Name: Instant Pot Chili Frito Pie
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef; 1 cup finely chopped white onion; 3 cloves garlic (peeled and minced); 15 ounce can tomato sauce; 15 ounce can diced tomatoes (undrained); 10 ounce can Ro-tel (undrained); 1 teaspoon ground oregano; 1 tablespoon ground cumin; 1-2 tablespoons chili powder (more or less to taste); 1 tablespoon chipotle Tabasco sauce; 14 ounce can kidney beans (drained and rinsed); 14 ounce can pinto beans (drained and rinsed); ¼ cup reduced-sodium beef broth; ½ teaspoon salt; 2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal; 1 bag of Fritos; Toppings: grated sharp cheddar cheese (sour cream, lettuce, or any other desired toppings)

Best Instant Pot Chili Frito Pie recipe! This easy chili recipe tastes like it was simmered for hours but is ready in no time at all!

A bowl of Instant Pot frito chili in a white bowl.

The first time I had Frito chili was when I was in high school, and I was hooked! The combination of the flavorful chili, melty cheese, and crunchy salted Fritos was magical.

Frito chili is still one of my favorite dinners. This easy Instant Pot version tastes like it was simmered for hours, but it’s ready in less than one hour, which makes it a lot more weeknight-friendly.

How to make Instant Pot chili Frito pie

Browned ground beef in an instant pot inner pot.

Step 1: Press sauté. When hot, add ground beef and cook until browned.

Step 2: Drain and return to inner pot. Add onion, and cook until just softened, about 2-3 minutes.

Uncooked chili in an instant pot inner pot.

Step 3: Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring the entire time. Press CANCEL.

Step 4: Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Ro-tel, oregano, cumin, chili powder, Tabasco, beans, and broth. Stir until combined.

Step 5: Close and lock the lid. Turn pressure release valve to sealing.

Step 6: Cook. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.

Step 7: Carefully turn the pressure release valve to venting to release any remaining pressure. Open the lid.

Frito chili in an instant pot inner pot.

Step 8: Give the chili a stir. Stir in the corn meal.

Step 9: Let it stand for 10 minutes to thicken up. Serve with Fritos and desired toppings.

A bowl of frito chili next to two dishes with fritos and green onions.

Tips and substitutions

Tomato sauce: Canned tomato sauce is tomato puree.
Ro-tel: I use the traditional Ro-tel. If you can’t find Ro-tel, you can used any brand of tomatoes with diced green chilies.
Chili powder: I like the smokiness of ancho chili powder, but you can use regular, too.
Tabasco sauce: Or any other type of hot sauce.
Corn meal: The corn meal helps to thicken up the chili a bit and gives it a nicer texture.

A dish of frito chili topped with fritos sour cream and green onions.

How to serve

I serve the chili over Fritos. I top the chili with shredded cheese, green onions, sour cream, lettuce, diced tomatoes, and other toppings.

Storage

Fridge

Store any leftover chili in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The chili will keep for up to 4 days when properly stored in the fridge.

I recommend adding in Fritos and toppings once the chili has been reheated.

Freezer

You can also freeze the chili after cooking. To freeze, cook as-directed.

Let the chili cool to room temperature. Place the chili in a freezer-safe container. Freezer for up to 3 months.

More Instant Pot ground beef recipes!

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5 from 4 votes