Our Frito Pie recipe is a Tex-Mex casserole loaded with seasoned beef, pinto beans, corn, and plenty of crunchy Fritos. It’s hearty, cheesy, and sure to be a family favorite.
You may have caught on by now that I’m a big ol’ fan of casserole recipes.
I mean, it just gets so boring eating a piece of meat, a veggie, and a starch every night for dinner.
Bring on the casseroles, where we can mix all of those things together and add cheese. That’s much more exciting, if you ask me. 😉
And it doesn’t get much more exciting than this Frito casserole!
Table of Contents
The Frito Casserole Magic:
What’s so special about this Frito pie casserole? It’s the way the Fritos transform in the baking process.
The bottom layer softens up and takes on the texture of a corn tortilla. It has very enchilada-like texture.
The top layer stays nice and crunchy.
It’s kind of like a walking taco but in casserole form packed with all the good stuff. The combination of textures and flavor is just amazing!
Ingredient Notes:
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Fritos – This is our star ingredient here so you’ll definitely need a bag of Fritos. We prefer the original flavor but there is no reason you couldn’t try this Frito pie recipe with other flavors like the chili cheese or flamin’ hot.
Ground Beef – Season your beef with chili powder and taco seasoning.
Enchilada Sauce – The sauce will adds lots of flavor and help keep the Frito casserole from drying out. Use this homemade enchilada sauce if you’ve got the time to make it, or use a canned sauce.
Ro*Tel – This is just canned diced tomatoes and green chilis and it adds the perfect amount of spice. We use the “Original” version. If that’s too spicy, use the “Mild” version. If it’s not spicy enough use the “Hot” with the habanero!
Pinto Beans – We like pinto beans, but black beans would also work well here. And you can leave the beans out altogether if you don’t like them.
Cheese – We use cheddar, but Monterey Jack works well too.
What We Love About This Recipe!
It’s hard not to love easy casserole recipes! They are so filling and full of good stuff and the best part is you can customize them with ingredients that your family likes best.
How To Make Frito Pie:
Beef: Fire up your skillet over medium heat and add the ground beef, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain the fat as it browns.
Seasoning: Add the onions and finish the beef until it is cooked through. Next add the garlic and cook for an additional thirty seconds. Finally, add the packet of taco seasoning, the chili powder, and 1/4 cup of water. Stir well to combine and coat the beef in the spices. These seasonings are going to add loads of Southwestern flavor to your casserole.
Mix: Pour the enchilada sauce in with the beef, add the corn, beans, and Ro*Tel, and stir well to combine everything.
Layer: Pour half the bag of Fritos into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish, which is going to serve as the “crust” for your Frito pie. Pour the beef mixture over the top. Sprinkle on some cheddar and another layer of Fritos.
Bake: Pop this in a hot oven for 30 minutes and top it off with freshly sliced jalapenos, diced tomatoes, and green onions.
Serving Suggestions:
We like to serve this Frito Pie recipe with our restaurant style salsa and homemade guacamole.
A few of our favorite Mexican side dishes include esquites, refried bean dip, and Mexican potato salad.
FAQs:
Frito Pie (alternately called Frito Casserole) is basically a Tex-Mex chili taco combo in casserole form, loaded with Fritos chips, and topped with cheesy goodness. This is Tex-Mex at it’s best.
You can store leftover Frito casserole for about 2 to 3 days covered in the refrigerator. The top layer of Fritos will lose some of their crunch after reheating.
Substitions:
- Use mild Ro*Tel to keep the spice level down.
- Swap ground turkey for the beef.
- Looking for Frito pie without beans? Just leave them out entirely, no other changes needed.
- Swap the packet for this homemade taco seasoning. So much better!
- Not sure about the corn? We like the sweet crunch it adds, but it can also be left out.
- Use whatever toppings you like – diced tomatoes, fresh jalapenos, cilantro, sour cream…the sky is the limit!
More Tex-Mex Favorites:
- White Chicken Chili
- Authentic Carnitas Recipe
- Taco Tater Tot Casserole
- Air Fryer Tacos
- Drunken Beans
- Taco Chili
- Homemade Crunchwrap Supreme
Frito Pie Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 medkum sweet onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 15 ounces canned pinto beans drained
- 10 ounces Ro*Tel
- 10 ounces enchilada sauce
- 8 ounces canned corn drained
- 9 ounces Fritos
- 2 cups shredded cheddar
- Green onions, sour cream, sliced jalapenos for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook, crumbling the meat as it browns. Once beef is broken up, add the onions and continue cooking until beef is cooked through and onions have softened.
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the taco seasoning, chili powder, and ¼ cup of water. Stir well to combine.
- Add the beans, Ro*Tel, enchilada sauce, and corn to the skillet and stir well to combine.
- Arrange half of the Fritos in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Pour the beef mixture over the top. Sprinkle with the cheddar and remaining Fritos.
- Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.
- Serve with green onions, sour cream, and sliced jalapenos.
Sharon Hunter says
If Iam heating and eating this casserole the next day, would you recommend topping the final layer of Fritos after baking and heating up the day I serve it! I guess my question is does the top layer of Fritos get soggy if serving the next day? Hope that makes sense. Thank you!
Karly says
Hi Sharon! The top layer will lose some of the crunch upon reheating. You could add them the next day if you’re worried about that.
Gramma Pat says
When do you add the Fritos? What temperature is it baked at?
Karly says
Hello! This bakes at 350. Fritos are added in step 6. 🙂
Judy Dayhoff says
Could you please let everyone know what temperature to bake Frito Pie?
Karly says
Sorry about that – it bakes at 350.
Renee Bennett says
Maybe it was in the video (that I didn’t watch – sorry) but when you bake for 30 minutes what temp do you use?
Karly says
Sorry about that. It bakes at 350.
Meggan says
First off let me say that you are the funniest blogger I have ever read thus far. A girl after my own heart! Love your sense of humor and your wittiness. So far I’m loving your recipes. I have quite a few that I’m going to ‘test’ on my family.
Thanks for the funny!
Meggs
Encore says
I am in your debt! This was one of the best hangover cures ever! 🙂 I had to share and link back, so thank you so much for this recipe! Happy Holidays!
Barbara says
Your little dog has the cutest face, Karly. And looks adorable in pink. 🙂
This is a great frito pie, and so easy to make too!