The reason why they are called dirty fries, is because the fries in dirty fries are loaded with a messy, heavy and an indulgent combination of toppings like gravy, meats, cheese and sauces.
Dirty fries are the opposite of clean eating, which represent decadent, high calories and often messy comfort foods.
The dirty fries are loaded with toppings and are synonymous with "loaded fries," and often topped with bacon, cheese, chili, onions and even various sauces.
The term dirty fries, implies that the fries are covered in so many ingredients that they appear as messy or unrefined.
And in some contexts, dirty fries, refers to "dirty" foods which are highly seasoned, or in the case of "dirty rice", which indicates that it is mixed with browned, chopped ingredients like offal or meats.
Dirty fries are also a very popular and decadent street food, that is often served at pubs, food trucks and even burger joints.
Popular variations of dirty fries, are loaded bacon ranch fries, poutine and Philly cheesesteak fries, which originated in Quebec and translates to the word "mess".
Common toppings and variations of dirty fries include.
For classic dirty fries, they often contain melted cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, crispy bacon, spring onions and even a drizzling sauce like sour cream or ranch dressing.
Gravy loaded dirty fries, contain golden fries, which are covered in rich beef gravy, crispy bacon, banana peppers and mayo.
Cajun/spicy dirty fries are made with fries that are seasoned with Cajun spices, topped with cheese, jalapeno peppers, and chipotle mayo.
Gourmet dirty fries are made with toppings like truffle oil, pulled pork, chorizo, or andouille sausage.
Dirty Haggis fries are topped with haggis and whiskey cream sauce.
KFC dirty loaded fries are topped with popcorn chicken, zinger ranch, BBQ sauce, and ranch dressing.
And vegan dirty fries are often made with vegan cheese, plant based bacon and dairy free sauces.