A British chip shop classic, easy cheesy chips are the ultimate comfort food, perfect for serving at home with little effort! They’re also a hit with teenagers and their friends.
The cheese sauce begins with a simple roux, then combines milk, grated cheddar, garlic powder, turmeric, mustard powder, and smoked paprika for a deliciously cheesy flavour. Try my pepperoni pizza fries recipe too!
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This is the cheesy chips recipe my kids always request when their friends stay over!
They claim these are the 'best cheesy chips EVER,' even better than our local chippy—quite the compliment!
I use good old frozen chips, which I always keep on hand. I prefer cooking them in an air fryer for extra crispiness, but a deep fat fryer or oven works too—just cook them as you normally would.
In under 5 minutes, whip up a quick cheese sauce and pour it over the hot chips. A sprinkle of salt and a side of ketchup make these cheesy chips perfect for teenagers (and adults returning from the pub)!
👩🍳 Love chips? Try my air fryer sweet potato chips and air fryer chips too!
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🛒 Ingredients
Chips - I use frozen chips and cook them in my air fryer. You can also oven-bake the chips if you don't have an air fryer, or deep fry them. Make your own chips if you prefer, but I always use frozen because it's much quicker.
Sauce Base - You'll need butter and plain flour to make a roux.
Milk - I usually use semi-skimmed milk but whole or skimmed can also be used.
Cheese - I like to use extra mature cheddar for the ultimate cheesy chips experience. If you prefer your cheese on the milder side, use a mild cheddar instead.
Seasonings - Use a combination of turmeric, smoked paprika, garlic powder, English mustard powder, and a sprinkle of cayenne and sea salt to finish.
🔪 How to make cheesy chips with frozen chips
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Air fryer frozen chips per instructions.
Two: Melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan. Stir in the flour.
Three: Cook the roux for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
Four: Add the milk and use a whisk to get rid of any lumps. Simmer on a medium heat, stirring continuously, until the sauce has thickened (it should coat the back of a wooden spoon).
Five: Take the pan off the heat and add the grated cheese and seasonings (apart from the cayenne and salt).
Six: Mix with a spoon until the sauce becomes smooth, glossy and all the cheese has melted.
Seven: Take your chips out of the air fryer or oven and put them on a serving plate.
Eight: Pour over the hot cheese sauce and sprinkle over the cayenne and some sea salt.
Top Tips
- Don't skip the seasonings either. The mustard powder, garlic powder, and smoked paprika add an extra level of flavour, and the turmeric gives the sauce that glorious yellow colour!
- Eat the cheesy chips hot! If you leave them too long the cheese will go hard!
- Roast potatoes and sweet potato fries are also delicious with the cheese sauce!
🍴 Serving suggestions
We usually eat cheesy chips as a snack. However, you could serve them with some hot sausage rolls, veggie burgers, or sausages, for a more substantial meal!
📖 Variations
- Make cheesy bacon chips by adding some crumbled bacon bits on top of the cheese sauce.
- Add half a teaspoon of chilli powder for spicy cheesy chips!
- Make loaded cheesy chips and add leftover chilli or slow cooker bolognese on top of the chips (reheat the chilli or bolognese in the microwave first), before pouring over the cheese sauce.
- Add half a teaspoon of curry powder for cheesy curry chips!
- Use French Fries instead of chips for cheesy fries.
- Garnish with parsley for a bit of colour.
❓ FAQs
Not particularly, but if you air fry your chips rather than deep fry them, and use reduced-fat cheddar cheese, they will be much healthier than if you bought them from a chip shop!
Any cheese that can be grated and melts well can be used to make cheesy chips. Mature cheddar, mild cheddar, Red Leicester, Mozzarella, and Parmesan for example.
😋 More potato recipes!
- Easy Roast Sweet Potatoes
- Polenta Roast Potatoes
- Air Fryer Baked Potato
- Parmentier Potatoes
- Mini Hasselback Potatoes
- Air Fryer Chips
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Recipe
Easy Cheesy Chips
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We'll email you this post for easy access later! You'll also join the Effortless Foodie mailing list and receive my popular 'No Bake Bars and Slices' eBook for free!
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Equipment
- Air Fryer optional
- Whisk
- Large Saucepan
Ingredients
- 500 g Frozen Oven Chips
- 20 g Butter
- 20 g Plain Flour
- 250 ml Milk
- 120 g Extra Mature Cheddar grated
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon English Mustard Powder
- ½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne for sprinkling
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Cook your frozen chips as per packet instructions, either in your air fryer, oven, or deep fat fryer.500 g Frozen Oven Chips
- Whilst the chips are cooking, make the cheese sauce by first, melting the butter in a saucepan on the hob20 g Butter
- Stir in the flour then cook the roux paste for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.20 g Plain Flour
- Pour in the milk and use a whisk to get rid of any lumps. Simmer on a medium heat, stirring continuously, until the sauce has thickened (it should coat the back of a wooden spoon). This should only take a few minutes.250 ml Milk
- Take the pan off the heat and add the grated cheese and seasonings (apart from the cayenne and salt). Mix with a spoon until the sauce becomes smooth, glossy and all the cheese has melted.120 g Extra Mature Cheddar, ½ teaspoon Turmeric, 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder, ½ teaspoon English Mustard Powder, ½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- Take your chips out of the air fryer or oven and put them on a serving plate.500 g Frozen Oven Chips
- Pour over the hot cheese sauce and sprinkle over the cayenne and some sea salt.¼ teaspoon Cayenne, ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
Video
Notes
- Don't skip the seasonings! The mustard powder, garlic powder, and smoked paprika add an extra level of flavour, and the turmeric gives the sauce that glorious yellow colour!
- Eat the cheesy chips hot! If you leave them too long the cheese will go hard!
- Roast potatoes or sweet potato fries are also delicious with the cheese sauce!
Emily
You can't go wrong with cheese, I'm excited to try adding curry powder!
Ana F.
I made these chips recipe over the weekend and it was a hit with the family! Can't wait to make it again and thanks for the recipe!
Louise
Oh My! These are the ultimate comfort food. Making a roux as the cheesy sauce is next level genius IMO!
Ieva
Cheesy Chips is one of my guilty pleasures, but I never tried making the cheese sauce myself before. Loved the spices that went in and tasted so much better than the ones from my takeaway shop. Thanks for the recipe!
Kate
Loved this cheesy chips recipe! The spices really elevated them! I can't wait to make these again.
Kate
Oh my, cheesy chips are just an epic chip shop treat after a night out - I love this 'gourmet' version with all the extra flavourings, definitely trying this during the week!
Katherine
Ooooh yes! Got to love cheesy chips! It's a treat when we're out places, so great that we can now make them at home. Yum!
Nora
Oh, yeah! That's comfort food! Loved it! Perfect for the cold days we have right now!
Dannii
You can't beat cheesy chips. It takes me back to my student days!
Heidy
These easy cheesy chips were perfect for a quick and tasty snack last night. We all enjoyed them and I will be making them again!
Cathleen
I also make my chips in the air fryer! Probably what I use my air fryer for 90% of the time haha. I have been on a cheesy chips kick this past month, but for some reason I have never made it at home! Thank you so much for this, it will save me so much money!