Air fryers are lots of fun, and air fryer French Fries are always a huge hit with my children. This meal was inspired by the secret menu “Animal Style” fries at In-N-Out Burger (only on the west coast!). We served it on a big platter like nachos.
With lean beef and potatoes, it’s a hearty dinner!
Each component of this recipe is simple to make, but there are many components. If I’m honest, this meal was a two-man job. My husband was air frying the potatoes while I was working on the onions, beef and toppings. I don’t think I’d have enough patience to do the whole thing by myself, all at once!
I wouldn’t say air fryers are a must-have kitchen tool, but they’re certainly fun to play with! This is the exact air fryer I have, and it’s a lot of fun.
“Animal Style” Cheeseburger Fries
Ingredients
Secret Sauce
- ¼ cup light mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika (smoked paprika is really good!)
Fried Onions
- ½ cup chopped red onion
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
Beef Topping
- 12 ounces 96% lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Air Fryer French Fries
- 4 medium sized russet potatoes (cut into slices; leave skin on)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Other Toppings
- 1 tomato (chopped)
- 1½ cups shredded lettuce
- 2 ounces reduced-fat cheddar cheese
Instructions
Make the secret sauce:
- Whisk all the secret sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside for later.
Make the fried onions:
- Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until they begin to soften.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low and let the onions cook and caramelize while you prepare the beef topping. Stir the onions occasionally, but it's safe to leave them while you work on the rest of the meal.
Make the beef topping:
- Lightly spray a larger skillet with nonstick spray. Heat the skillet over medium heat.
- When the skillet is hot, add the ground beef, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder and garlic powder. Continue to stir the beef mixture until the beef is no longer pink at all.
- When the beef is no longer pink, remove it from the heat and set aside.
Make the french fries:
- Cut up the potatoes, leaving the skin on.
- In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
- Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer in the air fryer basket, so that the potato pieces are not touching each other (you'll need to work in batches). Air fry each batch for 12 to 15 minutes, flipping half way through.
Put it all together:
- Spread the french fries on a large platter. Top with the beef, fried onions, secret sauce, shredded cheese, chopped tomatoes and lettuce. Serve it like nachos.
