Frito Pie Recipe

Frito Pie is a crowd-pleasing favorite, great for game day and a family meal everyone will agree on!

This casserole starts with a rich beefy base (similar to a chili) with ground beef, seasonings, and beans. Before baking, it’s all topped with heaps of cheese and… you guessed it… FRITOS!!

Frito pie is not really a pie, it’s a kind of a taco casserole (like Dorito casserole)!

Prepare the filling and simmer on the stove top (instead of baking). Use single serving Fritos corn chips bags and scoop the heated filling into the bag right on top of the Fritos. Hand it off to a hungry eater to add their favorite toppings! No mess and no dishes!

FILLING: Ground Beef (or ground chicken) is seasoned with taco seasoning. The addition of beans, beans, tomatoes, and corn turns it into a zesty and hearty filling. We used diced tomatoes but you can substitute salsa if you’d prefer.

Add in your favorites from diced bell peppers to garlic and cumin! To stretch the filling even further stir in a little bit of rice.

FRITOS: The Fritos on top add crunch and flavor while the Fritos on the bottom of the baking dish soften slightly and take on a texture almost similar to a tortilla.

Much like tacos, this Frito pie recipe can be topped with your favorites! I like to have small bowls of toppings for everyone to pick their own!

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

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frito pie recipe

Frito Pie

frito pie recipe

A TexMex inspired casserole with ground beef, tomatoes, corn, taco seasoning & salsa, layered with Frito chips and shredded cheese.

Prep: 15min

Total: 48min

Serving Size: 6 g

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 6 g, calories 624 kcal, Carbohydrate 53 g, Protein 33 g, Fat 32 g, Saturated Fat 12 g, Cholesterol 87 mg, Sodium 1314 mg, Fiber 11 g, Sugar 8 g

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 onion (diced)
  • 1 package taco seasoning (& water as indicated on package)
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 10 ounces diced tomatoes (with chilies or salsa)
  • 1 ½ cups tomato sauce
  • 15 ounces kidney beans (drained)
  • 1 cup corn (drained)
  • 1 bag Fritos® corn chips (divided, about 5 ½ cups)
  • 2 cups Mexican cheese blend (divided, shredded, 8 ounces)
  • ¼ cup green onions (chopped)
  • sour cream (for serving (optional))

Instruction:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9″x13″ casserole dish.
  2. Brown ground beef and onions, drain fat. Stir in taco seasoning, chili powder, and water.
  3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until thickened. Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn, & beans. Simmer an additional 5 minutes.
  4. Add 4 cups of Frito chips to the bottom of prepared dish. Sprinkle with 1 cup of cheese.
  5. Spread beef mixture over top and top with remaining cheese.
  6. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.
  7. Top with remaining chips and desired toppings.

Frito Pie

frito pie recipe

Frito pie is legendary in the Southwest for being spicy, salty and cheesy fabulous. Here’s my easy take on this crunchy classic. —Jan Moon, Alamogordo, New Mexico

Prep: 15min

Total: 30min

Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition Facts: calories 731 calories, Fat 41g fat (14g saturated fat), Cholesterol 84mg cholesterol, Sodium 1733mg sodium, Carbohydrate 54g carbohydrate (6g sugars, Fiber 8g fiber), Protein 34g protein.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 cans (15 ounces each) Ranch Style beans (pinto beans in seasoned tomato sauce)
  • 1 package (9-1/4 ounces) Frito corn chips
  • 2 cans (10 ounces each) enchilada sauce
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • Thinly sliced green onions, optional

Instruction:

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until beef is no longer pink and onion is tender, crumbling meat; drain. Stir in beans; heat through., Reserve 1 cup corn chips for topping. Place remaining corn chips in a greased 13×9-in. baking dish. Layer with meat mixture, enchilada sauce and cheese; top with reserved chips., Bake, uncovered, 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted. If desired, sprinkle with green onions.

Frito Pie

frito pie recipe

A cozy chili cheese casserole topped with crunchy corn chips! This Frito Pie comes together in one pan with about 15 minutes of prep.

