Frito Taco Bake is a quick, stick-to-your-bones dinner that will warm the coldest of hearts this fall. Ready in under an hour and super easy...and did I mention all that cheese?!
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Why You'll Love Taco Casserole With Fritos
I was inspired to put my own spin on classic Frito Pie Casserole when I came across a very bare bones version (I'm talking canned chili here, people!) in an old church cookbook from Kansas that I found at the rummage sale at our church. It's simple and easy to make and while it's not a particularly fancy recipe, it's a total crowd-pleaser that the whole family will love!
So I bring you this insanely delicious frito casserole! I am certain you will love how simple, but tasty it is.
- Super simple
- Great for potlucks and parties
- Family-Friendly
- 8 ingredients + spices
- Less than 1 hour total
Ingredient Information And Substitutions:
- Ground beef: I use 90/20 ground beef but you can always go with a higher fat ratio if you want a bit more beefy flavor. You could also substitute with ground turkey or ground chicken in this Frito chili pie recipe.
- Peppers and onions: If you're making this for kids, you can totally mince the peppers and onions nice and small. I did this, and my kids ate this happily.
- Seasonings: The flavorings in this are rounded out by salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika. If you want it to have a little kick to it, use Ancho Chili powder instead of regular chili powder and sub cayenne for black pepper..
- Beans: Kidney or Pinto beans work best for this- be sure to rinse and drain them well!
- Cheese: I used sharp cheddar, but a Mexican Blend cheese works well too!
- Corn Chips: Fritos are my chips of choice, but the generic brand works well too. I went with the smaller ones for easier eating.
How To Make Frito Taco Casserole
Step 1: Cook the ground beef
Spray a skillet with non stick spray. Over medium high heat, cook the onions, peppers, and ground beef until browned.
Step 2: Add in spices and simmer
Sprinkle in the chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, tomato sauce, water, and beans. Reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Step 3: Bake
Add chili mixture to a baking pan and sprinkle with cheese. Add a Frito layer and sprinkle with more cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Top with scallions and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Frito Chili Pie, also called Frito Casserole or sometimes even a taco bake recipe consists of chili, topped with cheese, and finished off with Fritos corn chips, and any other toppings that your hungry heart desires. Now for my version, I put together a super quick homemade chili in a skillet before transferring it to a baking dish to make a layered taco casserole. Some people call it walking taco casserole, but I've always understood that to be chili and taco fixings placed into an individual-size Frito or Doritos bag and eaten that way.
Yes- prepare this up until it's time to bake and then cover and chill until it's time to cook and eat. Hold off on adding the Fritos until just before baking so they maintain their crunch. Pull it out of the fridge 30 minute before cooking and keep an eye on the temperature- you may need to add a couple of extra minutes to the baking time (you want it to be hot and bubbly throughout).
I added some chopped scallions after the casserole came out of the oven because they look pretty and taste great too, but you can totally be creative with your toppings- lettuce, tomato, cilantro, salsa, sour cream, guacamole- truly the possibilities are endless!
Yes! I would recommend preparing the dish up until it's time to bake and then top it with the cheese and but wait on adding the corn chips once you're ready to bake it. Be sure to thaw completely before baking- you may need to add a couple of extra minutes to the baking time.
The leftovers will last up to 3 days covered in the refrigerator and reheat well in individual servings in the microwave.
Tips for making Frito Casserole
- Drain the fat. After browning the meat with the veggies will cut down on the overall greasiness of the meat.
- I baked this in a 10 inch pie plate. You could also use a 9 Inch Baking Dish
, as long as it has high sides. - Or you can make it a one-pot meal by using an oven-safe pan and transferring it to the oven when the time comes.
- Feel free to get crazy with toppings. Whatever you like on your tacos would taste fantastic on this as well! I topped it with plenty of shredded cheddar cheese before adding Fritos (which are dangerously addictive, by the way. Don't say I didn't warn you!) and a little more cheese on top of the Fritos, for good measure.
- Storage and Leftovers: The leftovers will last up to 3 days covered in the refrigerator and reheat well in individual servings in the microwave.
, as long as it has high sides.
Make It A Meal
This dish goes really well with:
Other Mexican-Inspired Easy Dishes To Try...
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a review in the comment section further down. Check out my Amazon Store for all my favorite tools, including those used in this recipe. And follow @thelifejolie on Instagram and TikTok!
Frito Taco Bake Recipe
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 medium green pepper, diced
- 1 pound ground beef, 80/20
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, you can substitute with cayenne pepper if you prefer the chili to be spicier
- 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
- ¼ cup water
- 1 can kidney or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 3-4 cups fritos corn chips
- 1-2 scallions, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and spray well with cooking spray.
- Add onions, peppers and ground beef to the pan and saute for 5-7 minutes until the beef in browned and the vegetables have softened. Use the spoon to break up the ground beef and stir everything periodically. Drain the grease.
- Add chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, tomato sauce, water and beans and stir well to combine.
- Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes stirring often.
- Transfer to a deep dish pie plate or a 9 x 9 inch baking pan.
- Sprinkle with 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar.
- Top with Fritos and then sprinkle on the remaining ½ cup shredded cheddar.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Sprinkle with chopped scallions and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Drain the fat. After browning the meat with the veggies will cut down on the overall greasiness of the meat.
- I baked this in a 10 inch pie plate. You could also use a 9 Inch Baking Dish, as long as it has high sides.
- Or you can make it a one-pot meal by using an oven-safe pan and transferring it to the oven when the time comes.
- Feel free to get crazy with toppings. Whatever you like on your tacos would taste fantastic on this as well! I topped it with plenty of shredded cheddar cheese before adding Fritos (which are dangerously addictive, by the way. Don't say I didn't warn you!) and a little more cheese on top of the Fritos, for good measure.
- Storage and Leftovers: The leftovers will last up to 3 days covered in the refrigerator and reheat well in individual servings in the microwave.
DeathBecomesHer says
Jessy Freimann says
Nicole C says
Jessy Freimann says