Low Calorie Taco Bell Copycat Nacho Fries Supreme
Crispy oven baked fries loaded with the best low fat cheese sauce and seasoned ground beef then topped with lettuce, tomatoes and green onions - just like Taco Bell, but homemade and so much better!
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 645kcal
Ingredients
Oven Baked Fries
- 2 lbs russet potatoes, washed well (about 4-5 potatoes)
- 1 tbsp avocado oil or avocado oil cooking spray
- 1 tsp salt
Homemade Taco Seasoning and Beef (see Note 1)
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ancho chili powder, or more regular chili powder (see Note 2)
- 1 tsp chipotle chili powder, or more regular chili powder (see Note 2)
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp smoked paprika, or more regular paprika
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 lb extra lean ground beef (lean ground beef works too)
- ⅓ cup water
Low Fat Cheese Sauce
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 cups 2% evaporated milk
- 1 cup low fat cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 slices fat free American cheese, optional (see Note 3)
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika or regular paprika
- ¼-⅓ cup jalapeño brine (don't skip this; see Note 4)
- Salt, to taste
Toppings
- 5 cups iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced
- 1 ¼ cups Roma tomatoes, diced (about 3-4 tomatoes)
- 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
- ⅔ cup fat free Greek yogurt or sour cream
Instructions
Oven Baked Fries
- Peel the potatoes (or leave the skin on) and cut into ½" thick sticks (you can cut them a little smaller or a little bigger, just make sure not to cut them too small or they'll burn in the oven)
- Rinse potatoes 2-3 times until the water runs clear then soak for 20 minutes
- Preheat oven to 325℉ and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper
- Drain potatoes then pat COMPLETELY dry
- Add potatoes to the baking sheet; toss with salt and avocado oil or a generous spray of cooking spray (ensure all potatoes are well coated)
- Bake for 15-20 minutes then remove from the oven and flip
- Increase the oven temperature to 375℉ and bake another for 10-15 minutes until golden and crispy on the outside but soft on the inside (see Note 5)
Homemade Taco Seasoning and Beef
- In a small bowl. mix together all spices for the taco seasoning and set aside
- Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat (do not add oil)
- Add the ground beef and break apart then cook for 3-4 minutes
- Drain the fat using a paper towel then add the taco seasoning and mix
- Cook for another minute, then stir in the water and scrape the bottom of the pan
Low Fat Cheese Sauce
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together the cornstarch and evaporated milk over low heat
- Bring to a simmer; cook for 4-5 minutes to ensure the cornstarch is fully dissolved
- Whisk in the cheese, ¼ cup at a time, waiting until it has fully melted before each addition; add the American cheese after all the shredded cheese has melted
- Whisk in the paprika, jalapeño brine and salt to taste (see Note 4)
- Top the fries with the beef, cheese sauce, lettuce, tomato and green onions then drizzle with Greek yogurt or sour cream and serve
Notes
Note 1: I make my own homemade Taco Seasoning. Homemade seasoning blends are so easy to make and very customizable so they're definitely worth the extra 2 minutes, but any store-bought taco seasoning works too.
Note 2: If you don't have ancho or chipotle chili powder on hand, or can't find it, you can just use 1 tbsp of regular chili powder.
Note 3: American cheese helps give this sauce a silky smooth texture similar to a classic restaurant-style nacho cheese sauce. If you don't have it on hand or don't want to use it, just add an extra ¼ cup of shredded cheddar cheese.
Note 4: Don't skip the jalapeño juice! It adds that signature nacho cheese flavor to the cheese sauce and makes it extra creamy and smooth.
Nutrition Facts in the recipe card below are calculated automatically and may be inaccurate. For more accurate nutrition information, refer to the macros below. Macros in the Recipe Notes section are calculated using a Macro Calculation App but will differ slightly based on ingredients used in individual variations. Nutritional information for this recipe is based on one serving.
Macros per serving: 681 calories/54g protein/73g carbs/20g fat
Nutrition
Calories: 645kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 53g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 112mg | Sodium: 1837mg | Potassium: 1821mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 2187IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 394mg | Iron: 6mg