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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.
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.
How to Make Frito Pie
Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Bake. Bake until the cheese is melty! Remove from the oven and top with sour cream, tomatoes, or whatever your favorite toppings are.
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
- Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
- Cheeseburger Pizza
- Ham & Cheese Sliders
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
- Dorito Chicken Casserole
- Baja Shrimp Tacos
Frito Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground Beef
- 1 small Onion, finely chopped
- 1 oz packet Taco Seasoning
- 10 ounce Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies
- 15 ounce Ranch Style Beans
- 1 cup Corn Kernels
- 10.25 oz bag Fritos
- 1 1/2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Wow, that’s a lot (!) of salt per serving.
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.
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.
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.
Now you’re talking!
Will add a little liquid when I make it again. Filling was a little too dry.
My family and I Loved this!!!!we will definitely be making this again !!!thankyou Erin for sharing this easy , Delicious recipe!!!!
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.
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
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.
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!
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?
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.