Frito Pie Casserole is crunchy, cheesy and made ultra-easy with nothing more than a bag of Fritos, a can of chili with beans, and cheese. A simple shortcut recipe with a deconstructed take on tacos, perfect for game day, tailgates, or when you’re craving hearty comfort food.
Easy Frito Pie Recipe for a Quick Meal
This Frito Pie recipe could be the easiest way to prepare a classic Tex-Mex meal when you crave comfort food but don’t want to cook. A one dish dinner made with only 3 ingredients…..yes please! Just layers of corn chips, chili, and cheese baked until bubbly.
I love how the corn chips on the bottom of this dish soften, similar to a tortilla, while the Fritos on top remain crispy and crunchy. But here’s the best part: because the meat mixture comes from a can, it’s already been cooked! So there’s no sauces to simmer, no beef to brown, and only one baking dish to wash!
Serve this Frito Pie dinner piled on a plate or for a fun variation, make individual “walking Frito pie” portions and eat the chili and cheese directly from the bag of chips.
Frito Pie Ingredients and What You’ll Need
- Fritos corn chips: Feel free to try this with the chili cheese Fritos, Scoops, or use other corn tortilla chips if desired. You will need a little less than a 9.25 ounce bag of chips for this recipe.
- Chili with beans: I love the simplicity and convenience of using canned chili, but you can cook and make your own homemade chili with ground beef, ground chicken, or ground turkey. Try my Turkey Chili, Slow Cooker Chili, or Instant Pot Chili or choose my other delicious chili recipes if you’re looking for a change!
- Colby jack cheese: Any type of melty cheese will work for this recipe, in either shredded or brick form. Cheddar cheese, mozzarella, or a mixed cheese will also taste great!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Frito Pie Casserole
- Begin At The Bottom: Layer the Frito corn chips onto the bottom of the casserole dish.
- Layer The Chili: Pour the chili with beans over the corn chips.
- Cover The Casserole: Cover with a combination of Fritos and cheese.
- Bake: Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the cheese has melted and the chili is bubbling on the sides.
- Serve: Garnish with with green onions, jalapeno slices, or minced parsley (optional) and serve warm with a side of sour cream. Enjoy!
Different Ways to Customize Frito Pie
Get creative and change up the classic Frito Pie recipe by adding different proteins, veggies, or toppings to suit your taste.
- Change Up The Chili: Make your own homemade chili if you have a recipe the whole family loves. Use ground beef or turkey, black beans, chili beans, kidney beans, or pinto beans, and season it with spices such as paprika, dried oregano, chili powder, ground cayenne pepper, cumin, ground coriander. Mix it in tomato sauce, let it simmer in a large skillet, and layer it according to the directions above.
- Serve It Spicy: Add sliced fresh or pickled jalapeños on top of the casserole before baking, or mix some into the chili for an extra kick. You can drizzle your favorite hot sauce or salsa over the finished dish for a spicy punch, or add hot chili peppers for heat.
- Create The Crunch: For a different crunch, swap out Fritos for tortilla chips or even Doritos to add a cheesy or spicy flair.
- Try A Tex-Mex Twist: Drizzle melted queso or red enchilada sauce over the top of the casserole for an exta gooey, cheesy finish. You can also mix taco seasoning or red enchilada sauce into the chili before baking for extra Tex-Mex flavor.
- Make With Mix-Ins: Before you layer on the chili, pour it all into a bowl and stir in some minced onion or garlic, bell peppers, corn, extra cheese, a can of Rotel, or anything else you choose!
- Tasty Toppings: After the casserole comes out of the oven you can sprinkle on some olives, diced tomatoes, black olives, cilantro, guacamole, sliced avocado, pico de gallo, shredded lettuce, or any of your favorite taco toppings.
How to Make Frito Pie Casserole Ahead of Time
To make Frito Pie Casserole ahead of time, simply layer the Fritos, chili, and cheese as instructed, but don’t bake it right away. Cover the casserole dish tightly with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When you’re ready to bake, remove it from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for about 10–15 minutes to ensure even baking. Then, pop it in the oven at 350°F until the cheese is melted and bubbly, usually about 20–30 minutes. This makes for an easy, stress-free dinner when you need to prepare in advance!
How to Store and Reheat Frito Casserole
- In The Refrigerator: To store Frito Pie Casserole, let it cool completely before covering it tightly with plastic wrap or foil. It can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- In The Freezer: Cool the casserole, wrap it tightly, then place it in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to 3 months.
- 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. Keep in mind that this casserole doesn’t store very well as the chips tend to get soggy. I recommend adding fresh chips when you reheat and serve it.
More Casserole Recipes
If you tried this Frito Pie Casserole Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!!!
Frito Pie Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 cups Fritos corn chips divided in half
- 30 ounces (2 15-ounce cans) chili with beans
- 2 cups shredded Colby jack cheese
- Optional garnishes: green onions, jalapeno, chopped parsley, sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a 2 quart or 9×13 inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Layer 2 cups of Frito corn chips onto the bottom of the casserole dish.
- Pour the chili with beans over the corn chips as evenly as possible.
- Alternate the topping by adding on 2 cups of Fritos and cheese until evenly distributed.
- Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the chili is bubbling on the sides.
- Remove from the oven and top with green onions, jalapeno slices, or minced parsley, optional.
- Plate and serve warm with a side of sour cream, optional.
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: You can keep this casserole covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: Cool the casserole, wrap it tightly, and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- 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.
- Feel free to add more cheese! You can mix cheese into the chips, chili or just layer it on thickly on the top. With this recipe, the more cheese the better.
- You can put a Southwestern spin on this casserole by adding some salsa, corn, taco seasoning, and diced chiles.
I used homemade chili rather then canned, but this was SO good! Everyone loved it. Thank you!
We loved the frito pie casserole Thank you for the recipe.
I haven’t tried it yet. But I will. I still give it a 4 star rating.
yummy, yummy, yummy!!!!
I’ve been making this dish for over 40 years. I first had it when I lived in Texas and yhe Dairy Queen places served this one Thier menu.
Only thing I would suggest is to use the chili/cheese flavored Fritos for even more added flavor.
Looks so good