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This Frito Pie recipe is a crowd-pleaser that’s so simple to make. With hearty chili, crunchy Fritos, and tons of fresh toppings, it’s the perfect comfort food for a casual weeknight meal or game day get-together. Bonus! You get three different ways to serve it: baked, plated, or walking style.
Whether you’re serving a family dinner or feeding a crowd, this recipe delivers bold flavor with easy, shortcut ingredients and minimal prep time.
Try This Next: My Chili Cornbread Skillet or Cheesy Taco Pasta are other hearty, comforting meals that come together quickly and satisfy a crowd.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Big comfort factor – Warm chili and crunchy chips make for a cozy, nostalgic meal.
- Customizable – Use any toppings you love and spice it up as needed.
- Easy to prep and serve – Especially great for gatherings with multiple serving options.
- Family-friendly – Kids and adults both go crazy for it.
RECIPE WALK-THROUGH
Before You Begin
To make this meal go quickly, dice your onions and garlic, gather your canned ingredients, and prep your toppings ahead of time. You can even make the chili a day in advance. It thickens and tastes even better the next day.
Tools and Equipment
- Large pot or Dutch oven
- 13×9-inch baking dish (for baked version)
- Large spoon or ladle
- Sharp knife and cutting board
- Measuring cups and spoons
How To Make Frito Pie
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Add oil and ground beef.
Let the beef sear undisturbed for a few minutes to develop flavor, then continue cooking and breaking it up until mostly cooked.
Add the onion, garlic, and tomato paste. Cook for 5 minutes.
Stir in the chili seasoning, chili beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and green chiles. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 25 to 30 minutes until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Stir in half the cheese.
Choose your preferred serving method:
Baked: Preheat oven to 375℉. Spray a 13×9-inch dish with non-stick spray. Add Fritos, spoon over three heaping cups of chili, and top with remaining cheese. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until hot.
Stovetop Only: Add Fritos to bowls or a serving platter, top with hot chili, then sprinkle with cheese.
Walking Frito Pie: Open individual-size Fritos bags and layer in chili, cheese, and toppings for a fun, portable option.
Serving Suggestions
Top your Frito Chili Pie with diced avocado, tomatoes, onion, jalapeños, sour cream, or fresh cilantro. Try using different chips, like chili cheese flavored Fritos, or add extra beans or veggies to the chili for more texture and nutrition.
Storage Tips
The Best Way to Store Leftovers
Keep leftover chili in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave. Keep chips separate to avoid sogginess.
Recipe Tips
- Best cheeses to use – Any melty cheese works! I like cheddar, Monterey Jack, pepper jack, or a blend.
- Let the beef sear before stirring for better flavor.
- Wait to season with salt until the end! Many of the canned ingredients are already salty.
- Use a slotted spoon to keep the chips from getting too soggy when serving.
- For extra heat, swap in Rotel or fire-roasted tomatoes.
- Store leftover chili separately from the Fritos, as the chips will get mushy very quickly.
- Chili beans, chili seasoning, and canned diced green chiles pack a ton of flavor in convenient shortcuts!
- Chili beans can be substituted for a can (or two) of kidney or pinto beans. If swapping out for regular beans, drain and rinse them first.
- The chili can be made a day in advance, and tastes even better.
More Chili Recipes
- Loaded Chili Cheese Fries
- Instant Pot Skyline Cincinnati Chili
- Simple Chili Mac
- Easy 3-Ingredient Chili Cheese Dip
- Baked Chili Cheese Dogs
- Best Easy Chili Recipe
Frito Chili Pie
Equipment
- Large pot or Dutch oven
- 13×9-inch baking dish (for baked version)
- Large spoon or ladle
- Sharp knife and cutting board
- Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 pound Lean ground beef
- 1 cup Yellow onion diced
- 2 large Cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon Tomato paste
- 1 packet Chili seasoning or 3 tablespoons homemade chili seasoning
- 1 16 ounce Can chili beans in mild chili sauce undrained
- 1 15 ounce Can petite diced tomatoes undrained
- 1 15 ounce Can tomato sauce
- 1 4 ounce Can mild diced green chiles
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 9.25 ounce Bag Fritos corn chips
- 1 ½ cups Shredded cheddar jack cheese divided
Topping suggestions:
- Sliced jalapeno
- Diced avocado
- Diced tomato
- Cilantro
- Sour cream
- Diced red or white onion
- Sliced green onion
Instructions
- Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat.
- Once hot, add the oil, followed by the ground beef. Break the beef up briefly, then let it sit undisturbed for about 3 minutes to develop some color.
- Continue cooking until beef is mostly cooked through but still some pink remaining, add the onion, garlic, and tomato paste, cook an additional 5 minutes.
- Add the chili seasoning, chili beans, petite diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and diced green chiles.
- Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and simmer uncovered until slightly reduced and thickened, about 25-30 minutes.
- Taste chili and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in half of the cheese. At this point you can serve it a few different ways:
Baked
- Preheat oven to 375℉ while the chili cooks.
- Spray a 13×9” baking dish lightly with non-stick cooking spray.
- Pour in the bag of Fritos, top with 3 heaping cups of the chili using a slotted spoon, and add the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until hot.
- Serve immediately with toppings of choice.
Stovetop only
- Pour Fritos onto a serving platter, or divide amongst everyone’s bowls.
- Top with the hot chili using a slotted spoon, and sprinkle on remaining cheese.
- Serve immediately with toppings of choice.
Walking Frito Pie
- Instead of a large bag of Fritos, purchase individual size bags of Fritos, fill them up with chili, cheese, and toppings of choice.
Notes
- This recipe yields about 6 cups total of chili. You will use about 3 heaping cups for the baked method.
- I used Bush’s brand chili beans in mild chili sauce. These beans come in different heat levels, so you can customize the heat level of your chili.
- Feel free to use your own chili seasoning or the packet. If using a packet, I recommend McCormick. Chili seasoning packets come in different heat levels.
- Almost all the ingredients in our chili recipe contain salt, which can vary depending on the brand. I recommend waiting until the chili is done cooking and then reducing the salt to adjust the seasoning. Taste test it with a chip to get an accurate idea of how salty it is, as the chips are salty as well.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
