Frito Pie

This authentic Texas Frito Pie is made with an easy ground beef chili on top of corn chips. Load it up with cheese, diced onion, and a scoop of sour cream. Perfect for game-day treats or an easy family dinner.

Looking for more easy family dinner recipes? You’ll love our Homemade Mac and Cheese, Easy Taco Soup, and Cheese Quesadillas.

Why I Love this Recipe: 

• Budget-Friendly: This easy-to-make family recipe is also easy on the budget! 
• Comforting: Combining homemade chili, cheese, and corn chips is the ultimate comfort food. 
• Nostalgia: This dish brings fond memories of football games, fairs, and family dinners. 

Ingredients:

Toppings:

• Classic Texas Toppings: Frito Pie is a classic Texas food stand food, and you will typically see it served with grated cheese, diced onion, and sliced jalapeños. 
• Other Topping Options: Other options include shredded lettuce, diced tomato, and sour cream. 

How to Make Frito Pie

Prepare the Chili: This quick and easy chili comes together by browning ground beef in a dutch oven over medium heat. Break up the meat while it cooks until no longer pink. After the beef is cooked, drain any grease, then stir in the tomato sauce, paste, and beef broth. 

Season: Add chili powder, paprika, onion and garlic powders, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir this all together and let simmer for 10 minutes. 

Serving: In bowls or plates, layer the Frito corn chips, spoon the chili on top, then add your toppings. 

Variations: 

• Slow Cooker: Prepare the chili in a slow cooker by browning the ground beef, adding it to a slow cooker with the remaining ingredients for the chili and letting it cook on low for 4-6 hours. 
• Casserole: Turn this frito pie recipe into a casserole. Prepare the chili in a large skillet, then top with cheese and corn chips. Cover and bake until the cheese has melted. This comes out similar to our Walking Taco Casserole. 

Storage and Make Ahead

• Leftovers: Store the chili in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. 
• Make Ahead: The chili can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Layer with chips just before serving. 
• Freezer: The chili can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the freezer overnight. 

More Quick and Easy dinner recipes:

• Easy Chili Recipe
• One Pot Taco Pasta
• Walking Taco Casserole
• John Wayne Casserole

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Frito Pie

5 from 1 vote

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 20 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Author: Serene

This authentic Texas Frito Pie is made with an easy ground beef chili on top of corn chips. Load it up with cheese, diced onion, and a scoop of sour cream. Perfect for game-day treats or an easy family dinner.

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 lb ground beef
• ▢ 2 tbsp tomato paste
• ▢ 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• ▢ 1 cup beef broth
• ▢ 2 tbsp chili powder
• ▢ 1 tbsp paprika
• ▢ 1 tbsp onion powder
• ▢ ½ tsp garlic powder
• ▢ 1 tsp ground cumin
• ▢ ½ tsp black pepper
• ▢ ½ tsp salt
• ▢ 2 cups frito chips
• ▢ ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• ▢ ½ white onion diced

Optional Toppings

• ▢ sour cream
• ▢ sliced jalapeños

Instructions 

• Cook the ground beef in large pot or dutch oven over medium heat, until fully cooked, no longer pink, for about 7 minutes.
• Drain the grease. Return the pot to the stove.
• Add the tomato paste, tomato sauce, and beef stock. Stir to combine.
• Add the seasonings. Cover and simmer over medium heat for the next 10 minutes.
• In bowl or plates layer the Frito chips, top with some chili, cheese, onion and any additional toppings.

Equipment

• dutch oven

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 535kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 28g | Sugar: 2g

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

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First published June 2018. Updated October 2023.

Photography by the talented ModernFarmhouseEats.com