Frito Chili Pie
Not to be dramatic, but Frito Chili Pie might have saved my sanity. Zero whining, zero leftovers, it was a total dinner miracle. Crunchy, flavorful and ridiculously easy… you need this in your life ASAP.
Crunchy, Saucy, Totally Addictive
Big flavor, little effort: Layers of savory chili, crunchy Fritos, and melty cheese are all the things your kids love! It couldn’t be easier, and it tastes amazing!
Made-From-Scratch or Made-in-Minutes: This recipe has you make your own chili from scratch. But, if you need dinner on the table now? Grab your favorite canned chili and call it a win.
Frito Chili Pie Ingredients
Short on Time? Use Canned Chili instead! You can either make the chili from scratch using this recipe or keep things quick and easy by swapping in two (14-ounce) cans of your favorite store-bought chili.
Customize This Recipe: One of my favorite things about homemade chili is how easy it is to customize — you can mix in extra veggies, leave the beans out, adjust the spices, swap ground turkey for beef, or tweak it any way you like!
How to Make Frito Chili Pie
Frito chili pie is not just for Texans! Just whip up the tasty chili (or crack open a couple cans if you’re keeping it easy), layer it over crunchy chips, add plenty of cheese, and pop it in the oven.
Cook the Meat: Heat a pot over medium-high heat on the stove, add the ground beef and diced onion to the pot. Cook for 8 minutes until the meat is browned and the onions are tender.
Add Seasonings: Add the garlic, chili powder, oregano, ground cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper to the meat mixture, then stir to combine. Cook for one more minute.
Add Tomatoes and Beans: Add in the beef broth, tomato sauce, Rotel tomatoes, pinto beans, and kidney beans, then stir and simmer for another 5 minutes to heat through.
Prep Pie Pan: Spray a 2-inch deep 9-inch pie pan with non-stick cooking spray and dump the bag of Fritos chips into the pan.
Assemble: Pour the chili evenly over the Fritos in the pie pan.
Bake with Cheese: Top with shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Broil the pie on HIGH in the oven for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Remove from the oven and then serve fresh.
Alyssa’s Pro Tip
No deep pie pan? No problem. You can either split the Frito Chili Pie ingredients between two pans, use a 9×13 dish, or serve the extra chili on the side!
Storing Leftovers
In the Fridge: I recommend enjoying this dish fresh; storing it will make the chips go soggy. But you can store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for 5 days.
In the Freezer: To freeze, store separately in an airtight container, and keep it frozen for up to a month.
More Delicious Chili Recipes
The great thing about this recipe is that you can add all of the toppings you want. cilantro, salsa, guacamole, jalapeños, and green onions. Here are some more chili recipes you can have fun with different toppings!