Frito Pie Recipe

4.48 from 231 votes
Jump to Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy

Frito Pie Recipe – a Frito taco pie recipe that is great for busy weeknights. Delicious comfort food that the whole family love. 

When I was growing up we had a few staples that made appearances every week.  Saturday night was homemade pizza, and Sunday was Mexican night. Enchiladas were one of our favorites that we had often.

And whenever my aunt and uncle were around we had this Frito pie recipe. I think the first time that we had this was at my aunt’s house and we all loved it.  It is great to make for a crowd, so it was a staple whenever family was visiting.  Casseroles are always a good idea when you have a bunch of people to feed!  This Beef and Noodle Casserole is such an easy one to make and you can double it without a problem if you need more.

taco meat with melted cheese in a bowl

 

What’s In Frito Pie

Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card.

  • Ground Beef – you can swap out ground turkey if you want to cut down on calories
  • Onion
  • Taco Seasoning
  • Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies
  • Ranch Style Beans – see below for notes on these beans. They are cooked in a sauce that you use to make the “chili” like mixture.
  • Corn Kernels
  • Fritos
  • Shredded Cheddar Cheese

If you want to cut down on the sodium or just control the ingredients a little more, try my Homemade Taco Seasoning instead of a store bought packet.

What Are Ranch Style Beans

Ranchy style beans are something you can find in most grocery stores near the rest of the beans. They are usually pinto beans in a chili seasoned sauce. They aren’t sweet like baked beans, but have that same consistency.

If you can’t find them in your store, you can check them out online here.

A plate of food on a table, with Dinner and Taco

How to Make Frito Pie

Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card.

  1. Cook Beef. Start by browning the ground beef and onions together. Break up the ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Drain away any excess grease.
  2. Add Seasoning. Mix in the taco seasoning. Skip the step of adding the water, just mix in the seasoning until the meat is well coated.
  3. Make Sauce. Pour in corn, diced tomatoes, and beans to combine everything. Bring the mixture to a simmer, it should be similar to a chili texture.
  4. Assemble. Pour about 3/4 bag of Fritos into the bottom of a casserole dish, top with meat mixture. Sprinkle on plenty of cheese!  I like to use about 1 1/2 cups to evenly coat everything. You can go lighter or heavier, that is up to you.
  5. Bake. Bake until the cheese is melty! Remove from the oven and top with sour cream, tomatoes, or whatever your favorite toppings are.
A bowl of frito pie

Frito Pie Serving Suggestions

Fritos might be my all time favorite chip, so it is no surprise that I am a fan of this Frito pie.  I like to reserve about 1/4 of the bag of chips to top each portion when you serve it.  You can also top with your favorite taco toppings. I will take pretty much any excuse to use Fritos like Chicken Enchilada Chili.

  • Sour Cream
  • Lettuce
  • Black Olives
  • Avocado
  • Diced Tomatoes

Leftovers

You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

Pro-Tip: If you plan on having a fair amount of leftovers, you can also just bake the meat mixture as is, and top with the Fritos. This will make reheating better and your chips won’t be as soft the next day.

More Easy Dinner Recipes

Frito Pie Recipe - a Frito taco pie recipe that is great for busy weeknights. Delicious comfort food that the whole family love. 
4.48 from 231 votes

Frito Pie Recipe

Frito Pie Recipe – a Frito taco pie recipe that is great for busy weeknights. Delicious comfort food that the whole family love. 
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 5

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread 3/4 of the bag of Fritos in the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish.
    10.25 oz bag Fritos
  • In a large skillet brown ground beef and onion until fully cooked and onions are soft. If there is fat or grease in your pan, drain.
    1 pound Ground Beef, 1 small Onion
  • Mix in taco seasoning until well blended.
    1 oz packet Taco Seasoning
  • Add diced tomatoes, beans and corn. Mix until everything is well combined.
    10 ounce Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies, 15 ounce Ranch Style Beans, 1 cup Corn Kernels
  • Pour over fritos and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle the cheese over the beef mixture.
    1 1/2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
  • Serve topped with additional Fritos and your favorite taco toppings.

Notes

Recipe calls for just the corn kernels. I like to use frozen corn and measure out 1 cup. If you use canned corn, you will need to drain, so you just have the kernels

Nutrition

Calories: 823kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 51g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 1465mg | Potassium: 800mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 953IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 405mg | Iron: 5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Author: Erin Sellin
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Course: Dinner Recipes
Cuisine: American
Servings: 5
Calories: 823
Like this recipe? Leave a comment below!

