Frito Pie: a cozy home-cooked favorite with big flavor, practical prep, and servings worth fighting over—in a friendly way.
Skillet Frito Pie: Crunchy Chips, Saucy Chili
A saucy, spiced beef chili ladled over salty corn chips—fast, unfussy, and guaranteed to disappear at the table.
This is the kind of dinner that answers the “what’s for dinner?” panic with something reliably comforting and a little bit fun. Browned 80/20 ground beef, softened onion and garlic, and pantry cans—chili-style beans and diced tomatoes—turn into a deeply flavored, saucy chili in about 50 minutes total. The payoff is the contrast: hot, spoonable chili spooned over crisp Fritos for instant texture and familiar, crowd-pleasing flavor.
The secret to the big taste is simple: bloom the spices. A quick stir of chili powder, cumin and smoked paprika into the browned meat and tomato paste pulls forward warm, smoky notes, and a slow-ish simmer lets the beans and tomato juices thicken into a saucy, clingy mixture that anchors the chips. Using fattier beef gives a richer mouthfeel, while the tomato paste and canned juices create that slightly sweet, tangy backbone that keeps each bite interesting.
Practical bits that make this a keeper: make the chili up to three days ahead or freeze portions for an easy reheat; keep the Fritos separate until serving so they stay crunchy; and if you’re feeding a crowd, leave the pot on the table family-style with extra chips and toppings. Offer shredded cheddar, sliced scallions, sour cream and pickled jalapeños so everyone can customize their bowl—or go classic and let the chips do all the talking.
Ingredients
How to Make Frito Pie
- Prep the onion and garlic: peel and finely chop the onion and mince the garlic.
- Heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the ground beef; break it up with a spoon and cook until browned, about 6–8 minutes.
- Push beef to the side, add chopped onion to the pan (add 1 tsp vegetable oil if pan is dry) and cook until softened, 4–5 minutes, then stir in the minced garlic for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, tomato paste, salt, and pepper; cook 1 minute to bloom the spices.
- Add the canned beans (with sauce) and diced tomatoes (with juices), stir to combine, bring to a simmer, then lower heat and simmer gently 12–15 minutes to meld flavors and thicken slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Preheat the oven broiler and arrange an oven rack about 6–8 inches from the heat. In a 9x13-inch baking dish (or individual oven-safe bowls), spread a single layer of Fritos across the bottom.
- Ladle the hot chili over the chips (enough to cover but not drown them), sprinkle the shredded cheddar evenly over the top, and add pickled jalapeños if using.
- Place the dish under the broiler 1–3 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly—watch closely to avoid burning. Remove and let rest 2 minutes.
- Serve hot straight from the dish or spoon into bowls so each serving has chips, chili, and melted cheese. Offer optional toppings like sliced green onions, sour cream, or extra jalapeños at the table.
Recipe Card
Frito Pie
Frito Pie: a cozy home-cooked favorite with big flavor, practical prep, and servings worth fighting over—in a friendly way.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Servings
- 6
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prep the onion and garlic: peel and finely chop the onion and mince the garlic.
- Heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the ground beef; break it up with a spoon and cook until browned, about 6–8 minutes.
- Push beef to the side, add chopped onion to the pan (add 1 tsp vegetable oil if pan is dry) and cook until softened, 4–5 minutes, then stir in the minced garlic for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, tomato paste, salt, and pepper; cook 1 minute to bloom the spices.
- Add the canned beans (with sauce) and diced tomatoes (with juices), stir to combine, bring to a simmer, then lower heat and simmer gently 12–15 minutes to meld flavors and thicken slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Preheat the oven broiler and arrange an oven rack about 6–8 inches from the heat. In a 9x13-inch baking dish (or individual oven-safe bowls), spread a single layer of Fritos across the bottom.
- Ladle the hot chili over the chips (enough to cover but not drown them), sprinkle the shredded cheddar evenly over the top, and add pickled jalapeños if using.
- Place the dish under the broiler 1–3 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly—watch closely to avoid burning. Remove and let rest 2 minutes.
- Serve hot straight from the dish or spoon into bowls so each serving has chips, chili, and melted cheese. Offer optional toppings like sliced green onions, sour cream, or extra jalapeños at the table.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 36
- Saturated Fat
- 19
- Sodium
- 900
- Fiber
- 4
- Unsaturated Fat
- 29
- Protein
- 42
- Fat
- 48
- Cholesterol
- 130
- Trans Fat
- 0.5
- Calories
- 770
- Sugar
- 5