Buffalo Frito Chili Pie
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Frito Chili Pie is given a bold kick with the addition of buffalo sauce, green chilies, and spices in this delicious twist on a classic recipe, easy to make in only 20 minutes! This recipe is sure to be a hit for dinner, or toss it in the Crock Pot for your next game day party.
Frito Pie has been a favorite meal of mine since I was a kid. It’s quick and easy to toss together, making it the perfect weeknight meal! It only takes 20 minutes to make and it’s seriously delicious!
For my kicked-up version of this classic, I added my favorite buffalo sauce (of course!), diced green chilies and a few extra spices. These add just the perfect amount of heat and a ton of flavor to this already delicious dish!
Ingredients
Here I explain the best ingredients for this buffalo frito chili pie recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For the exact ingredient measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Olive oil
- Red onion
- Garlic
- Ground beef – you could also make it with ground turkey.
- Diced green chilies – found in a can in the Hispanic section of the grocery store.
- Chili beans – a combination of pinto beans in a mild chili sauce, found near the other beans at the store.
- Buffalo sauce
- Salt + black pepper + paprika + chili powder + cayenne pepper + ground cumin + red pepper flakes – combined to season and spice up the chili.
- Fritos corn chips
- Cheddar cheese – I recommend shredding a block of cheese at home so it melts perfectly over the chili and fritos.
Instructions
- Add olive oil to a large skillet on the stove over medium high heat. Add diced onions and cook for 3-5 minutes, then add minced garlic and ground beef. Cook until the beef is browned, then drain any grease from the skillet.
- Add diced green chilies, chili beans, buffalo sauce, salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper, ground cumin and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine and cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes.
- Divide the fritos between 4 plates or bowls, top with the buffalo chili, then shredded cheddar cheese.
Topping ideas
Pretty much any way that you would top a taco or nachos, you can top this Frito pie! Here are a few ideas to get you started.
- Veggies: diced red onions, sliced jalapenos, diced tomatoes, diced avocado, shredded lettuce
- Herbs: diced green onions or fresh chopped cilantro
- Sauces: sour cream, salsa, hot sauce (or more buffalo sauce!), pico de gallo
How to make walking tacos
If you want to make this Frito chili pie into a walking taco, follow these two simple steps.
- Cut 1/2 inch from one entire side of a single-serve bag of Fritos.
- Add a scoop of chili into the bag, top with a handful of shredded cheese and the toppings of your choice.
Grab a fork and stick it right into the bag to dig into hand-held goodness!
More recipes with buffalo sauce
Looking for more quick and easy dinner recipes with buffalo sauce? Well then you’ve come to the right place! These are the top 4 most popular “buffalo style” dinner recipes on the blog!
Buffalo Frito Chili Pie
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup red onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 4 ounce can diced green chilies
- 15 ounce can chili beans
- ⅓ cup buffalo sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 9.75 ounce bag Fritos corn chips
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat.
- Add the onions, cook 3-5 minutes, then add the garlic and ground beef.
- Cook until the beef is browned, then drain any grease from the skillet.
- Add the green chilies, chili beans, buffalo sauce, salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper, ground cumin and red pepper flakes.
- Stir to combine and cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes.
- Divide the fritos between 4 plates or bowls, top with the buffalo chili, then the shredded cheddar cheese.
Notes
- Store any leftover chili mixture in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat the chili in a pot on the stove, or in the microwave, then serve over fresh Frito’s and top with fresh grated cheddar cheese.
- Once the chili is made on the stovetop, you can transfer it to a Crock Pot set to warm for up to 6 hours. This is great for a make-ahead meal, or serving at a party. I like to serve this at my annual Super Bowl party, and let people make their own buffalo frito chili pies.
Nutrition Facts
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5 Comments on “Buffalo Frito Chili Pie”
Love your recipes! So easy and delicious!
Hi Whitney, love your website especialy the recipes with buffalo sauce, love the stuff. Sometime i think the sauce was made for me. This week end i want to make buffalo fritos chili pie. I come from a small town (Rouyn-Noranda, Québec) up north. We don’t have cans of chili beans. I know most chili beans are made with pinto beans. Can i use a can of pinto bean or else for the recipe and since the can of chil beans have some kind of “chili gravy” with the beans should i add something else with the can of pinto beans or else. Oh By The Way i’m Claude and it’s nice to meet you, Whitney.
Hi Claude, nice to meet you as well! I’m so glad to hear that you too share my affinity for all things buffalo sauce! You can use a can of pinto beans to substitute the chili beans. I would recommend draining and rinsing the beans from the can, then mixing with 1/2 cup chicken or beef broth and 1 tbsp tomato paste to create the gravy. Since the dish is already well seasoned, you won’t need to add any additional seasonings to the beans, unless you want to. Enjoy and please let me know what you think after you make it!
I am 100% sucked into your page right now. And I mean, look at this recipe. How could I not be!?! This is pure heaven!
Thanks so much Karly 🙂