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These Animal Style Fries are crispy, cheesy, and topped with sweet caramelized onions and tangy burger sauce. This recipe is simple to make at home with frozen or homemade fries. Serve them up alongside my smash burger recipe for the best fast-food-style dinner at home.
When I’m craving something salty and a little indulgent, this is the recipe I reach for. There’s nothing like these animal style fries straight from the oven, melty and delicious, slathered in my homemade burger sauce and caramelized onions. It’s the perfect bite. I wash it down with a cold chelada, strawberry margarita, or a refreshing agua fresca, and it’s my favorite kind of party.
Ingredients You’ll Need for Animal Style Fries
French Fries – I have the perfect homemade fries recipe here, but frozen fries will work well in a pinch.
Yellow Onions – Slowly caramelized, they add sweetness and lots of flavor.
American Cheese – This melts smoothly and evenly, creating that classic fast-food texture.
Burger Sauce – My recipe below is the perfect balance of tangy, sweet, and creamy. This is a must on animal style fries.
For the rest of the ingredients, please refer to the recipe index card below!
How to Make Animal Style Fries
Caramelize the onions. Cook onions on medium heat for about 30 minutes until deep brown, soft, and jammy.
Make the burger sauce. In a small bowl, stir together the minced dill pickle chips, mayonnaise, ketchup, yellow mustard, garlic powder, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Cook the fries. Prepare the frozen fries according to package instructions (usually at 425°F) until golden and crisp. For homemade fries, follow my recipe here.
Melt the cheese. Increase the oven to 450°F. Gather the hot fries on a baking sheet and lay the American cheese slices over the top. Bake until the cheese is fully melted.
Assemble and serve. Spoon the caramelized onions over the melted cheese, drizzle generously with burger sauce, and serve immediately while hot and crisp.
Quick Tips for the Best Animal Style Fries
Keep everything hot when assembling. The fries should be freshly cooked and crisp before adding the cheese. If they sit too long, steam will soften them.
Don’t rush the onions. Caramelization takes time. If they start browning too quickly, lower the heat slightly to prevent burning.
Serve immediately. These are best right out of the oven when the cheese is melted and the fries are crisp.
Make-Ahead
The caramelized onions and burger sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator.
If you tried this Animal Style Fries recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
If you are making my homemade crispy French fries for this recipe (linked below), start by prepping those first. If using frozen fries, proceed to the next step.
Make the caramelized onions. In a large skillet over medium heat, add the oil. Once hot, add the onions and 1 teaspoon of salt, stir to coat. Cover with a tight lid and lower the heat to medium-low. Allow the onions to cook and caramelize for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so to prevent burning and encourage caramelization. Once the onions are a deep brown and sticky, remove them from the skillet and set aside.
Make the burger sauce. In a small bowl, add the minced dill pickle chips, mayonnaise, ketchup, yellow mustard, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Mix it up until combined. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Now, cook the frozen fries according to the package instructions and set aside for assembly.
Preheat oven to 450℉. Bunch the cooked fries on a baking sheet and add the American cheese slices on top.
Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Top with burger sauce and caramelized onions to your liking. Serve immediately.
Quick Tips
Keep everything hot when assembling. The fries should be freshly cooked and crisp before adding the cheese. If they sit too long, steam will soften them.
Don’t rush the onions. Caramelization takes time. If they start browning too quickly, lower the heat slightly to prevent burning.
Serve immediately. These are best right out of the oven when the cheese is melted and the fries are crisp.
Make Ahead
The caramelized onions and burger sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator.
Calories: 370kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 1456mg | Potassium: 163mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 376IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 352mg | Iron: 0.5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
