Frito Pie Casserole Recipe is easy to make and a terrific weeknight meal! A classic Tex Mex dish made with ground beef, taco or chili seasonings, cheese, and Fritos that’s perfect for a quick dinner option any night of the week. Make this “walking taco casserole” for dinner or fun, easy game-day food!
If you love simple Tex Mex meals, or love a good King Ranch Chicken Casserole or Taco Bake, this is the casserole for you!
Frito Pie Recipe
Did you know that Frito chili pie is essentially the same thing as a walking taco? The ingredients are the same; chili, diced onion, corn chips and shredded cheddar cheese. The only difference is, rather than eating the chili directly from a bag of corn chips, Frito chili pie is served on a plate or baked in a casserole dish, which is why it can also called walking taco casserole.
Layer up the Frito Corn Chips, seasoned beef, cheese, and more in a delicious dish that is comfort food at its finest. Only a few ingredients and 10 minutes to make this delicious layered dish that can be topped with your favorite toppings!
This one pan meal is perfect for just about any occasion. Whether you serve at game day, potlucks, picnics, or a simple dinner option, this will be a family favorite!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
This great recipe is PACKED with flavor and after you make it one time, you’ll see just why its a family favorite!
- Quick and Easy- this meal is ready for the oven in under 10 minutes and uses simple ingredients
- Budget Friendly- you can find most of the items needed for this recipe on sale or for low cost, making it a great budget friendly option
- Versatile- so many fun ways to add your own flair to this recipe. Whether it be fun toppings, subbing turkey for beef, adding some hot sauce, and more
- Flavor Packed- if you love crunchy, salty corn chips and loaded of toppings, this is the dish for you. So much flavor in each and every bite
Frito Pie Ingredients
See printable recipe card for exact amounts and directions below
- Ground Beef- or ground turkey
- Onion- diced, you can also use onion powder if you don’t have an onion on hand
- Taco Seasoning- HERE is a great homemade recipe to try
- Ranch Style Beans- chili beans work as well
- Enchilada Sauce- if you like heat, get a spicy version
- Fritos- get all the crunchy Fritos that you can on top! This is what makes it a classic Frito pie
- Cheese- I use shredded Mexican cheese, but cheddar or pepper jack work great too
- Jalapenos- diced, you can also use green chiles if you don’t like the heat from jalapeno
- Toppings of Choice- see options below
Toppings for Cheesy Frito Pie Casserole
Here are some great options to top your casserole with. Have fun with it and make it your own!
- Green onions
- Shredded lettuce
- Sliced black olives
- Avocado – Or use guacamole!
- Sour cream
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jalapeno Slices
- Corn
- A splash of hot sauce
How to make Easy Frito Pie
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13 pan.
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In a skillet, cook the beef or turkey over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain fat.
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Stir in the minced onion, taco seasoning, enchilada sauce, and beans.
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Pour half the bag of Fritos into prepared pan. Top with meat mixture.
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Sprinkle cheese and remaining Fritos on top of meat.
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Sprinkle diced jalapenos or chilies on top of the Fritos and place pan in preheated oven.
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Bake for about 25 minutes. Serve with favorite toppings! Enjoy!
What to serve with Frito Pie
This casserole is a meal in itself, however, if you want to add a side item or two, here are some great options:
- Mexican Street Corn Casserole
- Guacamole
- BEST EVER White Queso Dip
- Restaurant Style Mexican Rice
- Homemade Refried Beans
Frito Chili Pie Substitutions and Variations
- Change the Chips- if you don’t want to use Frito Corn Chips, feel free to use Tostitos (tortilla chips).
- Switch up Cheeses- any type of melty cheese will work for this recipe. You can use shredded or brick cheese, cheddar, Colby, mozzarella, or a mixed blend cheese.
- Toppings- see list above for some fun topping ideas.
- Add In’s- bell peppers, black beans, or olives can be mixed in to the meat mixture for an added flavor boost.
- Meat- instead of ground beef, feel free to use ground turkey.
Frito Pie Casserole Tips
Here are some simple tips and tricks so your Frito Pie Casserole turns out fabulous each and every time!
- Don’t skimp on the cheese! In fact, add more if you want an even cheesier casserole! Another great idea is to layer the cheese in the middle of this casserole in addition to adding some on top!
- If you don’t have taco seasoning, feel free to use Fajita seasoning in its place.
- Add some corn, salsa, and chiles for an added Southwestern flair to this recipe.
- Be sure to drain all the grease so the taco seasoning coats the meat perfectly and evenly.
- Don’t forget the toppings! After all, isn’t that the fun part?!
How to store Walking Taco Casserole
- Refrigerator: You can keep this casserole covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Cool the casserole, wrap it tightly, and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- How to Reheat: Reheat your casserole in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute or in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes.
- Note: the corn chips get soggy when reheating, but you can solve this problem by adding a few more just before enjoying!
More Tex Mex Meals to try
Cheesy Nacho Bake– a twist on the classic ready for prime time—and your table.
Sour Cream Enchiladas– packed with chicken, cheese and an amazing sour cream sauce. These are the best Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas and they get even better the next day and freeze great.
Taco Tater Tot Bake– a Mexican mixture of taco meat, beans, corn, and cheese topped with tater tots and enchilada sauce.
Taco Lasagna– so easy and is a casserole that freezes well. When Mexican food meets Italian you get layers of pasta, salsa, seasoned taco meat and lots and lots of cheese. It has only 7 ingredients and is a crowd pleasing cheesy Mexican dinner!
Mexican Chicken Bake– pure comfort food and a family favorite you’ll want to add to your dinner rotation.
Frito Taco Pie– all the same flavors of this tasty casserole, baked into a pie form with a tasty crust included.
Frito Chili Pie Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef or turkey
- 2 tablespoon dried minced onion
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 30 oz. ranch style beans
- 20 oz. enchilada sauce
- 9.75 oz. fritos
- 4 oz diced jalapenos (or green chilies)
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- Toppings of choice: Sour Cream, Avocado, Salsa
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 pan.
- In a skillet, cook the beef or turkey over medium heat until no longer pink.
- Drain fat.
- Stir in the minced onion, taco seasoning, enchilada sauce, and beans.
- Pour half the bag of Fritos into prepared pan.
- Top with meat mixture.
- Sprinkle cheese and remaining Fritos on top of meat.
- Sprinkle diced jalapenos or chilies on top of the Fritos and place pan in preheated oven.
- Bake for about 25 minutes.
- Serve with favorite toppings! Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe updated 2/3/23
