This plate of cheese fries with chimichurri steak is seriously loaded. That’s because we’ve got the works here: hanger steaks, my favorite smoked chimichurri sauce, crispy shallots, an insanely delicious cheese sauce and crispy fries. You’ll never look at fries the same way again. 

Cheese fries with chimichurri steak are served.

To make our smoked chimichurri the safe and healthy way, we only use real wood or natural lump charcoal. Because of that, I’m always reaching for Cowboy Charcoal. Cowboy Charcoal is the perfect charcoal for making the smoked chimichurri recipe, since it burns really clean and has no chemicals in it. I like it better than other charcoals for all-purpose grilling as well!

Cowboy Charcoal and FYR Grill
Post sponsored by Cowboy Charcoal

Why You’ll Love Cheese Fries with Chimichurri Steak

These chimichurri steak fries are a great season-to-taste recipe for all the food lovers in your life. Pile as much steak as you want on top of the French fries. Dial up the heat or acidity in the fresh chimichurri. You can even adjust the cheese sauce to your liking. If the sauce is too runny for your taste buds, just add more cheese. If it’s too thick, then slowly add milk until it’s good to go!

Cheese fries with chimichurri steak and Cowboy Charcoal

I’ve recently become a huge fan of smoked sauces for grilled meats, like smoked butter and chimichurri, because they’re super easy to make and ridiculously versatile. These sauces pair perfectly with everything: beef, seafood, chicken, roasted veggies or even just a slice of warm French bread. 

For more ideas about what to do with chimichurri, check out my Best Chimichurri Recipes!

Ingredients for Cheese Fries with Chimichurri Steak

  • Steak: We’ll season our hanger steaks with my Gaucho Steakhouse Rub and FYR BLK Hot Sauce as a binder.
  • Chimichurri: This South American cowboy sauce is made of chopped fresh parsley, chopped cilantro, red wine vinegar, garlic, green onions, red pepper flakes, olive oil and kosher salt. 
  • Cheese Sauce: I purchased some premium cheese sauce at the grocery as a time saver for this recipe. If you’d like to do a homemade cheese sauce in place of this check out my beer cheese sauce!
  • Crispy Shallots: ​For a little extra crunch, we’ll fry finely sliced shallots in canola oil. Don’t underestimate the flavor with these crispy little slices. It adds texture and a savory zest to the dish.
  • Fries: ​The foundation of it all. Grab a bag of your favorite fries (or make your own) and some FYR RED Hot Sauce for the best cheese fries with chimichurri steak. 
Smoked chimichurri and fried shallots

How to Get the Best Fries

Whether you buy a bag of frozen fries or make your own, here are a couple tips to remember for any loaded fries recipe. To ensure your French fries cook evenly and get that freakin’ delicious crisp, spread your fries out in a single layer on a baking sheet or in the air fryer basket.

Also, make sure you choose the right fries! Crinkle-cut fries, steak fries, waffle fries or even sweet potato fries all work great. If you’ve got extra time and want to make your own fries, cut them evenly for consistent cooking. You’ll also want to soak them in cold water and a teaspoon of baking soda to get rid of excess starch and achieve crispy fries perfection. Check out my beef tallow fries or these regular fries for more detail on how to execute homemade fries!

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How to Make Cheese Fries with Chimichurri Steak

Making the Chimichurri 

Add all the ingredients for the chimichurri —1/2 cup chopped parsley, 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, 1/4 red wine vinegar, 4-6 minced garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons chopped green onions, 1 tablespoon red chili flakes, olive oil to your desired consistency and kosher salt to taste — to a mason jar. Give it a good mix.

Then, drop in a smoldering Cowboy Lump charcoal from the fire (ideally white hot). If you don’t use Cowboy Charcoal, please only use real wood or natural lump charcoal. Do not use briquettes or any charcoal that has been treated with chemicals. Cover quickly to encapsulate the smoke, then set to the side to marinate for 20-30 minutes. Fish out the piece of charcoal once you’re done marinating. 

Grilling the Steak

To make the steak for our cheese fries with chimichurri steak recipe, first preheat your grill to high heat (about 400 degrees Fahrenheit) for direct cooking. Then, slather your 1-2 hanger steaks in FYR BLK Hot Sauce to serve as a binder for the rub. Then season generously with 3 tablespoons of my Gaucho Steakhouse Rub or your favorite beef rub.

Grilled hanger steaks and then slicing them against the grain.

Next, add the steaks to the grill to cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until 120 degrees F internal temperature. Once they’ve reached temperature, pull them off and let the steak rest for about 10 minutes. Once the rest is complete, slice the steak against the grain into bite-sized cubes.

Frying the Shallots

For an extra crispy topping on our cheese fries with chimichurri steak, add a skillet to the grill with 2 cups of canola oil. When the oil is nice and hot, add 1/2 cup of finely sliced shallots and fry for 1-2 minutes, or until crispy golden brown. Once they’re done, pull the shallots off the grill and let them cool. The crunch and added flavor is next level.

