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A cozy chili cheese casserole topped with crunchy corn chips, this one-skillet Frito pie comes together with about 15 minutes of prep!
Table of Contents
If you’re looking for even more recipes with ground beef, be sure to try this one-skillet “egg roll in a bowl,” the easiest burrito recipe, this Dutch oven lasagna, and a pot of classic beef chili, too!
Made it – yummy! Perfect Super Bowl food! Quick & easy to make. My husband loved it & so did I.
– Sheryl
How to Make Frito Pie | 1-Minute Video
You’ll love the ease of this hearty dish, which takes advantage of ground beef and just a handful of other pantry staples. You can prep the Frito pie in advance, or throw it together in minutes when you need a meal quickly. The delicious combination of zesty meat, creamy cheese, and crunchy chips makes this chili pie with Fritos an appealing dinner for everyone at the table!
A Few Notes Before You Get Started
- Frito pie is a dish that typically consists of chili, cheese, and corn chips (such as Fritos). It’s often prepared as a casserole like I’ve shown here, but sometimes you’ll also see the recipe served in mini Fritos bags with a variety of toppings added. The mini Fritos bags are also sometimes called “walking tacos.”
- This recipe is popular in parts of the Southwestern, South, and Midwestern United States, but the origin of Frito Pie is unknown (source). Texas might make a claim to this tasty combo, though — the oldest known recipe using Fritos corn chips with chili was published in Texas in 1949. Texans do love beef, beans, and chili, after all!
- Drain off some of the excess liquid from the top of the chili beans so that the meat filling isn’t too runny. You don’t want to drain off all of the liquid from the can because you want some of that left to moisten and flavor your chili.
- If you don’t have a large oven-proof skillet, you can transfer the ground beef mixture to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Then top with cheese and Fritos and bake the casserole in the oven as instructed.
Directions
This easy dish comes together with just a few minutes of prep! You can even assemble the dish in advance for quick last-minute meals. I’ve included the detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the quick overview:
- Brown the ground beef, onion and garlic in an oven-proof skillet. Drain off the excess fat.
- Add chili powder, chili beans, and diced tomatoes. Simmer for about 5-10 minutes.
- Stir, and then season with salt and pepper.
- Top with grated cheese and Fritos.
- Bake in a 350°F oven for about 15-20 minutes, or just until the casserole is bubbly and the cheese is melted.
- It’s all about the toppings! Don’t forget to set out an array of tasty additions to finish off your meal. Good Frito pie (or walking taco) toppings include sour cream, diced avocado or guacamole, salsa, diced red onion, sliced green onion, jalapeños, shredded lettuce, sliced black olives, and extra Fritos.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the Frito pie casserole with Southern succotash, corn salad, roasted broccoli, traditional coleslaw, vinegar coleslaw, or a green salad with red wine vinegar dressing.
Preparation and Storage
- This is a great make-ahead dinner. You can assemble the casserole up to 24 hours in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator until ready to bake. Wait to add the Fritos until just before baking so that they don’t get soggy. When ready to bake, allow the dish to sit on the counter and come to room temperature for at least 30-60 minutes.
- You can freeze the casserole before baking (minus the corn chips on top). Wrapped tightly, the assembled casserole will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- How to Reheat: If reheating an entire casserole, cover the dish loosely with foil and bake in a 350°F oven until warmed through (about 20-30 minutes). Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
This was such a tasty recipe! I loved it. We put a ton of different spices in it but followed the rest to a T. Such good leftovers too! Thanks so much for sharing this!
– Brook
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Watch How to Make It
Frito Pie
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 (drain just a little bit of the liquid off of the top of the can, but don’t fully drain off all of the liquid from the beans)
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, drained
- Kosher salt and ground black 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
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. 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.
- 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.
- Sprinkle grated cheddar over top. Top with corn chips.
- 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.
Notes
- If you don’t have a large oven-proof skillet, you can transfer the ground beef mixture to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish before topping with cheese and chips.
- Bake the casserole just until it’s heated through. All of the ingredients are already cooked, so you just want to warm it in the oven until bubbly.
Nutrition
Frito Pie Recipe Variations
- Swap out the ground beef and use ground turkey or ground chicken instead.
- Instead of chili powder, flavor the ground beef mixture with taco seasoning.
- Add extra seasonings for even more flavor. Good options include cumin, oregano, and smoked paprika.
- For a heartier dish, layer cooked white rice or Mexican rice in a serving bowl before topping with the chili, cheese, and corn chips.
- Any good melting cheese will work in this recipe. In lieu of the cheddar, try mozzarella, white cheddar, Colby, cheddar Jack, or Pepper Jack.
- This Frito pie requires the BIG (27 ounce) can of chili beans. If you can’t find the big can, you can substitute with two smaller 15-ounce cans.
More Easy Ground Beef Casserole Recipes
Cornbread and Ground Beef Casserole
58 minutes mins
Hamburger Casserole with Noodles
40 minutes mins
Beef Stroganoff Casserole
50 minutes mins
This post was originally published in August, 2019. It was updated in October, 2024.
This sounds asssoooo delicious. I am going to have to try this recipe next week, for sure. My daughter was just asking me about this dish a few days ago, so I guess it’s that time again.
Awesome! I hope you and your daughter love it! ๐
How can you rate it before you make it?
Made it – yummy! Perfect Super Bowl food! Quick & easy to make. My husband loved it & so did I
Thanks, Sheryl! I’m so happy to hear that!
When you’re looking for the best canned meat for chili dogs, it’s important to check on the ingredients used and the meat that you buy. If you can afford it, try to go for the higher quality meat and avoid some of the cheaper canned meats. When it comes to making a tasty meal, you don’t want to skimp on anything, especially when it comes to the taste of your chili dogs.
Can you freeze leftover frito chili pie and then add fresh ingredients, ie chips, tomatoes sauce to freshen and serve to get the original goodness
Hi, Bonnie! Yes, that should work really well!
This was such a tasty recipe! I loved it. We put a ton of different spices in it but followed the rest to a T. Such good leftovers too! Thanks so much for sharing this!
Thank you, Brook!