Frito pie is the ultimate comfort food dinner or game day appetizer made by loading up Fritos corn chips with taco-seasoned chili and lots of cheese. This saucy, cheesy casserole is basically one giant walking taco!
This Is the Definition of “Comfort Food”
At home, you’ll usually find me whipping up dinners inspired by the Mediterranean Diet, complete with lean proteins, fiber-rich vegetables, and healthy fats…
… And sometimes you’ll catch me loading up a casserole dish of Fritos with saucy taco chili, covering it with cheese, and baking the whole thing until bubbly. What can I say? I’m a multifaceted human being.
When we’re hosting friends on game days, everybody loves stick-to-your-ribs fare like this easy Frito pie. It’s one of those semi-homemade casseroles that comes together with pantry staples like taco seasoning, canned beans, and Ro*tel tomatoes.
Best of all, it feeds a hungry crowd with little effort but a big-bang payoff.
Enjoy!
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
Embrace store-bought shortcuts. I love fully scratch meals as much as the next gal, but I always use canned chili beans, enchilada sauce, and a packet of taco seasoning for maximum nostalgic flavor when making Frito pie. Recipes like this are fan favorites for a reason!
Layer the Fritos for added crunch. I tested the layering of this casserole a few different ways, and my favorite by far is to have half the Fritos on the very bottom and half on top, with the saucy ground beef mixture in the middle. The Fritos on the bottom soften slightly while the ones on top stay crispy. This blend of textures is what makes this particular Frito pie recipe so good.
Name brand Fritos are a must. Don’t sub in tortilla chips, Doritos, or any other corn-based chip — only Fritos will do.
What’s in This Recipe?
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Fritos — I used classic Fritos, but I bet the larger Scoops would work too. You’ll need one 8-ounce bag.
- Beef chili — Skip the canned stuff and make your own taco-flavored chili with ground beef, onion, taco seasoning, chili beans, and canned enchilada sauce. I also like to add a can of Ro*tel for extra flavor and sweet corn kernels for texture.
- Cheese — Shredded cheddar is my favorite, but you could also use Monterrey Jack, Pepper Jack, or a Mexican cheese blend.
- Toppings — Enjoy your Frito chili pie as is, or load it up with sour cream, shredded lettuce, chopped green onion, pickled jalapeños, pico de gallo, and more.
Heidi’s Tip: If you have leftover beef chili on hand, you can use that too! Your Frito pie won’t have the same Mexican-inspired flavors, but it will still be tasty.
How to Make Frito Pie
- Brown the ground beef. Add the beef to a lightly oiled skillet and cook for about 5 minutes, or until browned.
- Add the aromatics. Stir in the onion and cook until it starts to soften. Then, add the packet of taco seasoning (the flavor of the spices will deepen and “wake up” once they come into contact with the hot oil in the pan).
- Simmer the chili. Stir in the Ro*tel, enchilada sauce, corn kernels, and chili beans and let the chili mixture simmer for just 5 minutes.
- Layer in a baking dish. Scatter half of the Fritos in the bottom of a greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Top with half of the cheese, then all of the chili. Layer the remaining Fritos and cheddar on top to finish.
- Bake until bubbling. Frito pie only needs to bake for about 10 minutes. Everything is already fully cooked, so you’re just looking for the cheese to bubble and turn golden brown.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Frito Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
- 1 pound 85% lean ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 ounce packet taco seasoning
- 1 10-ounce diced tomatoes with green chiles, like Ro*Tel
- 1 15-ounce can enchilada sauce
- 2 15-ounce can chili beans
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
- 1 8-ounce package Fritos® Corn Chips
- 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese, about 2 cups
- Sour cream, chopped tomato, pickled jalapeños, sliced black olives, chopped green or white onion for serving
Instructions
- Cook the ground beef with the aromatics. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. In a large Dutch oven or non-stick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add 1 pound ground beef, break up with a wooden spoon, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 diced medium onion and cook for 5 minutes until the onion softens. Stir in a 1-ounce packet taco seasoning and mix well to coat the meat.
- Add vegetables and sauce. Add 1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles, stirring to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes for the flavors to meld. Add 1 15-ounce can enchilada sauce, 2 15-ounce cans chili beans, and 1 cup corn kernels. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Assemble the pie. To assemble the pie, sprinkle half of the 8-ounce package of Fritos chips in the baking dish. Top with 1 cup cheddar cheese, then cover with the meat and bean mixture. Top with the remaining Fritos and cheddar.
- Bake, garnish, and serve. Bake uncovered until the cheese is melted and bubbly, 10-15 minutes. Serve topped with dollops of sour cream, chopped tomato, chopped onion, sliced black olives, and pickled jalapeño.
Nutrition
FAQs
I suggest using only Fritos corn chips in this recipe. They’re sturdier and thicker than tortilla chips and won’t become mushy or soggy as they cook with the chili.
Yep! You can swap out the ground beef for ground chicken, turkey, or pork, noting that each type of meat will lend a slightly different flavor and fat content to the dish.
To keep this vegetarian, replace the ground beef with 2 cans of beans (chili, pinto, or black beans are my favorites) OR sub in your favorite plant-based ground beef alternative.
You’re welcome to spoon the chili, cheese, and toppings over individual bags of Fritos walking taco-style, if desired.
If going this route, keep the taco chili mixture in a slow cooker set to “warm” so guests can serve themselves when they’re ready to eat.
Toppings and Side Dishes
Storage Tips
Frito pie is best enjoyed right away since the corn chips will become soggy the longer they sit in the chili.
More Easy Casserole Dinners
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