A cozy chili cheese casserole topped with crunchy corn chips! This Frito Pie comes together with about 15 minutes of prep for a family-friendly, easy dinner recipe any night of the week.
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 meal 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!
What is Frito Pie? Is it a Texas thing?!
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 recipe is popular in parts of the Southwestern, South and Midwestern United States, but the origin of Frito Pie is not known (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!
How to make Frito Pie with ground beef:
First, brown ground beef, onion and garlic in a skillet.
Drain the meat mixture and return to the skillet. Then add:
- Chili powder
- A large can of chili beans
- A can of diced tomatoes
Drain off some of the excess liquid from the top of the beans, so that it looks like the photo below when you're done. 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!
Give it all a good stir, and then season with salt and pepper.
Transfer the beef mixture to a large baking dish, and top with grated cheese and Fritos.
Bake the casserole in a 350 degree F oven for about 15-20 minutes, or just until the casserole is bubbly and the cheese is melted.
What goes on Frito Pie?
Frito Pie toppings are the best part of the meal! Here are a few options that go well with the dish:
- Sour cream
- Diced avocado or guacamole
- Salsa
- Sliced green onions
- Finely chopped red onion
Cook's Tips and Recipe Variations:
- Serve the Frito Pie with Rice: for a heartier dish, layer cooked white rice or Mexican rice in a serving bowl before topping with the chili, cheese and corn chips.
- This is a Frito Pie with ground beef, but you can substitute with ground chicken or ground turkey, if you prefer.
- This Frito Pie with canned chili beans requires the BIG (27 ounce) can of beans. If you can't find the big can, you can substitute with two smaller 15-ounce cans.
- It's all about the toppings! Don't forget to set out an array of tasty additions such as sour cream, avocado or guacamole, salsa, diced red onion, sliced green onion or extra Fritos!
- Prep ahead: you can assemble the casserole in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator until ready to bake (overnight). Allow the casserole to rest on the counter for about 30 minutes before baking so that it has time to come to room temperature. Add the corn chips on top just before it goes into the oven so that they don't get soggy.
- Can you freeze Frito Pie? Yes! This is a great freezer meal option to make ahead of time. I suggest preparing the meat mixture and placing it in a casserole dish, topping with cheese, and then covering tightly. Freeze for up to 1 month. When ready to bake, thaw the casserole in the refrigerator overnight. Allow the dish to sit on the counter for about 30 minutes before baking so that it has time to come to room temperature. Top with Fritos just before baking, and then bake according to the recipe instructions.
- If you have a large oven-proof skillet, you can prepare the entire Frito Pie in one pan. Instead of transferring the meat mixture to a casserole dish, just bake the pie in the skillet. That will save you an extra dish to wash at the end!
More easy ground beef casserole recipes that you might enjoy:
- Chili Crescent Roll Bake
- 4-Ingredient Ground Beef Casserole
- 5-Ingredient Dump-and-Bake Beefaroni
- Dump-and-Bake Chiles Rellenos Casserole
Frito Pie
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef (I used 93% lean, but any will work)
- 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
- 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
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Spray a large baking dish (about 9 x 13-inches) with cooking spray and set aside.
- Brown ground beef, onion and garlic in a large 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. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Transfer beef mixture to the prepared baking dish.
- 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 sliced green onion, sour cream and avocado, if desired, just before serving.
Notes
- Serve the Frito Pie with Rice: for a heartier dish, layer cooked white rice or Mexican rice in a serving bowl before topping with the chili, cheese and corn chips.
- This is a Frito Pie with ground beef, but you can substitute with ground chicken or ground turkey, if you prefer.
- This Frito Pie with canned chili beans requires the BIG (27 ounce) can of beans. If you can't find the big can, you can substitute with two smaller 15-ounce cans.
- It's all about the toppings! Don't forget to set out an array of tasty additions such as sour cream, avocado or guacamole, salsa, diced red onion, sliced green onion or extra Fritos!
- Prep ahead: you can assemble the casserole in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator until ready to bake (overnight). Allow the casserole to rest on the counter for about 30 minutes before baking so that it has time to come to room temperature. Add the corn chips on top just before it goes into the oven so that they don't get soggy.
- Can you freeze Frito Pie? Yes! This is a great freezer meal option to make ahead of time. I suggest preparing the meat mixture and placing it in a casserole dish, topping with cheese, and then covering tightly. Freeze for up to 1 month. When ready to bake, thaw the casserole in the refrigerator overnight. Allow the dish to sit on the counter for about 30 minutes before baking so that it has time to come to room temperature. Top with Fritos just before baking, and then bake according to the recipe instructions.
- If you have a large oven-proof skillet, you can prepare the entire Frito Pie in one pan. Instead of transferring the meat mixture to a casserole dish, just bake the pie in the skillet. That will save you an extra dish to wash at the end!
Genevelyn Brown
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.
Blair
Awesome! I hope you and your daughter love it! 🙂
Sheryl
Made it - yummy! Perfect Super Bowl food! Quick & easy to make. My husband loved it & so did I
Blair
Thanks, Sheryl! I'm so happy to hear that!
Magaret Derington
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.