Frito pies are well-known in the south, you can create this comfort food at home. Made from Frito chips, chili, cheese, and more. This is perfect for a quick and easy dinner, game night, and for tailgating.
I didn’t grow up in the South but moved to Texas when I was fifteen. Someone asked me if I wanted a Frito pie. I had no clue. And, if you don’t live in the South, you also may never have heard of it. And honestly, even in the South, not many places serve it. I know you can get one at Jason’s Deli and at Sonic if you ask very nicely.
I was making a batch of my Wendy’s Chili, which is a wonderfully tasty dish, and my follow-up thought was, oh man, I wish I had a Frito pie. That’s when I decided to create this Frito pie recipe.
- Sonic put its Frito pie inside rolled up flour tortillas and sells them as Frito Wraps. They are very good and you can even make your own!
Table of Contents
So, What Is a Frito Pie?
A Frito chili pie is simply a dish of Fritos covered with chili and topped with cheese sauce, chopped onions, and a squirt of mustard. Yes, this pie may be heartburn in the making, but you just can’t beat the crisp saltiness of the Fritos smothered in chili and topped with cheese. While that half back I was in love with in high school is now a fading memory, I can make a Frito pie in my own kitchen any time, and so can you.
- Frito pies were originally created in Mexico, and today they are very popular in the South and the Midwest. They are also known as walking tacos, Frito boats, or Frito chili pies.
How to Serve Frito Pie
You can serve this Frito chili pie up as a casserole or in individual portions inside the chip bags. Walking Frito pies are great for game nights or some other appropriate gathering. And, no dishes to clean up!
There are two ways to open a chip bag for a walking Frito pie. The easier way is just to open up the top of the bag and fold it over, but the smaller opening makes it a little harder to eat. A better way is to turn the bag on its side and cut along the long edge with a pair of scissors to make an opening that’s nice and big.
Display the filled bags with plenty of forks and napkins and surround them with small dishes of toppings. You could also keep the chili warm in a slow cooker nearby and let your guests go to town.
You can use homemade chili or canned chili (I recommend Wolf brand chili)
Ideas for Frito Pie Toppings
- Lettuce, sliced jalapenos, and sour cream
- Tomatoes, onion, and sour cream
- Sliced hot links (spicy smoked sausage links)
- Sour cream and banana peppers
- Salsa
- Guacamole
- Sliced black olives
- Lime wedges
- Mustard
I would like to know if you live in the South and have tried Frito pie. If so, what do you top yours with? Better yet, share some of your guilty pleasures.
Frito Pie Recipe
You don’t have to live in the South to fall in love with this Frito pie recipe. It could become one of your secret pleasures.
Frito Pie Recipe Ingredients
This is what you need to make a classic Frito Pie:
- Fritos Corn Chips
- Canned or homemade chili
- Shredded Cheese
- Chopped onions
Optional toppings:
- Sour Cream
- Jalapeno peppers
- Mustard
How to Make Frito Pie
- Heat the chili in a small pan or in the microwave.
- Place Fritos in the bottom of a bowl.
- Pour the heated chili on top of the Fritos.
- Sprinkle cheese on top.
- Sprinkle chopped onions on top.
- Place sour cream, jalapeno slices, and mustard on top if desired.
Do you live in the South? Have you tried Frito Pie before? If so, what do you top yours with? Better yet, share some of your guilty pleasures.
I would never invite someone over for a Frito Pie, but I would sure make one if you hinted you wanted one 😉
Love pie for dinner? Try these savory pie recipes!
- Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Chicken Pot Pie with Pie Crust
- Disney Chicken Pot Pie
- KFC Chicken Pot Pie
- Onion Pie
Favorite Comfort Food Recipes
- Chicken Fried Steak
- Chicken Noodle Casserole
- Chili Cheese Tater Tots
- Crockpot Cheesy Potatoes
- Ground Beef Casserole
- Hamburger Beef Stroganoff
- Hamburger Tater Tot Casserole
- Salmon Patties
Check out more of my savory pie recipes and the best comfort food recipes here on CopyKat!
Thanks to my friend Denise we have the Frito Bandito!
Frito Pie
Ingredients
- 1 cup Fritos corn chips
- 10 ounces chili
- ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped onions
Optional Toppings
- Sour Cream
- Yellow mustard
- Jalapeno pepper slices canned or fresh
Instructions
- Heat chili in a pan or in the microwave.
- Place the Fritos corn chips in a bowl.
- Ladle hot chili on top of the Fritos.
- Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top.
- Sprinkle onions over the cheese.
- Top with sour cream, jalapeno slices, and mustard if desired.
Rebecca
I LOVE Frito pie ….. sometimes I change it up and make Cheeto pie … 🙂
Erin
We add a scoop of rice between fritos and chili and call them ‘haystacks’.
Tina
Wow that sounds good!!! I have made it with browned hamburger and onion, then mix in the taco seasoning, according to pkg. directions, and a can of drained kidney beans. Top the Fritos with the mixture, shredded cheddar, lettuce and tomato.
