Frito Pie

Frito pie is a regional Southwest specialty made of chili and fixings served right in the package. While stories are conflicting about the dish’s genesis, Frito pie is a fun recipe to make for tailgate parties, a potluck, or even a camping trip.

What Is Frito Pie?

An individual package of Fritos brand corn chips is the quintessential base for Frito Pie. The bag is slit lengthwise so that it serves as a bowl, into which chili is spooned.

The chili is topped with various toppings: shredded cheese and chopped onions are traditional, but anything that would go on a bowl of chili would be a good option, such as shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, chopped scallions, black olives, or sour cream.

The chili soaks into the chips, making a delicious juxtaposition of crunchy and chewy.

Frito pies are also called Frito chili pie. Another variation is Walking Tacos, a moniker that highlights the portability of the dish and is a mainstay at many a Girl Scout and Boy Scout campout. 

Where Were Frito Pies Invented?

While Texas and New Mexico have long disputed who can claim ownership of them, frito pies are definitely not just a Texas thing.

New Mexicans say that the dish was created by Theresa Hernandez, a cook at the Woolworth's lunch counter in Santa Fe, in the 1960s. Her version consisted of chile con carne spooned over the chips. You can still taste the dish at its purported origin, although the Woolworth's is now a Five and Dime.

Many Texans, however, say that Frito pie was actually created decades earlier by Daisy Dean Doolin, the mother of Charles Elmer Doolin, inventor of Fritos.

Closer to the truth, perhaps, is that Frito pie was developed by Fritos’ publicity department to be served at a conference. Later, the recipe was printed right on the package, calling for a heated can of chili to be poured over the chips and topped with cheese and onions.

Today, throughout the South, Frito pies are a common menu item at football games, county fairs, roadside diners, and other casual dining establishments. 

How To Make Frito Pie

Make this comfort dinner even easier by making the chili in advance, then setting out all the ingredients for Frito pies for a fast and easy dinner.

• Step 1: First make your favorite chili recipe—we like West Texas Chile, which contains ground chuck and diced tomatoes seasoned with ancho chile powder. You could also use carne adovada or a pinto bean-based chili. 
  
• Step 2: Slit individual-serving bags of Fritos corn chips lengthwise down the middle to make a bowl. Or, put about a cup of corn chips per serving into individual bowls. 
• Step 3: Spoon the hot chili over the corn chips. 
• Step 4: Serve with a variety of toppings, such as shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, diced onion, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and sour cream.

What To Serve With Frito Pie

Frito pies are a meal in and of themselves. But if you want to round out your meal, some dishes that would pair well with Frito pie include a green salad, cornbread, or hot dogs—all washed down with an ice-cold Lone Star, of course.

Editorial contributions by Jessica Harlan.