History
Frito pie was invented in Texas in the 1930s after Fritos hit the market in 1932 from San Antonio's Frito Company. The 'pie in a bag' format came from the Texas State Fair concession stands in the 1950s. The Austin version takes a small bag of Fritos, slits the side, ladles in Texas-style chili (no beans for purists), tops with shredded cheddar and onions, and hands it back. Stubb's, Salt Lick and several BBQ stops keep it on the snack menu; some Austin Tex-Mex rooms run a queso-and-chili variant.
Common allergens: Dairy
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 500g ground chuck beef
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons ancho chile powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 240ml beef stock
- Salt and pepper
- 4 small bags of Fritos corn chips (or 200g chips)
- 120g sharp cheddar, shredded
- Half a small white onion, diced fine
Method
- Brown the ground beef in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, breaking it up. Drain off excess fat.
- Add the diced onion. Cook 4 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Stir in the chile powder, cumin, oregano and tomato paste. Cook 1 minute to bloom the spices.
- Pour in the stock. Reduce to low and simmer 90 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chili is thick. Season with salt and pepper.
- To serve: slit the side of a Fritos bag (or pile chips in a bowl). Ladle hot chili over the chips. Top with cheddar and diced onion. Eat with a fork directly from the bag.
Tip from the editors. Texas chili is meat and chiles, no beans. The chunkier the chile texture, the better; do not blend the chili smooth.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
Where to eat frito pie
Frito pie in Austin
Featured by TableJourney as a signature dish of Austin. See the Austin signature dishes guide for the canonical version.
More cities are in research. Want frito pie covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.