Frito Pie is the perfect way to use up those Frito chips you have laying around. It’s one of those classic recipes our mom would throw together growing up that only takes a few minutes and a handful of ingredients (plus plenty of kitchen shortcuts!).
It’s not truly pie, as the name implies, instead it’s a comforting, layered-style casserole. It makes a great weeknight meal, but with the flavors and Fritos, it would work great for a tailgate or game day appetizer, too. And if you don’t like the taco flavors, you can swap them out and use leftover chili instead.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple ingredients. This recipe uses quite a few kitchen shortcuts and shelf-stable ingredients.
- Budget friendly. This stretches one pound of ground beef as far as possible. You can also swap out the ground beef (see ingredient notes below) for even more savings.
- Customize it! Make individual servings, or make it your own by adding your own toppings.
Ingredient Notes
You can find the full ingredient amounts listed in the recipe card below. Here are some notes about each ingredient (including potential substitutions or swaps).
- Lean ground beef: this recipe stretches the ground beef as much as possible for a more budget-friendly dinner. You can swap this out for any ground meat including turkey, chicken, or sausage.
- Yellow onion: dice this up. We’ll use frozen diced onion in a pinch, or throw some onion powder in if we don’t have any onions on hand.
- Taco seasoning: we’re all for shortcuts, so store bought taco seasoning is perfect for this one. You can make your own taco seasoning if you don’t want to use store bought.
- Chili Style Pinto Beans: we like the flavor of these type of beans, but you can sub this out for whatever type of bean/chili you like. Kidney, black beans, regular pinto – all of them will work. It will change the flavor if you switch the beans, but it will still work.
- Corn: we used drained, canned corn, but you can also use frozen or leftover fresh corn.
- Green chilies: canned green chilies work great to add a little flavor. You can pack more heat by swapping these out for jalapenos.
- Enchilada sauce: we generally use red enchilada sauce, but any kind of enchilada sauce will work.
- Fritos corn chips: you only need a small bag of original flavored fritos to make this. We also love to use the leftover bags from the combo boxes of individual serving size chips (because we ALWAYS have leftover corn chips). If you’re feeling real adventurous, you can swap out the original fritos for other flavors!
- Mexican blend cheese: It wouldn’t be a casserole without some shredded cheese! The Mexican blend is our favorite, but you can use Pepper Jack, Monterey Jack or plain cheddar.
- Toppings: Add your favorite toppings to really make it your own. We love shredded lettuce, olives, jalapenos, pico de gallo, guacamole, or sour cream. Pretty much anything that tastes good on a taco will taste good on these!
How to Make Frito Pie
- Make the filling. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef and onion until the meat is cooked all the way through and onions are translucent. Drain the grease, then stir in taco seasoning until it’s completely mixed in. Stir in beans, corn, green chilies, and enchilada sauce until warmed through.
- Layer the casserole. In a 9×13” baking dish, spread half of the Fritos. Pour the beef mixture over top. Sprinkle the cheese over the beef mixture, then top with the remaining Fritos.
- Bake. Cook for 15-20 minutes at 350℉, until the cheese is melted and the mixture is bubbling.
Tip : This casserole is best served fresh because the Fritos will start to lose their texture if you have to reheat it.
How to serve these as “walking tacos”
This recipe can also be made in individual servings, known widely on the internet as “walking tacos”. Make steps 1 & 2 of the recipe as directed, but instead of layering the beef mixture in a casserole dish, pour some of the beef mixture into individual serving size frito chip bags. Top with cheese and enjoy with a spoon straight out of the bags.
Storage & Freezing Tips
To store, let the casserole cool and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. As noted, the Fritos will start to get soggy the longer this casserole sits. You may want to add fresh Fritos to the top after reheating for more of a crunch.
To freeze this recipe, cook the ground beef base. Add it to a freezer-safe aluminum casserole container without adding the Fritos on the bottom or the top. Let it cool,
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Instead of browning the ground beef and adding all the other things to it, sub those ingredients out entirely for already made, leftover chili. You’ll need about 5-6 cups. Continue the recipe with the frito chips and shredded cheese, layering it into a casserole dish just like you would in the original recipe.
This recipe is made specifically for Frito corn chips. If you want to use tortilla chips, we’d recommend this Taco casserole instead.
You definitely can. Swap out the ground beef for ground chicken, ground turkey, or ground sausage. If you want to go vegetarian, you could swap it out for plant-based ground crumbles.
What to serve with Frito Pie:
We love to serve this as a full meal, topped with guacamole and pico de gallo. You can also serve it with refried beans or refried beans.
Enjoy more easy Casserole recipes:
- Baked Spaghetti Casserole
- Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
- Cheesy Beef Enchilada Casserole
- John Wayne Casserole
- Cheesy Pizza Pasta Casserole
Frito Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 1 ounce package of taco seasoning
- 30 ounces cans Chili Style Pinto Beans
- 15 ounces can corn, drained
- 4 ounces can green chilies
- 10 ounces can enchilada sauce
- 9.5 ounces Fritos corn chips
- 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef and onion until the meat is cooked all the way through and onions are translucent. Drain the grease, then stir in taco seasoning until it’s completely mixed in.
- To the skillet, stir in beans, corn, green chilies, and enchilada sauce until warmed through.
- In a 9×13” baking dish, spread half of the Fritos. Pour the beef mixture over top. Sprinkle the cheese over the beef mixture, then top with the remaining Fritos.
- Cook for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the mixture is bubbling.
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.