I created a fun group on Facebook,and I would love for you to join us! It’s a place where you can share YOUR favorite recipes, ask questions, and see what’s new at Dinners, Dishes and Desserts (so that you never miss a new recipe)!

Be sure to follow me on Instagram and tag #dinnersdishes so I can see all the wonderful DINNERS, DISHES, AND DESSERTS recipes YOU make!

Be sure to follow me on my social media, so you never miss a post!

Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram 

.

About Erin Sellin

Welcome to Dinners, Dishes, & Desserts where my love of food meets my busy life. My name is Erin and I’m a casual home cook who loves to feed people. On this blog, you’ll find hundreds of quick and easy recipes made mostly from scratch. My days are spent in the kitchen, creating new recipes to share with family and friends.

Other Recipes You Might Like:

4.48 from 231 votes (229 ratings without comment)

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

44 Comments

    1. As the notes say, it is a computer generated estimate, not 100% accurate. But there are LOTS of ways to reduce it if that is what you want. Or just look at the actual brand of products you use to see what it actually is for you.

  1. Have made this twice now. I did add a small amount of enchilada sauce to meat mixture and it was delicious. Not dry at all. In the oven for tonight’s easy dinner.

  2. Delish!! I’ve never made it before but made it tonight. And we enjoyed it! The change I would make next time is to not put Fritos on the bottom (bc they get super soggy when baked) and instead, bake it without it so the cheese melts and then 2 mins before taking it out of the oven, I’d place the Fritos on top so they remain crunchy. I topped it with diced tomatoes, scallions, cilantro and iceberg lettuce, sour cream and avocado! Chefs kiss!! Thanks for the recipe.

  3. 5 stars
    My family and I Loved this!!!!we will definitely be making this again !!!thankyou Erin for sharing this easy , Delicious recipe!!!!

  4. Replaced the hamburger, and added a can of hot Wolf Brand chili; layered fritos, onions, chili, and cheese. It’s in my meal rotation once a month.

  5. 5 stars
    I’m going to make this tomorrow for dinner my daughter made the filling out of a pork roast I made with onions and peppers and all kinds of stuff she put in it and then I’m going to add the tomatoes and the corn and some enchilada sauce I’m not going to put the beans in it cuz she doesn’t like beans and then I’m going to pour that over the Fritos and the cheese bake it. and then add some more Fritos on the top and put the sour cream guacamole onions lettuce tomatoes on the top and serve

  6. You’re not from Texas, obviously. I was there when this became a popular snack at sports events and fairs and all kinds of other public gatherings back in the 60s/70s. Frito pie is super simple, and requires only four ingredients:

    Canned chili with NO BEANS. In Texas where this dish originated, the brand is WOLF, but use whatever you like as long as it has NO BEANS. Got it? NO BLOODY BEANS, you bloody heathen.
    Chopped white onion
    Shredded cheddar cheese. The premade kind. Don’t get fancy here. That’s the kiss of death for this dish.
    Fritos (preferably the snack bag size)

    Directions

    Heat chili. Doesn’t matter how–on the stove, microwave. It’s all good. While it’s heating, roughly chop the onions. Once chili is hot, take your snack bag of Fritos, and turn it on its side. Cut a slit in the side of the bag on top. Open it up, and spoon in chili. Top with cheese and onions. If you only have a big bag of Fritos, put them in a bowl and then add the chili, cheese and onions.

    Shove a spoon into the ‘pie’ and eat.

    THAT’S IT. That’s all there is to it.

    Stop mucking around with what made this dish popular in the first bloody place: being simple, cheap and unhealthy but YUM. THIS IS NOT GOURMET FOOD, and making it fancy, with pretentious, twee ingredients, ruins the entire dish. Let fun food stay fun, for pity’s sake.

    1. Thanks for sharing your memories—love hearing from folks who were there when Frito pie first took off! Totally agree that there’s something iconic about the classic: no beans, straight-up chili, cheese, onions, and Fritos. Simple and satisfying.

      That said, it’s also kind of fun to see how people make it their own these days—whether they stick with the original or play around a little. Food traditions have roots, but they also grow. Appreciate you chiming in and keeping the history alive!

  7. Question – should the can of beans and diced tomatoes & chilies (Rotel) be drained? I noticed you didn’t add water with the taco seasoning and I’m wondering if the water from the cans is intentionally added?

    1. No they should not be drained, if you watch the video you can see the liquid from the beans helps make the sauce. You are making an almost chili, so it you want it to be thick.