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Classic Frito Pie is cheesy and crunchy and topped with everyone’s favorite Frito chips! Assembled in a casserole dish, Frito Pie is a hearty and family-friendly dish you need to add to your dinner rotation.
Frito Pie
Frito Pie is a classic casserole dish with ingredients like ground beef, taco seasoning, cheese, & crunchy corn chips. It’s simple and deliciously filling! This recipe is prepared as a casserole, but sometimes you’ll also see the recipe served in mini Fritos bags with various toppings added. The mini Fritos bags are called “walking tacos.”
It only takes 30-40 minutes to make this is a great weeknight meal your whole family will love! Plus, this recipe is great for parties. YES, this is one of the first side dishes that disappears during gameday parties.
Frito Pie Ingredients
- Ground beef – the hearty meat base of the casserole. You could also use ground turkey or even ground chicken as protein substitutions
- Onion – Dice up some yellow onion
- Taco seasoning + water – You can use any taco seasoning packet that you like or make your own taco seasoning blend
- Salsa – a mild and chunky salsa
- Beans – kidney or pinto beans
- Chili sauce – a classic spicy dressing
- Diced tomatoes – drained
- Onion and garlic powder – simple seasonings that make a delicious impact!
- Salt and pepper – to taste!
- Cheese blend – Our favorite cheese for Frito Pie is Mexican blend, but shredded cheddar cheese would also be great.
- Frito corn chips – A regular size bag for the casserole or mini size bags to make Walking Tacos
Frito Pie Instructions
In a large saucepan, combine beef and chopped onion. Place over medium heat and cook until the meat is brown. When done, drain the meat well. Return beef to the pan and stir in taco seasoning and water. Mix well and bring to a boil before allowing the saucepan to simmer. When the beef mixture is done simmering, add in the salsa, kidney beans, chili sauce, diced tomatoes, and seasonings
When done, pour Frito pie mix into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Spread evenly over the dish using the back of a spoon or rubber spatula. Now it’s time to layer! Top with half of the cheese, the corn chips, and then the remaining portion of the cheese blend. Be sure to sprinkle the cheese and chips evenly over top before placing it in the oven to bake. Optional: you can top with black olives and jalapenos for extra flavor!
Frito Pie Recipe
Once baked to bubbly perfection, it’s time to add some toppings! Sour cream, guacamole, green onion, cilantro, diced onions, and taco sauce are some of our favorite toppings. But, the sky is the limit! Of course, for picky eaters, you can leave additional toppings off altogether.
Taco pie has a heart garlic, chili, and taco taste! Very delicious and easy to make! This dish is best to serve warm, but leftovers can be reheated in the microwave. Store the leftovers in an airtight container. Some side dishes include refried beans, Mexican rice, a fresh salad, or even some veggies for additional fiber. We’re a big fan of Fritos casserole, I hope you enjoy it as well!
What’s the difference between a Frito Pie Casserole and a Walking Taco?
They are the same recipe, but the only difference is a walking taco is served in individual-sized Frito chip bags. To make this casserole into Walking Tacos, make the casserole the same, just leave out the Frito topping before baking. Then, scoop the meat casserole into single-serve bags of Fritos with a fork to dip in and eat the taco ingredients inside. A little shredded lettuce with sour cream and guacamole is fantastic!
More Recipes by The Blogette to Try Next:
- Taco Casserole
- Chicken Fajita Casserole
- Dorito Casserole
- Taco Bell Gordita Ring
- Mexican Chicken and Rice
Frito Pie
Equipment
- skillet
- 9×13 baking dish
- serving spoon or rubber spatula
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ cup yellow onion, chopped
- 1 package taco seasoning + water
- 1 cup salsa
- 15 ounce can of kidney beans
- 15 ounce can of chili sauce
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 (8 ounce) bag of shredded Mexican cheese blend
- 4 cups of Frito corn chips OR individual sized Frito bags for making Walking Tacos
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.Â
- In a large saucepan, combine beef and chopped onion. Place over medium heat to brown the meat for about 5-7 minutes. When done, drain well.
- Return beef to the pan and add taco seasoning and water. Mix well and bring to a boil before allowing the saucepan to simmer for 6-8 minutes.Â
- When the beef mixture is done simmering, add in the salsa, kidney beans, chili sauce, diced tomatoes and seasonings. Mix well and cook on low-medium heat for 5-7 minutes.Â
- When done, pour Frito pie mix into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Spread evenly over the dish using the back of a spoon or rubber spatula.Â
- Top with half of the cheese, the corn chips and then the remaining portion of the cheese blend. Be sure to sprinkle the cheese and chips evenly over top in these steps.Â
- Carefully place inside the oven and cook for 10-12 minutes.Â
- When done, serve using a spatula onto individual plates.Â
- Garnish with your favorite toppings!
Notes
- Be sure to use at least 93% lean ground beef for this recipe.Â
- After your ground beef is fully browned, drain on a bed of paper towels. This will help absorb any excess grease from your meat before returning to the pain.Â
- When beef is ground and fully cooked, the onions will be translucent.Â
- Top with chopped onions or chives. This enhances the garlic/chili flavor.Â