​Assembling the Cheese Fries with Chimichurri Steak

To finish, add your favorite cooked fries to a plate and then top with the cheese sauce. Let cook in an oven at 350F for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is very melted. Add the steak, chimichurri, fried shallots and FYR RED hot sauce on top. Serve and enjoy!

Assembling cheese fries with chimichurri steak

What to Serve with Cheese Fries with Chimichurri Steak 

With a plate of loaded fries like this, you’ll want to keep your sides simple and fresh. A lime-scallion slaw on the side would be great, or a simple garden salad. 

For More Loaded Fries

Leftovers and Reheating

If you have leftover cheese fries with chimichurri steak, store all the ingredients separately in the fridge for no more than 3 days. Reheat them in the oven by spreading the fries on a baking sheet, covering with aluminum foil and then baking at medium heat (about 350 degrees F) until warmed through. I also like to reheat the steak in same way in the oven or in a frying pan. To reheat the cheese sauce, place it in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until warmed through. 

Eating cheese fries with chimichurri steak

FAQs

Can I use different cuts of steak? 

For sure. Ribeye steak, skirt steak, sirloin steak and flank steak are all great options for cheese fries with chimichurri steak. Just be sure to pay attention to the cooking time and check the internal temperature so you don’t overcook your steak. 

What’s a faster way to chop all these fresh herbs for the zesty chimichurri sauce? 

Your new kitchen best friend: the food processor! I love the food processor because you can throw in all the ingredients (including the garlic and red pepper flakes) and blend to your desired consistency. 

Where can I find Cowboy Charcoal

There are tons of places where you can buy Cowboy Charcoal. Check out this product locator on the website. You can also order online! 

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Cheese fries with chimichurri steak

Cheese Fries with Chimichurri Steak

This loaded plate of fries has steak, zesty chimichurri sauce and melted cheese for the ultimate comfort food dinner.
Author:Derek Wolf
No ratings yet
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American, South American
Servings: 4 people

Ingredients 

Steak:

Chimichurri:

  • ½ cup Parsley chopped
  • ¼ cup Cilantro chopped
  • ¼ cup Red Wine Vinegar
  • 4-6 Garlic Cloves minced
  • 2 tbsp Green Onions chopped
  • 1 tbsp Red Chili Flakes
  • Olive Oil to desired consistency
  • Salt to taste

Crispy Shallots:

  • ½ Finely Sliced Shallots
  • 2 cups Canola Oil

Fries:

Instructions 

Chimichurri:

  • Add all the ingredients for the chimichurri to the mason jar and mix. Then add a smoldering Cowboy Lump charcoal from the fire (ideally white hot). Cover quickly to encapsulate the smoke, then set to the side to marinate for 20-30 minutes.

Steak & Fries:

  • Preheat your grill to high heat (around 400F) for direct cooking.
  • Slather you steak in FYR BLK Hot Sauce and season generously with my Gaucho Steakhouse Rub or your favorite beef rub.
  • Add a skillet to the grill with 2 cups of oil. Add the finely sliced shallots and fry for 1-2 minutes or until crispy golden brown. Pull off and let cool once done.
  • Add the steaks to the grill to cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until 120F internal. Once done, pull off and let rest. Once rested, slice against the grain into bite size cubes.
  • Add your favorite cooked fries to a plate and then top with cheese sauce. I used premade fries and cheese sauce for this cook to save time, but you're welcome to use homemade. Let them cook in an oven at 350F for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is very melted. Add the steak, chimichurri, fried shallots and FYR RED hot sauce on top. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

How to Make the Best Fries
Whether you buy a bag of frozen fries or make your own, here are a couple tips to remember for any loaded fries recipe. To ensure your French fries cook evenly and get that freakin’ delicious crisp, spread your fries out in a single layer on a baking sheet or in the air fryer basket.
Also, make sure you choose the right fries! Crinkle-cut fries, steak fries, waffle fries or even sweet potato fries all work great. If you’ve got extra time and want to make your own fries, cut them evenly for consistent cooking. You’ll also want to soak them in cold water and a teaspoon of baking soda to get rid of excess starch and achieve crispy fries perfection. Check out my beef tallow fries or these regular fries for more detail on how to execute homemade fries!

Nutrition

Calories: 1136kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 121g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 32g | Monounsaturated Fat: 75g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 70mg | Potassium: 294mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1410IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 3mg

Derek Wolf

Derek is the driving force behind Over the Fire Cooking. He started cooking with live fire in 2016 and decided to start a social media page so his friends and family could follow the journey. Fast forward to today and Over the Fire Cooking has spread across multiple platforms with millions now following Derek's fire cooking journey. He's a southern fellow who enjoys everything from classic BBQ to Central and South American inspired dishes. Whatever he's cooking up, it's guaranteed to be so freakin' delicious!

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