Cheeseburger Nachos

Cheeseburger Nachos- Waffle fries are loaded with burger meat, plenty of cheese, all the fixings, and a tangy sauce making the perfect game day appetizer.

February 7, 2026 by Nicole Collins

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Today, we’re making Cheeseburger Nachos!

Tomorrow is the big food day! (I mean game day.) And if you haven’t decided what showstopping addition you’re adding to the table of deliciousness yet, I gotchu.

Nachos are kind of the standard for any big game day spread. And, you know my favorite thing to do is put a little twist on a well known or traditional food. So we’re swapping the taco vibes for burgers, replacing the tortilla chips with fries, and living our best lives with a recipe that will forever be guaranteed a spot on your game day tables.

Let’s start with the base of our nachos: some frozen, store bought waffle fries. I thought about building these nachos on tortilla chips to stay truer to the nacho theme. But really, is there any more classic pairing than burger and fries? So, we’re going with it. Arrange the fries in a single layer on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, and let them bake until they’re nice and golden. We need the fries to be done enough that they can withstand the mounds of toppings we’re going to add but not so well done that they’ll burn on a second trip in the oven. Just nice and light golden.

While the fries are baking, we’re going to make our cheeseburger meat. I actually like to use ground chicken for this one simply because it’s a little lighter and a little better for us. By the time we get the meat seasoned, you’d have no idea you weren’t eating beef. So, why not? But if beef is your preference, go for. It’s equally as delish, obvi.

We’re going to season the meat with a little dried minced onion (a shortcut so we don’t have to chop onions), and the basic trio of salt, pepper, and garlic powder. We’ll let the meat cook until it’s no longer pink. Then, we’re going to add some ketchup, mustard, and worcestershire sauce. This is what really elevates that meat into tasting like your favorite juicy burger. We’ll stir in the condiments and let it cook for just a few mins until the meat really absorbs that flavor. Then, we’re going to melt in a couple slices of torn American cheese until it’s fully incorporated into the meat. And, that’s pretty much the bulk of the work we have to do for this one!

Once our fries are baked, we’re going to evenly sprinkle that burger meat all over the surface of the fries. Then, to really double down on the cheese factor, we’re going to top everything with a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese. You can’t have nachos without all the cheese, right?? The fries will go back in the oven for another couple minutes until the cheese is melty. Then, it’s time to really load them up.

We’re going to finish these nachos with all the best burger toppings. First, a quick note…to make life super simple, I used a store bought burger sauce for this recipe. I LOVE the Franks Red Hot Burger Sauce. It’s not spicy at all, and tastes exactly like Big Mac sauce, but better. It’s absolutely delish! However, if you’d prefer to make the sauce yourself, that’s totally fine too. My mac sauce recipe is pretty on point too, if I may say so myself. So, you’ve got options here!

We’ll start by giving the fries a drizzle of burger sauce. Then, we’ll load them up with some shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sliced red onion, pickle chips, a sprinkle of sesame seeds, and finally another healthy drizzle of burger sauce. That’s all there is to it. It’s time to dig in!

The flavor coming out of these nachos is INSANE. You go on such a journey from savory to tangy to comforting to nostalgic to absolutely freaking magical. And really, this is truly such a fun new way to eat burger and fries AND such a fun little twist on traditional nachos. What’s not to love?

Ok, everyone! I’m loving that our game day recipes this year had “pour it on a sheet pan and load it up” theme. I hope you do too!

Regardless of if you are or aren’t partying tomorrow; stay safe, enjoy, and let’s eat!

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Cheeseburger Nachos             

Serves: 8          Print

Ingredients:

For the Nachos:

• 1 bag (24 oz) frozen waffle fries

• ½ tbsp olive oil

• 1 lb ground chicken or beef

• 1 tbsp dried minced onion

• ½ tsp salt

• ¼ tsp pepper

• ¼ tsp garlic powder

• ¼ cup ketchup

• 1 tbsp yellow mustard

• 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

• 4 slices American cheese, torn

• ½ cup shredded cheddar

• 1 cup shredded lettuce

• ½ cup grape tomatoes, halved

• ¼ cup slice red onion

• Pickles, to taste

• ½ tbsp sesame seeds

• Burger sauce, to taste (I like Franks Burger Sauce, or use the recipe below)

For the Burger Sauce:

• ¼ cup mayonnaise

• 1 ½ tbsp French dressing

• 1 ½ tbsp sweet relish

• ¾ tsp sugar

• ½ tsp dried minced onion

• ½ tsp white vinegar

• ½ tsp ketchup

• ½ tsp dijon mustard

• pinch of salt

Directions:

1. If not using store bought Franks Burger Sauce, make the burger sauce: Add all ingredients for burger sauce to a small bowl. Stir well to combine. Cover, and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

2. Arrange fries in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake according to package directions until golden.

3. Meanwhile, make the cheeseburger meat: Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add ground meat, dried minced onion, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Stir well to combine, and cook until the meat is no longer pink. 

4. Reduce the heat to medium. Add ketchup, mustard, and worcestershire; and stir well to combine. Cook for 2-3 mins, stirring occasionally. Add American cheese, and stir constantly until the cheese is completely melted into the meat. 

5. Once the fries are baked, top with burger meat and shredded cheddar evenly spread over the fries. Place back in the oven for 5 mins until the cheese is melted.

6. Top the fries with a drizzle of burger sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, pickles, sesame seeds, and another drizzle of burger sauce. Serve immediately, and enjoy!
   

Recipe notes:

*I prefer using ground chicken for this recipe, because it’s a little lighter and you can’t even tell you’re not eating beef. 

*Make sure your fries are golden but not well done before topping them. We want them cooked enough to be able to hold all the toppings but not too far gone that they’ll burn when we put them back in the oven for the second time.