French Fries on the Grill With Cheese and Bacon

By
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
A recipe developer and food photographer, Leah Maroney is an ardent home cook and food blogger who has written over 300 recipes for The Spruce Eats.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 12/28/22
Tested by
Noah Velush-Rogers
Noah Velush-Rogers
Tested by Noah Velush-Rogers
Noah Velush-Rogers works on food prep for several area caterers. He has worked with a team of prep chefs for a private school group. He was an assistant cooking teacher for children and teen group cooking classes. Noah was hired as an intern and was then trained as a recipe tester for Fine Cooking Magazine. 
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
French Fries on the Grill With Cheese and Bacon

The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 35 mins
Total: 45 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
364 Calories
20g Fat
30g Carbs
17g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 364
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g 26%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 21mg 7%
Sodium 1160mg 50%
Total Carbohydrate 30g 11%
Dietary Fiber 5g 19%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 17g
Vitamin C 8mg 38%
Calcium 321mg 25%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 434mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

It's summer, it's hot, and no one wants to be in the kitchen, but the juicy burgers on the grill are just calling for french fries on the side. Luckily, you don't need to heat up the oven (or fryer) because frozen french fries can be made on the grill. This ingenious cooking method ensures that the spuds still turn out incredibly crispy—and makes it easy to smother the fries in cheese, bacon, and chives.

It's important to use frozen fries for this cooking technique because freshly cut potatoes will not achieve the crispiness you're looking for. If you need to make a larger batch of fries, create more aluminum boats instead of overcrowding them in one pouch; the fries will steam instead of crisping up, and no one wants soggy french fries.

“A real creative way to cook up your frozen fries. It’s nice to have the aluminum foil to cook them in so there’s less clean up later. Just make sure to keep an eye on your fries, a grill's heat varying can leave them pretty burnt if you’re not careful.” —Noah Velush-Rogers

French Fries on the Grill With Cheese and Bacon /Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 (14-ounce) bag frozen french fries

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

  • 1/2 pound bacon, cut into small pieces, or premade bacon bits

  • 6 slices yellow American cheese

  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh chives

  • Ketchup, optional

  • Mayonnaise, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    French Fries on the Grill With Cheese and Bacon ingredients

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  2. In a medium bowl, toss the frozen french fries with the melted butter.  

    frozen french fries with melted butter in a bowl

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  3. Portion french fries onto 3 sheets of aluminum foil, trying to space them out as much as possible in one layer. Create a "boat" around the fries with a large opening on top to allow steam to escape.

    frozen french fries in aluminum foil boats

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  4. Place french fry boats on a grill heated to medium-high (400 F to 475 F) Close lid and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes. Flip french fries and cook until the other sides are crisp, another 5 minutes. Set aside.

    french fries in aluminum foil boats on a grill

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  5. Meanwhile, if making the bacon bits from scratch, place a cast-iron skillet on grill. Add bacon and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp, 20 to 24 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel to drain.

    bacon in a cast iron skillet on a grill

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  6. Top fries in each packet with 2 slices of cheese and 1/3 of the bacon bits. Place foil packets back on grill, close lid, and cook until cheese has melted, about 5 minutes.  

    french fries in aluminum foil boats with cheese and bacon on top

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  7. Top with the chives. Serve with ketchup and/or mayonnaise, if desired.

    French Fries on the Grill With Cheese and Bacon in aluminum foil boats

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

Tips

  • It is very important that the frozen fries are not crowded in the foil pouches; if they are piled on top of each other, they will steam and become soggy instead of crisping up. Make sure to place them in one layer.
  • Another way to ensure the fries will crisp up is to keep the top of the aluminum foil boat open; again, closing it will create an environment for the frozen french fries to steam.

Recipe Variations

Feel free to add your own additional toppings, but here are a few fun ideas for making these french fries unforgettable:

  • Texas Barbecue: Add pulled pork, shredded cheddar, sour cream, coleslaw, and extra barbecue sauce.
  • Poutine-Style: Top the fries with gravy and cheese curds (fresh mozzarella also works).
  • Tex-Mex: Drizzle some homemade queso and add a dollop of guacamole and some diced jalapeños on top.
  • Greek Style: Top with crumbled feta cheese, olive oil, and lemon juice. 
  • Aioli: Drizzle on a simple homemade aioli, some chopped parsley, and a little crushed red pepper flakes for some heat. 

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