10 Mistakes You're Making With Frito Pie

Both Texas and New Mexico lay claim to the iconic dish of Frito pie. It's Fritos chips topped with chili and a slew of other toppings, depending on who you ask. Often, it's actually served in a bag of Fritos and eaten — arguably messily — with a fork. Frito pie is a beloved classic throughout much of the United States, served at festivals and fairs, concession stands, and home kitchens alike. And if you're the kind of person who likes extra-salty chips, warm chili, and fresh toppings, you're pretty much guaranteed to love Frito pie.

But as simple as this common dish may seem, there's actually more that goes into making Frito pie than first meets the eye. Therefore, it's common for home cooks to make a few different mistakes that can really compromise the quality of their Frito pies. By avoiding these common mistakes, you can ensure that every batch of Frito pie you ever make comes out perfectly: warm, crunchy, and fresh all at once. Let's take a closer look at these typical Fritos pie mistakes to ensure that you never make them again.

When you're having a party or preparing for guests to come over to your house, there's often a lot to think about. Maybe you're preparing a variety of different dishes, or perhaps you're just trying to get the bathroom clean before your doorbell rings. Whatever the case may be, it's tempting to try to make your Frito pie in advance so it's one less thing you have to worry about when people are already making their way through the door. However, Frito pie really isn't the kind of dish you can make ahead of time. That's because the Fritos are liable to get quite soggy if they stay in contact with the moist chili for any length of time. Once those Fritos go all soft, the dish is more or less ruined — there's none of that crunch that this dish is known for.

The solution? Make sure that you prepare your Frito pie right before you get ready to serve it. Of course, that doesn't mean you can't have all the components of the dish prepped and ready to go: just don't assemble everything until the very last minute for the tastiest, most texturally pleasing results.

We all have our favorite chili recipes that we go back to time and time again whenever we're craving a warm, comforting stew. But that doesn't mean that all types of chili will work well in a Frito pie. Ideally, you're going to want to make your chili a bit drier, with less liquid, than you might otherwise. That's because an especially watery chili is not going to meld well with the Fritos in this dish. Too much moisture can cause those Fritos to get soggy too quickly, which gives them an unpleasant texture you'll want to avoid.

Therefore, you can either opt for a denser chili recipe or reduce the amount of water in your favorite recipe. Either way, a less-moist, more solid chili will work especially well in your Frito pie, keeping those Fritos as crisp and crunchy as possible.

One of the worst mistakes you can make with just about any dish is making it too salty. That's because there's not a whole lot you can do to cut the saltiness in a recipe other than adding more bulk or moisture to the dish. And when it comes to Frito pie, you have to be even more careful with the amount of salt you're adding to your chili. Think about it: Fritos are extremely salty chips to begin with, so you're not going to need a ton of extra salt in the chili as well. Otherwise, you'll end up with a dish that may taste too salty.

Therefore, you'll want to taste your chili as you go, checking for your preferred saltiness. In fact, it's a good idea to taste the chili along with some Fritos to ensure that you're getting the right salt ratio for your particular tastes. Sure, it's another detail you have to think of when you're making Frito pie, but taking this extra step will ensure that you don't make a dish that's overpoweringly salty.

There are times when using canned products just makes sense. Perhaps you want to keep more veggies in your kitchen but don't want them to go bad, so you opt to use cans of carrots or green beans every once in a while. Or maybe you're unwell and craving soup, but you don't want to make it from scratch — this is a great opportunity to eat a can of soup. But if you're trying to make the most delicious possible Frito pie, it's usually not a good idea to use canned chili, which tends to be lacking in texture and often in flavor as well. Instead, we recommend actually making your chili from scratch if you want your Frito pie to truly shine.

That being said, there may be a time when you do choose to use canned chili for your Frito pie anyway. If that's the case, try not to use the canned chili all on its own. Add some meat, beans, or simply some herbs to the canned chili to give it an extra pop of flavor, so it tastes a bit more interesting than it would in its standard state. Although this is a dish that relies on a packaged product, we think it's best to try to make everything besides the Fritos as fresh as possible.

We already talked about the fact that you're not going to want to use too much salt in the chili you're making for your Frito pie, since Fritos already contain more than enough salt as it is. That may lead you to believe that you should limit how much you're seasoning your chili altogether. However, that's really not the best strategy. Although Fritos give the dish plenty of saltiness, they're otherwise quite a neutral-tasting product. Therefore, you'll want to make sure that the chili you're using packs enough flavor to give the Fritos a bit more interest.

