaway culture that doesn't get much love elsewhere in the world.

Chip shop curry sauce is hard to describe. It's a smooth, rich sauce with a gentle kick of spice but nothing that overwhelms the palate. It's not unlike Japanese katsu curry sauce with its mild spice level and slightly sweet, fruity notes. It's likely a product of British colonialism in India. The British armed forces invaded India and brought back spices, but adapted curry sauces to suit the national palate.

If you want to make it yourself and you don't live in the U.K., you may be able to find packets of chip shop curry sauce online or in British specialty stores. It comes in granules that are mixed with hot water. Alternatively, there are recipes for homemade versions online, which basically consist of aromatics, vegetable stock, curry powder, and flour to thicken it all, so it's pretty easy to make.

As soon as you taste pesto on french fries, it feels like an obvious combination. The herby, salty sauce brings piles of flavor and is thick enough to cling to fries without making them soggy. You can absolutely grab a jar of store-bought pesto for this, and it'll still be good, but homemade pesto is where it's at.

With homemade, the basil is fresh and bright, the garlic kicks just enough, and the olive oil is richly flavorful. There's a vibrancy you can't get from something that's been sitting on a shelf for months. Plus, making it yourself is shockingly easy: just blitz basil, pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic, and olive oil together. If you want to mix things up, swap basil for arugula or kale, or toss in a handful of walnuts instead of pine nuts — your fries won't mind.

It's delicious and even richer when paired with cheese. But, you might want to try it with something lighter, such as mushrooms, chickpeas, or even some fresh tomatoes. Fries and pesto is a perfect side dish for an Italian-inspired feast.

You might give me the side-eye for talking about putting a fried egg on a plate of french fries, but think about it. The yolk, golden and just barely runny, pools into the nooks and crannies of the crisp potatoes, while the lacy edges of the egg white can add extra texture. It's one of those combinations that feels both indulgent and surprisingly wholesome, rooted in a Greek dish called patates me avga. While the traditional version sometimes uses scrambled eggs instead of fried, the spirit of the dish is the same.

It feels like something a Greek grandmother might toss together on a quiet afternoon, pulling the ingredients from the fridge without ado. A plate of fries gets a dusting of oregano, a sprinkle of sea salt, and a perfectly cooked egg right on top. It's simple yet absolutely delicious.

Want to lean even more into the Greek roots? Add a sprinkling of feta cheese, crumbled just enough to melt into the fries and egg, or finish with a squeeze of lemon to brighten the whole thing. It's an easy way to make fries a complete meal, especially if you toss some salad leaves on there.

If you've never topped your fries with peanut sauce, let me introduce you to the Dutch dish patatje oorlog. It's a popular street food in the Netherlands with a name that translates to "war fries." It consists of fries smothered in spiced peanut sauce, with added mayo, and raw onions just to make it even more bizarre. It sounds odd, but it really works.

The story of patatje oorlog is rooted in Dutch colonial history. Indonesia used to be a Dutch colony. As such, there was a significant amount of immigration from Indonesia to the Netherlands — and when people moved, they kept making their favorite recipes. Over time, fusion dishes occurred. And that's how you get an Indonesian-inspired peanut sauce on fries.

Peanut sauce and fries isn't the most obvious combination but it's actually delicious. The balance of sweet, salty, and spicy takes basic potatoes to the best level. Plus the thick, creamy texture of the sauce sticks beautifully to the fries. The mayo adds another layer of richness but the onions help to cut through this. You'll find it all over the Netherlands, but you can recreate it at home, as well.

If you want to give your fries a little extra crunch and a boost of protein, crispy chickpeas might be the topping you didn't know you needed. They're salty, savory, and golden brown and the crunch contrasts the soft, fluffy interior of the fries. Plus, they're so easy to roast at home that you'll wonder why you haven't been doing it all along.

To make crispy garbanzo beans, start with a can, drained, rinsed, and thoroughly dried. The drier they are, the crispier they'll get. Toss them in a bit of olive oil, a generous pinch of salt, and whatever seasonings you're craving. Roast them in the oven in a single layer at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 45 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through, until they're crisp and golden.

Now you get to top your fries. Crispy chickpeas are delicious on their own but even better when paired with extras. A drizzle of garlic yogurt, labneh, or tahini sauce brings creaminess, while fresh herbs — like parsley, dill, and mint — add brightness. You could also crumble some feta or goat cheese over the top. Crunchy garbanzo beans are perfect for making a meal out of a plate of fries, since they're nutritious, protein-packed, and filling. With some extra veggies, you have yourself a balanced dinner.

Can't decide between fries and mac and cheese? Have them both. It's a match so obviously made in heaven that we're surprised you don't see it on more menus. Crunchy, salty fries provide the perfect foundation for a dollop of creamy mac and cheese. And, yes, that top layer of fries is going to get soggy, but that's just part of the charm.

You can keep it simple with classic mac and cheese. We mean elbow macaroni, cheddar-heavy sauce, no frills. You could even reach for boxed mac and cheese to speed up your dinner. But it's also an opportunity to get creative. A handful of breadcrumbs, toasted with butter, brings a wonderful crunch to complement the fries. Sliced fresh tomatoes provide fresh brightness to balance out the creaminess. Diced pickles bring crunch and tang. There are so many possible, and delicious, additions that it's hard to know where to start.

This is the kind of dish that doesn't pretend to be subtle. It's a full-on carb-on-carb experience, and that's the point. It's not a health food, it's cheesy pasta on french fries. But that's okay, it's incredible and that's all that matters.