Vegan Corn Chip Pie aka Frito Pie ~
A hearty and baked crowd-pleasing version of the cold weather and Game Day classic!
Because the key to greatness with any corn chip pie, also known as Frito pie, is homemade chili, a recipe for lentil-based chili is included.
I have also made this same chili using a ground beef substitute and both versions were practically inhaled by the family.
Got leftover chili?
You’re already way ahead! You can jump right down to Step #5 – layering the chili and corn chips in preparation for baking.
This meal is ready to serve straight out of the oven but I think it’s fun to let people dress it up with a variety of toppings.
Topping suggestions:
- vegan cheddar cheese
- shredded lettuce
- diced red onions
- vegan sour cream
- pickled jalapeños
Ingredients for Vegan Corn Chip Pie:
1 cup dry lentils
2 cups water
1⅛ teaspoon sea salt, divided
1 tablespoon chili powder
1½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
16 ounces kidney beans, undrained
14 ounces diced tomatoes, undrained
8 ounces tomato sauce
4 cups corn chips, divided
¼ cup scallions, sliced
How to make Vegan Frito Pie:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cook the lentils. Into a medium-sized pot, add lentils and water with ⅛ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 35 minutes, or until lentils are softened and cooked through.
Add spices and seasonings. Remove from heat, season with chili powder, cumin, remaining salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and red pepper.
Mash the lentils. Stir to combine then use a potato masher to partially mash lentils.
Make it a chili. Into the pot, add undrained kidney beans, undrained diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Stir to combine.
Prepare to bake. Into a prepared 9” x 13” baking dish, add 1½ cups corn chips in an even layer. Pour lentil chili mixture over corn chips.
Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
Bake a second time. Top with an even layer of remaining 2½ cups corn chips. Return to oven, and bake 5 minutes more. Sprinkle with scallions and serve warm.
Cheers!
More Game Day favorites:
Vegan Sausage & Cheddar Stuffing Balls – Lightly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, these crowd-pleasing sausage and cheddar stuffing balls are the perfect addition to your Super Bowl spread!
Vegan Pub Style Beer Cheese Dip – You can never go wrong with a classic cheese dip and this one only has 5 ingredients!
Crispy Air-Fried Buffalo Tofu – Serve with a side of vegan blue cheese dressing for dipping!
Vegan 7-Layer Party Dip – Seven layers of savory taco-spiced refried beans, an easy homemade guacamole, vegan sour cream, crisp lettuce, fresh tomatoes, black olives, and green onions.
Vegan Caramelized Onion Dip – This recipe will have you ditching the pre-made onion dip for good!
Vegan Corn Chip Pie
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry lentils
- 2 cups water
- 1⅛ teaspoon sea salt divided
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 16 ounces kidney beans undrained
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes undrained
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 4 cups corn chips divided
- ¼ cup scallions sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Into a medium-sized pot, add lentils and water with ⅛ teapoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 35 minutes, or until lentils are softened and cooked through.
- Remove from heat, season with chili powder, cumin, remaining salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and red pepper. Stir to combine, and use a potato masher to partially mash lentils.
- Into the pot, add undrained kidney beans, undrained diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Stir to combine.
- Into a prepared 9” x 13” baking dish, add 1½ cups corn chips in an even layer. Pour lentil chili mixture over corn chips. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
- Top with an even layer of remaining 2½ cups corn chips. Return to oven, and bake 5 minutes more. Sprinkle with scallions and serve warm.
Nutrition
Emily
This is AMAZING! Great flavor! I followed the ingredients exactly. I did not bake it in the oven though. Just finished warming it on the stove, served it over Fritos, added Green onions, and plant-based cheese sauce on top. DELICIOUS!
thiswifecooks
Thank you so much! Your additions sound great! 🙂
Holly Richard
Hi,
The recipe calls for kidney beans however in the instructions chili beans are mentioned. I was just wondering which bean to use.
Thank you and this recipe looks yummy.
thiswifecooks
Thank you for catching that typo! I have updated that step to indicate kidney beans, as reflected in the ingredients list. This recipe is one of my cold-weather favorites; I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Meryl
Soooo good!
Kayla DiMaggio
Yum! This was so delicious! Reminded me of my childhood and it was so cozy and comforting!
Chrissaysnature
What a delicious recipe! The flavors are perfectly combined and the full meal is so cozy and comforting! I loved it! Thank you for this amazing recipe!
Freya
Oh my gosh, how have I never tried Frito pie? And it’s vegan so I have no excuse!
Stef
This looks awesome! What a great idea. Thanks for sharing, will try!
Natalie
This is a great idea. Looks absolutely delicious. Honestly, I can’t wait to make this. Thanks!
MERYL
This is such a great family dinner! I love how healthy it is, because when you top it with fritos, my kids love it! Thanks for the recipe, I’ll be making this again!
Natalia
This looks and sounds delicious. I will definitely be making it this weekend. I always struggle to find good vegan recipes so this will be a treat!
Anaiah
My boys love when I make this vegan corn chip pie! It’s so easy to make and tastes amazing. Definitely going to try it again with leftover chili!