Frito Pie
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There’s nothing like a hearty casserole on a busy night! This easy, cheesy and crunchy Frito Pie is the perfect casserole recipe that the entire family will love. Bursting with flavor from seasoned ground beef, black beans, corn, cheese and Fritos!

Walking tacos are one of our favorite quick snacks and light meals, so turning that into a cheesy casserole has been a major win! This easy Frito pie is one of the easiest casserole recipes. It’s great to make this on a busy evening and pop some zucchini fries into the air fryer to make a quick and easy complete dinner.
Plus, it’s one of those classic meals that just never gets old. It’s always a meal I can make knowing that everyone in the house will love it. There’s always plenty of protein in this meal and it’s super filling. And if I remember, I love to buy extra bags of Fritos at the grocery store and we make Frito bars for dessert! So much love for this classic dish turned into a Mexican inspired Frito taco bake.
Why You’ll Love Frito Pie!
- You can have this easy dinner on the table in just about 30 minutes. No need to stand in the kitchen and follow a recipe that takes forever to make!
- This frito pie casserole recipe is easily adaptable. You can add tons of different ingredients to give this dish a different flavor profile.
- All you need is 8 simple ingredients to make a tasty meal that the whole family will enjoy!
Ingredients for Frito Pie Casserole
- Ground beef – Using a lean ground beef like 93/7 will help keep the grease content down.
- Yellow onion – The mild flavor of yellow onion won’t overpower everything else but will still add a great strong flavor! White onion is a good substitute.
- Salsa – You can use store-bought salsa or make your own homemade salsa to use in frito taco bake.
- Taco seasoning mix – All you need to season the beef well is one pack of taco seasoning, but you can also make your own taco seasoning and use that!
- Frito corn chips – The classic thin strip fritos are the best kind to use for this easy casserole.
- Black beans – If you’re not a fan of black beans, you can omit them or replace them with another type of beans.
- Sweet corn – You don’t have to use corn in this recipe, but the slight sweetness does go so well with everything else.
- Mexican style cheese – Cheddar cheese and Colby Jack cheese are both good substitutes for Mexican style cheese in this recipe.
Helpful Tools
How to Make this Frito Pie Casserole Recipe
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then spray a 9×13 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and set it aside.
Place ground beef and diced onions into a large skillet. Cook the beef and onions over medium-high heat until there is no pink left in the beef, then drain off the grease.
Add taco seasoning to the browned beef and stir well to combine. Then add salsa, corn, and beans to the seasoned meat and stir again. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often.
Pour half the bag of Fritos into the bottom of the previously prepared baking dish and sprinkle 1 cup of cheese over the chips. Spread the meat mixture evenly over the layer of chips. Then add the rest of the Fritos and remaining cheese to the top.
Cover the frito taco bake with foil or an oven safe lid and bake for 18-20 minutes. Once the casserole is hot and bubbly, it’s ready!
Allow casserole to cool slightly, then serve and enjoy.
What to Serve with Frito Pie
Got some extra fritos? Make a crunchy lettuce frito salad. This chicken caesar pasta salad is a great refreshing side dish too.
If you need an easy side dish that you can quickly throw together, air fryer potatoes and fruit salad are two great options. Mexican street corn dip goes great with this easy casserole, you’ll love how the flavors go so well together.
Finish out your meal with an easy dessert like strawberry lemon cake or oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.
How to Store Leftover Frito Pie Casserole
Leftover frito casserole is best when reheated in the oven instead of the microwave. You’ll want the top layer of chips to crisp up as they reheat.
FRIDGE: Transfer leftovers to an airtight container or wrap the casserole dish tightly in plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
FREEZER: Baked leftovers don’t typically store very well in the freezer. However, you can store an unbaked casserole without the top layer of chips and cheese! Wrap the baking dish in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
How can I make this recipe a chili cheese frito pie?
Omit the taco seasoning, salsa, and beans from this recipe. Season the beef well with a beef seasoning instead. Then after you drain off the cooked fat, add a can of chili to the meat and mix well.
You can also make the meat mixture extra creamy by mixing in some cream cheese or sour cream.
What toppings can I use for frito pie casserole?
Use sour cream, olives, extra cheese, sliced jalapeños, and any of your favorite taco toppings on frito taco bake. Fresh pico de gallo or guacamole would also be delicious!
Pro Tips!
- For extra gooey and meltable cheese, shred it yourself. Hand shredded cheese tends to melt so much better than pre-shredded cheddar!
- Garnish the freshly baked casserole with finely chopped cilantro or parsley for some extra flavor.
- If you transfer leftovers to an airtight container, try to keep the top layer of chips at the top so that when you reheat it there will be a crispy layer of chips.
This frito pie casserole is so easy to make and is loaded with incredible flavor. You’re going to love this crunchy and cheesy casserole!
More Casserole Recipes You’ll Love
- Change things up on taco night and make this cheesy Taco Casserole instead!
- Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole is a lovely twist on a classic cheesy chicken dish.
- This Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole is a great easy dish to make for breakfast.
- Make Cheesy Ham Casserole with Bow Tie Pasta when you need a quick and hearty dinner.
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!
Frito Pie Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 yellow onion medium peeled and diced
- 1 ounce taco seasoning mix (1 package)
- 1 cup salsa
- 15 ounce black beans drained and rinsed
- 15 ounce sweet corn drained
- 9 ounces Frito corn chips 1 bag, divided
- 2 cups shredded Mexican style cheese divided
- Top with your favorite taco toppings: green onion, cilantro, sliced black olives, tomato and a dollop of sour cream. optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a 9×13-inch glass baking dish by spraying it with non-stick cooking spray, set aside.
- Add ground beef and onions to large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, cook ground beef until fully browned. Drain off the excess fat.
- Add the taco seasoning mix to ground beef in skillet. Stir to combine. Then add the salsa, corn and beans and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often.
- Pour half Fritos into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheese. Evenly spread the meat mixture over the chips. Add the rest of the corn chips then add the remaining cheese on top of the Frito corn chips.
- Cover the casserole place in the preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 18-20 minutes until hot and bubbly.
- Cool slightly before serving.
- Top with favorite toppings if desired.
Leona A Petho says
When you add Taco seasoning packet do you add amount of water per the packet directions?
Brooke Kill says
Yes, follow the directions to season the meat.
Mary Plowman says
This was really good! I used half ground beef and half turkey.
Debbie says
Frito Pie is always a crowd pleaser in my house. Thank you for this simple, delicious recipe.
Courtney says
Thank you for giving this a try!
Kristen says
I mean, you had me at “Fritos”, LOL! DEFINITELY adding Frito Pie to our weekly menu rotation!
Courtney says
Hope you love it!
Alyssa says
I have never actually had frito pie. It looks delicious, and seems like an easy weeknight meal!
Courtney says
Enjoy!
Cynthia says
Frito pie is now one of our favorite go-to meals! My family loves this recipe!
Courtney says
Awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Brittany says
I’m wondering if this Frito Pie could be adapted for a Meatless Monday meal? Maybe by substituting the meat with more black beans, or even kidney beans?