Best Frito Chili Pie Recipe

Why We Love This Frito Chili Pie Recipe

You know I am a big fan of great retro recipes that are no-frills but have big, comforting flavors that we all love. Many are easy to prepare and perfect to feed a crowd for fun gatherings. Frito Chili Pie is a fabulous old-school recipe for tailgating, casual holiday parties, and campfire dinners. It’s just the right combo of crunchy, salty, savory, meaty, and cheesy that you crave in a classic party food! If you aren’t already familiar, you should know that there is no actual pie involved here. But that’s ok! Frito Pie gets its name from how the dish is layered and served… crunchy corn chips are covered with a quick and easy homemade beef chili, then topped with shredded cheese and sliced green scallions, and finished with tangy jalapenos and a dollop of sour cream. These can be assembled individually in shallow round dishes (like a pie) – or for a more traditional serving style, layer the chili and goodies right into single-serving bags of Fritos chips. This Frito pie recipe takes under an hour to make and is even great to prep in advance. Simply make the chili portion ahead of time and have your toppings ready to go. Then rewarm the chili when ready to serve and enjoy!

Ingredients You Need

For the Frito Chili Recipe –

Ground beef – I suggest lean, but use whatever percent fat you like Sweet onion – diced Garlic – minced Canned kidney beans – drained Tomato sauce – canned or jarred Diced fire roasted tomatoes – canned Spices – ancho chili powder, ground cumin, and dried oregano Beef base – or bouillon

To Make the Chili Pies –

Fritos Corn Chips – either one large bag or 10 single serving bags Sharp cheddar cheese – shredded Scallions – chopped Sour cream – or greek yogurt Sliced pickled jalapeños – like our fantastic homemade quick pickled jalapeno slices

How to Make Easy Beef Chili for Frito Pie

Once the chili thickens, turn off the heat. Then taste, and salt and pepper as needed. Ta-da, you’re done! Who knew homemade beef and bean chili could be so easy to make on the stovetop? You can move right ahead and assemble the Frito pies, or cool and store the chili in the fridge for later. Simply reheat the chili in the microwave or on the stovetop when you’re ready to serve. Get the Complete (Printable!) Best Frito Chili Pie Recipe Below. Enjoy!

How to Assemble and Serve Frito Chili Pie in a Dish

Pro Tip: You can always set out a buffet line with all the various ingredients, and let guests serve themselves! To start, spread out a handful of Fritos in a deep, wide bowl. Then ladle on a generous scoop of chili. Then add a bit of the shredded cheese and sliced scallions. I like to let the cheese sit on the warm chili for a minute before adding other toppings, so that is gets nice and melty. Lastly, top with sour cream and pickled jalapeno slices, or other fresh toppings. Dig in while it’s warm!

How to Serve In Individual Frito Bags

Cut back on kitchen cleanup, or whip these beauties up alongside the campfire while camping, and serve Frito pie right in the bag! Here’s how to do it: Serve with forks and plenty of napkins!

Additional Frito Pie Toppings

Lots of other nacho and chili-type goodies can be loaded on your Frito pie! Try any of these tasty toppings instead of or in addition to the other classic options we’ve listed in the recipe card below:

Guacamole or fresh avocado slices Salsa or pico de gallo Greek yogurt (instead of sour cream) Shredded spicy pepper jack cheese Chopped cilantro Fresh slices of jalapenos Hot sauce for an extra kick of spice