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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.
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Spray a 2-inch deep 9-inch pie pan with non-stick cooking spray and dump the 1 (9-ounce) bag original Fritos chips into the pan.
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Heat a pot over medium-high heat on the stove, add the 1 pound ground beef and 1 cup diced onion to the pot. Cook for 8 minutes until the meat is browned and the onion is tender.
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Add the 3 teaspoons minced garlic, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 2 teaspoons oregano, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon coriander, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper to the meat mixture and stir to combine. Cook for one more minute.
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Add in the 1 cup beef broth, 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce, 1 (10-ounce) can Rotel tomatoes, 1 (15-ounce) drained and rinsed can pinto beans, and 1 (15-ounce) drained and rinsed can kidney beans. Stir and cook for another 5 minutes to heat through.
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Pour the chili evenly over the Fritos in the pie pan.
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Top with 1 ½ cups 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 serve fresh.
Calories: 272kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 22gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 599mgPotassium: 496mgFiber: 5gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 523IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 195mgIron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
