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Frito Pie! This Texas Classic is made with a quick and easy 20 minute Texas chili loaded up on a bed of Fritos and topped with melty cheese. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner!

Tray filled with Frito pie made with 20 minutes Texas chili.

What is Frito Pie??

Frito pie is a simple dish made of humble ingredients including Frito chips, Chile con carne, melty cheese, and onions. Of course some liberty can be taken in adding more toppings if you want. But for those purists the basic list of ingredients is all that’s needed.

There is some controversy as to where the recipe originated. One side is that first recipe was published in Texas in 1949. The other side claims that it was invented in New Mexico in the 1960s. However, some research shows that the recipe was printed on the menu of the Dallas Dietetic Association’s banquet in 1949. Which definitely leads me to believe that we can claim this as a Texas recipe.

How is Frito Pie made?

This dish can be made several ways, as a slow cooker meal, as a casserole, or as a walking taco. A common way for this to be served at Texas Football games is as a walking taco, simply open a small bag of Fritos chips and spoon the chili on top of the chips.

To prepare this as a casserole, you could simply make the chili, then in a casserole dish layer the chili, top with the chips and cheese then bake until all the cheese is melted. This is a fun way to serve this up for a large group of people at a party or get together.

In the slow cooker we would cook the ground beef for the chili first, add it to the slow cooker, then add all the other ingredients for the chili. Let it cook on low for about 4-6 hours. Then prior to serving add the cheese and Fritos.

But the main thing needed is a good chili! My favorite chili for making Frito pie is this Texas Chili. All meat, no beans, tons of spice. Only 20 minutes to make.

Tray of classic Texas Frito Pie topped with melted cheese, onion, some sour cream and jalapeños.

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Frito Pie

5 from 1 vote
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Servings: 6
Author: Serene
Frito Pie! This Texas Classic is made with a quick and easy 20 minute Texas chili loaded up on a bed of Fritos and topped with melty cheese. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner!
Tray filled with Frito pie made with 20 minutes Texas chili.

Ingredients  

  • 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

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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Welcome to my kitchen!

Welcome to the Houes of Yumm!! My name is Serene. I’m the food photographer, recipe developer, and official taste tester around these parts.

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1 Comment

  1. This was delicious and a big hit with my family and I! We will definitely be making this again. Thank you!