Prep: 15min

Total: 35min

Yield: 6

Serving Size: 1 /6 of the casserole

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 /6 of the casserole, calories 385.3 kcal, Carbohydrate 33.5 g, Protein 27.3 g, Fat 17.8 g, Saturated Fat 7.3 g, Cholesterol 66.6 mg, Sodium 972.4 mg, Fiber 8.3 g, Sugar 3 g, unSaturated Fat 6.4 g

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 small onion, (finely diced)
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic ((or 1 teaspoon dried garlic powder))
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 (27 ounce) can chili beans
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, (drained)
  • Salt and pepper, (to taste)
  • 2 cups Fritos corn chips ((about 3 ounces))
  • 1 cup grated cheddar cheese, (or more to taste)
  • Optional garnish: sliced green onion; sour cream; diced avocado or guacamole

Instruction:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Brown ground beef, onion and garlic in a large, oven-proof skillet over medium high heat until beef is no longer pink (about 5-7 minutes). Drain and return beef mixture to the skillet.
  3. Stir in chili powder, beans and tomatoes. Simmer for about 5-10 minutes to allow the flavors to come together and the liquid to thicken slightly. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  4. Sprinkle grated cheddar over top. Top with corn chips.
  5. Bake, uncovered, for about 15-20 minutes (or until the casserole is warm and the cheese is melted). Garnish with optional toppings and serve immediately.

Best Frito Pie

frito pie recipe

For truly authentic Frito Pie, serve it in the chip bags. Find the recipe on Delish.com.

Prep: 20min

Total: 1h5min

Yield: 6 serving(s)

Nutrition Facts: calories 592 calories

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium white onion, chopped and divided
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp. tomato paste
  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. chili powder
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (15-oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (4-oz.) can green chili
  • 6 (1-oz) bags Fritos
  • 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
  • 2 c. shredded Cheddar
  • Sour cream, for serving (optional)

Instruction:

  1. In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add half onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more, then add tomato paste, stirring to combine. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Drain fat and return to heat.
  2. Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne, and season generously with salt and pepper. Pour in crushed tomatoes, pinto beans, and green chili and bring chili to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper, if necessary.
  3. Build Frito pie: open bag(s) and ladle in chili. Top with cheddar, remaining chopped white onions, jalapeños, and sour cream if using.

Gordon Ramsay Makes a Frito Pie Trackside in Texas | Scrambled

FAQ

Is Frito pie a Texas thing?

In a 2013 episode of his CNN series Parts Unknown, Bourdain not only referred to Frito pie as feeling like “warm crap in a bag,” he also introduced the beloved foodstuff as originating from Texas — something that’s heartily contested by New Mexicans, who also lay claim to the dish.

What is Frito pie in Santa Fe?

It’s New Mexico in a bag. THE FRITO PIE REMAINS A wonderful, if anachronistic, thing. It’s a combination of American junk food and traditional Southwestern ingredients—corn, beans, and chile.

What is another name for Frito pie?

The Frito pie is also known as a “walking taco,” “pepperbellies,” “Petro’s,” “jailhouse tacos,” or officially—under Frito-Lay North America, Inc.’s trademarked “packaged meal combination consisting primarily of chili or snack food dips containing meat or cheese corn-based snack foods, namely, corn chips”—the Fritos …

Where did Frito pie recipe come from?

Its origins are not shrouded in the mists of time—obviously, Frito pie could not exist before the invention of the Fritos corn chip circa 1932. This is when Charles Elmer Doolin, a San Antonio transplant from Kansas City, Kansas, bought a bag of corn chips at a café, then decided to go all in and buy the recipe.

About the author

Helen is an author and editor at helenbackcafe.com, who has a passion for writing about recipes. She loves to experiment with different ingredients and cooking techniques to create delicious and unique dishes.

Among all the foods, pizza holds a special place in her heart, and she loves exploring different variations and toppings to create the perfect slice. Through her writing, Helen hopes to inspire others to get creative in the kitchen and share their love for food with the world.

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