This quick and easy dish ticks all the typical Mexican food boxes. The Frito chips give this taco vibe, with the extra spice of the chili beans and, of course, the melted cheese on top. All combined will result into one of the richest and fulfilling dinners.
You can enjoy this dish either as an elegant baked casserole, a walking taco while watching a game, or even at a party!
Tips For Frito Casserole
- it’s better to use 90% lean minced meat for less fatty filling.
- You are free to use any flavor of Frito chips, Frito lay’s original flavor, chili cheese, or nacho cheese works best with this recipe.
- You can use whatever cheese you prefer to eat. However, jack cheese, cheddar, or Mexican-style blend suit this recipe perfectly.
You can use any toppings you prefer. Here I used chopped green and red onions with sour cream. But you can also use guacamole, cilantro, jalapeno and salsa.

Frito Chili Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups Frito chips
- 1 pound minced meat
- 1 onion medium size, sliced
- 20 ounces of chili beans
- 20 ounces of tomato sauce or even enchilada sauce
- 2 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese shredded
- green onions (optional for garnishing)
Instructions
- - For the Frito Casserole:
- You will need to cook the onion, minced meat, chili beans, and tomato sauce in a separate pan till the flavors are incorporated together and the onions soften.
- Then prepare your 9×13 casserole by sandwiching the prepared filling made in the previous step between two Frito chips’ layers lined at the bottom and top.
- Scatter lots of shredded cheddar cheese on the top layer and into a preheated at 350 degrees oven the casserole goes. Leave it for 20 minutes till the cheese melt. And that’s it dish up with some green onions on top.
- You can prepare this dish in advance by up to 6 hours and leave it in the fridge till its cooking time. Make sure to let it warm a bit after taking it off the fridge for 5-10 minutes before putting it in the oven.
- In case of any leftover, you can easily reheat in a 350-degree oven until warm.
- - For the walking tacos:
- This is basically the easiest snack you can make. All you have to do is to dump the cooked minced meat mixture in a bag of Frito chips and scatter some cheese and green onions, and you’re good to go!

Hi, I’m Julie, the passionate foodie and founder of Juliesfamilykitchen.com. I created this blog out of a drive to prove someone wrong, and then I realized how much I truly enjoy cooking and trying new recipes. In my free time, when I’m not running around after my kids or spending quality time with my partner, you can usually find me in the kitchen experimenting with new dishes.