Frito Pie

Easy, delicious, and simple, this homemade hearty Frito pie boasts bold flavors from the ground beef, melty cheese, and crunchy Frito chips your family will love.

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Table of Contents

Frito Pie Ingredients
Substitutions And Additions
How To Make This Frito Pie Bake
How To Serve
Storage
Why You’ll Love This Recipe For Frito Pie
What Is Frito Pie?
Why Do They Call It Frito Pie?
Frequently Asked Questions
More Recipes You’ll Love
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This popular family-friendly Frito pie recipe is the perfect choice for a busy weeknight dinner. It’s loaded with hearty chili, melted cheese, and corn chips, plus it has plenty of room to add all of your favorite toppings.

close up shot of Frito Pie in a baking dish with a slice taken out

Frito Pie Ingredients

Frito Pie raw ingredients that are labeled

You’ll need:

1 pound of ground beef
1 onion, diced finely
2 teaspoons of minced garlic
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 cup of chili sauce
1 cup of medium salsa
1 (15-ounce) can of kidney beans, rinsed
2 teaspoons of chili powder
½ teaspoon of pepper
1 teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of onion powder
½ teaspoon of garlic powder
1½ cups of Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1½ cups of cheddar cheese, shredded
4 cups of corn chips

Substitutions And Additions

VEGGIES: You can add any veggies you’d like to this Frito chili pie recipe. It’s easy to mix in a wide variety of extras, including corn, diced tomatoes, jalapeños, green chilies, black olives, or bell peppers.

TOPPINGS: One thing I love is how easy it is to offer a variety of toppings for everyone in the family to choose from.

Our favorites include guacamole, sour cream, salsa, queso, chopped red or white onions, green onions, diced tomatoes, jalapeños, pico de gallo, and shredded lettuce.

CHEESE: You could use a Mexican blend on this dish as well, or top with a Mexican crema as well.

BEANS: I prefer kidney beans in this easy recipe, but you could also use chili beans, pinto beans, or black beans.

How To Make This Frito Pie Bake

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

STEP TWO: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook and crumble the ground beef until no longer pink.

Drain excess grease and return the beef to the skillet. Add the onions and garlic. Continue to cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until the onions are soft and tender.

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

Ground beef can be browned ahead of time and stored in the fridge or freezer so that it is ready to add to your recipe.

cooked ground beef and then add garlic and onion in a bowl

STEP THREE: Add the taco seasoning, chili sauce, salsa, kidney beans, chili powder, pepper, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder. Stir well and let simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.

taco seasoning, chili sauce, salsa, kidney beans, chili powder, pepper, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder added to the ground beef mixture

STEP FOUR: Pour the beef mixture into the greased dish. Use a spatula to spread the mixture evenly.

meat mixture spread evenly into the baking dish

STEP FIVE: Top the meat mixture with half of the Monterey jack and cheddar cheese. Sprinkle corn chips on top of shredded cheese. Top the corn chips with the remaining cheese.

cheese and corn chips sprinkled on top of the mixture in a baking dish

STEP SIX: Place the baking dish in the oven and let cook for about 10 to 12 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted.

PRO TIP:

Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your Frito pie at the lower end of the recommended baking time.

How To Serve

Serve this easy dinner recipe with all of your favorite taco toppings, including Spanish rice, guacamole, salsa, and a dollop of sour cream on top.

Our Mexican corn salad would be a great way to add a little extra freshness to your meal.

Be sure to try our ground beef stroganoff and tatertot casserole as well!

MORE DINNER RECIPES

Pasta Recipes

Easy Homemade Lasagna

Chicken Dinner Ideas

Homemade Chicken Parmesan

Storage

IN THE FRIDGE: Leftovers of this Frito pie casserole can be kept for three days in an airtight container in the fridge.

You can reheat it in the oven or individual portions in the microwave.

IN THE FREEZER: To freeze, prepare up to the point where you add the cheese while leaving off the chips, and then wait for it cool.

Store covered in the freezer for up to three months.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe For Frito Pie

Your family will love this easy Frito pie recipe with its hearty ground beef, gooey cheese, bold flavors, and crunchy Frito chips. Ready in just half an hour, it’s a great quick dinner option for busy weeknights.

What Is Frito Pie?

Frito pie is a comforting dish that features ground beef, cheese, and corn chips that is popular in the Midwest, Southern, and Southwest United States.

Why Do They Call It Frito Pie?

This dish is called Frito pie, as it is loaded with crunchy corn chips along with other delicious ingredients.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different type of beans in this recipe?

You can use any type of beans you prefer or have on hand for this great recipe. Pinto beans, black beans, or chili beans would all taste delicious.

Is this dish spicy?

We don’t find this dish very spicy, but you could reduce or eliminate spices if you are concerned about the spice.

Can I use canned chili or leftover chili in this recipe?

Using canned chili or leftover chili would be a great way to speed up the prep time for this simple dish. The end result will still be delicious, no matter how you prepare it.

Is Frito pie a Texas thing?

Frito pie is often served in the Midwest, Southwest, and Southern United States, including Texas.

Are Frito pie and walking tacos the same thing?

Frito pie and walking tacos have very similar ingredients, with the main difference being that Frito pie is eaten off a plate, while a walking taco is eaten from a bag.

More Recipes You’ll Love

Recipe For Frito Pie

5 from 3 votes

Easy, delicious, and simple, this homemade hearty Frito pie boasts bold flavors from the ground beef, melty cheese, and crunchy Frito chips your family will love.

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 10

Total Time 30

Servings

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Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, diced finely
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1 package taco seasoning
1 cup chili sauce
1 cup medium salsa
15 ounce kidney beans, rinsed
2 teaspoons chili powder
½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1½ cups Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded
4 cups corn chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook and crumble ground beef until no longer pink.
Drain grease and return beef to skillet. Add onions and garlic. Continue to cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until onions are soft and tender.
Add taco seasoning, chili sauce, medium salsa, kidney beans, chili powder, pepper, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder. Stir well and let simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.
Pour the meat mixture into the greased baking dish. Use a spatula to spread the mixture evenly.
Top the meat mixture with half of the Monterey jack and cheddar cheeses. Sprinkle corn chips on top of shredded cheese. Top the corn chips with the remaining cheese.
Place the baking dish in the oven and let cook for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted.
Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Notes

Ground beef can be browned ahead of time and stored in the fridge or freezer so that it is ready to add to your recipe to save time.
Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your Frito pie at the lower end of the recommended baking time.

Nutrition

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Proudly Prepared by the Spaceships Kitchen

This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!

Stephanie Keeping Publisher
Layne Kangas Marketing
Lexus Monroe Editorial Assistant

The Best Recipe For Frito Pie Casserole