Make sure you're using plenty of flavorful ingredients in your chili, like fresh garlic and dried herbs and spices. We like using a lot of chili powder, of course, which creates the warming, earthy spiciness that ultimately defines chili. Cumin and paprika are also common additions, which can seriously up the flavor ante significantly. Cayenne pepper or chipotle peppers can add an extra touch of heat, and a touch of cocoa powder can give the chili an unexpected complexity that you won't find in every basic chili recipe. Feel free to follow your favorite, flavorful chili recipe to a T, or experiment with some of your favorite spices to create a more personalized flavor profile.

There's nothing worse than a chili that tastes so dry and uninspiring that you can hardly even contemplate taking another bite. Just like most dishes, chili requires a decent amount of fat for it to taste as good as it can. However, you also don't want to go so far in the opposite direction that you end up making chili that's way too oily — especially when you're making it for the express purpose of Frito pie. That's because an oily chili can make the Fritos soggy quite quickly. And since this is a dish that's so reliant on the crunch from the chips, this is something you'll want to avoid at all costs.

So, no, this doesn't mean you have to skip the oil completely. However, you might want to try to limit using a bunch of added fat, and it can be a good idea to opt for leaner meat, if you happen to be using any. And if you really want to negate the issue, you can stick with a vegan or vegetarian chili, which will automatically be less oily since it doesn't contain any animal fat.

The two main components of a Frito pie are the Fritos, of course, and the chili. Cheese plays an important role too, by providing the dish with a melted texture and extra richness. But just because these ingredients may seem like the stars of the show when it comes to Frito pie, it doesn't mean that you can skip all the rest of the supposedly less important toppings. In fact, it's these fresh toppings that give Frito pie its crunch and bold, appealing flavor.

Of course, you don't have to make your Frito pie with the same set of toppings every time, but you'll definitely want to look for fresh, flavorful elements to add to the dish. Diced onion is important for imparting a pop of sharpness in the dish, and pickled jalapeños can contribute a nice acidity and spice. Cilantro is a great option if you want to add a bit more freshness to the equation, as is lettuce, for those who may not be big cilantro fans. Avocado or guacamole can be used for added fat and freshness, while diced tomatoes are a nice addition for those who want more of a veggie-heavy dish. By remembering to include these types of toppings, you can guarantee a Frito pie that tastes fresh as can be.

When it comes to a dish as simple as Frito pie, you may assume that layering on all the ingredients is a super-easy process that you don't have to think about much. And if you're okay with a Frito pie that's somewhat subpar, then that may be true. However, if you want to maximize the deliciousness of your dish, then you may want to pay more careful attention to how you layer on the different ingredients in your Frito pie.

We prefer layering the cheese and chili to get the ultimate creamy, melted texture. First, we'll lay down the Fritos themselves, then pour a small scoop of chili on top. Then comes just a bit of cheese, which we top with even more chili. By repeating this process two to three times, you can guarantee that the cheese in the dish will melt well, mixing in with the chili in the process. Once you're done with that layering, you can finally add on your toppings as you please. Taking a bit more time to arrange your Frito pie in this manner will definitely result in a tastier, more coherent bite.

There are times when prepared products can come in handy, especially when you're short on time. For example, if you're just trying to throw a quick meal together and you're craving some cheese, you might just opt to sprinkle some pre-shredded cheese on top of the dish in question. However, when you're preparing a dish from scratch and you want it to taste as good as possible, it's generally a better idea to opt for a whole block of cheese and shred it yourself. Why? Well, pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that can mess with its texture, especially once it starts to melt. Instead of getting that nice, creamy, melted consistency, you're more likely to deal with clumps of cheese that don't melt into the rest of the dish very nicely.

Yes, shredding your own cheese takes a bit more work than using the pre-shredded variety, but it also guarantees a better texture in your dish. Plus, buying a whole block of cheese is often cheaper than getting the prepared stuff. If you ask us, this extra step is absolutely worth it, both in terms of taste and price.

Can Frito pie technically be served in a plain old bowl like you would use for any other dish? Sure. But that's certainly not the way we prefer to serve it. Classically, Frito pie should be served directly out of the bag. This is part of what makes eating the dish so fun, and using the bag gives it an extra layer of nostalgia that makes every bite that much more interesting.

But there's another excellent reason for serving your Frito pie in its original bag: Although you could technically construct a large version of the dish in a casserole pan, leaving the chili sitting on the Fritos for too long is going to result in soggy chips, which is the last thing you want for this dish. Therefore, it just makes more sense to make it in individual portions, keeping the different components separate until just before you're about to serve it. So, make sure you keep those bags of Fritos intact so you can serve them appropriately once it's time to plate the finished dish.