Tina
I’m gonna make Frito Pie this weekend for a picnic and i hadn’t made it for awhile, so i was just checking the internet for different recipes, but i have had it with browned hamburger and onion, then mix in the taco seasoning (mix according to pkg. directions) and a can of drained kidney beans. Then top the Fritos with the mixture, cheese, lettuce and tomato.
Nancy
WOW We have been eating this for years but somehow we had the name wrong. We called it Texas Straw Hats, but we had the recipe like yours except for the mustard. My “kids” are now feeding their kids this wonderful easy meal!
Kay
In Ohio, this is served in the bag of Fritos and called a ‘walking taco’ because you can walk around with it. I like your version better though!
david
tinamarie hit the nail on the head. that is the traditional way to make it. not gonna tell anyone how to enjoy something, but that is the “authentic” recipe.
Stephanie
Why didn’t my 3 high schools (I moved a lot) serve these with shredded cheese? Mine served them with the liquid cheese 😉
Karen
Do you use a spoon to eat the Frito pie out of the bag or your fingers? I have never heard of this but it sure sounds fun! ( I’m from NY) 🙂
Stephanie
Even in the South, we use utencils whenever possible, I would guess some would eat this with their fingers, most of us use a spoon or fork though 😉
tatterSalad
Ohhh! yea I also didn’t know what this was until I got into the trucking industry.I have not met an over the road driver that does not rave about Frito pie. I have received at least 10 different variations including the truck driver 7-11 version. 1 bag of fritos heat Hormel singles chilli in m-wave dump into frito bag add cheese and onions and eat straight outa da bag. now that is a guilty pleasure, especially when you’re doing this at home.
txgal
Growing up in West Texas, I can’t ever remember NOT eating Frito pie. We ate them all year long. Always made with Wolf Brand chili (unless mom broke down and made homemade), grated longhorn colby, grated Texas 1015 sweet onions….my mouth is watering right now. I know what I’ll be having for lunch tomorrow. We always ate them at the football games in the Frito bag. I’d rather have a Frito Pie rather than nachos with peppers. My dad is the Frito Pie King. He always ate his pie with dried chili petines (the little round pepper…very hot) crumbled on top. He ate at least two a week when he was working and still eats at least one a week now. He is pushing 80 and his cholesrerol is still 130.
Will
Grew up in Houston myself; we did the same thing. Make up some chili, grate some longhorn colby and onions, pour it right into those little Frito snack bags. Sour cream tops it like a champ.
Stephanie
This is the second time today, I have heard to top a frito pie with sour cream. I am going to have to try it next time with sour cream.
Flea
People in Oklahoma introduced us to Frito Chili Pie, but we’d been making it for years before we knew what it was. I make my chili from scratch, and in addition to the cheese, we serve with sour cream. I’ll have to try the mustard!
Stephanie
I too, have had frito pie served in bags, but you know, I couldn’t really take a nice picture of that. I couldn’t hold the camera, and a handful of frito pie!
Sarah
I had Frito Pie for the first time last year (in Las Vegas of all places) and it was just as delicious as I thought it was going to be. I can never go back to my beloved Chili Cheese Fritos again.
Susan
I top my Frito Pies with cheddar and sour cream…YUMM. Now I want one of these too.
gary baugh
My wife and I have always loved Frito pies. You just can’t beat them for a quick and satisfying meal. Thanks for the mustard tip, I’ll try that. I agree with tinamarie on using Wolf Brand Chili, but in the past I have also found Iron Kettle Chili to be a winner. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Iron Kettle in my supermarket lately. Is it still available?
tinamarie
I grew up in Texas and we would have a version of this in my elementary school cafeteria. It was heaven! Wolf Brand Chili (<only one to use), cheddar cheese, onions and fritos. Bake until onions are tender. Yummy. I also had it at many football games. Like the other post said they would split open the bag and pour on the chili over the fritos and top with shredded cheese. That's the way to do it…it's a Texas tradition. Oh and NEVER use liquid nacho cheese, that is just wrong.
Big Mama45405
Our high school sold bags of Fritos with a dip of chili and a hand full of shredded cheese at basketball games. They always sold out fast!
My grandmother made a similar pie, but baked it in the over to melt the cheese – GOD I miss her and her hot tamale pies!
Kathy
A hundred years ago when I was a carhop( in the southwest of course) we made the chili pie right in the individual serving size Frito bag. We would cut the bag open along the side edge, and pour on the chili and mustard.
Ann
I just have to share this story with you about Frito Pie…our youngest daughter had to have braces and when the orthodontist told her all the things she couldn’t eat Frito Pie was one of them..she broke down and cried in the dentist chair..she didn’t care that he would be pulling some of her teeth and all the other painful things to come–just DON”T tell her she can’t have Frito Pie for 3 or 4 years..Needless to say, I told her we would figure out someway to get around this. She simply had to let the chili sit on the Fritos a little longer than usual and they were soft enough to eat, even with braces. Long live the Friito Pie !!
Fran
Wow, mustard? I had no idea. Ok, so maybe I’ve never actually had a Frito Pie to know that mustard goes in it. I would never have guessed.