Pulled Chicken Frito Pie. This cross between nachos and a taco casserole makes for a delicious dinner recipe or game day appetizer to share. This twist on a traditional frito pie recipe contains healthy shredded chicken cooked on the stove top, then you assemble and bake. Cheesy, baked comfort food at it's finest with a Mexican twist. If you grew up eating Frito Pie, give this recipe a shot for a dinner recipe kids and adults will both love! #FritoPie #casserolerecipe #Mexicanrecipe #gameday

I grew up in the Frito Pie generation. Some people call us millennials, but my teenage years were mainly formed by Dr. Pepper and Frito pie. It has a special place in my heart. I rarely eat it these days, but recently I was totally craving it so I thought I’d put a new spin on it with these Pulled Chicken Frito Pies.

Maybe it’s just because I don’t eat them as much as nachos, but I found these to be completely delicious. While some of the Fritos stay crispy and delicious, I also particularly like the inner layers of frito that get a tiny bit soggy as it bakes together.

I topped mine with loads of Tex-Mex toppings and the result was not only pretty (in my opinion) but would also be perfect either for a comfort food dinner or for a game day appetizer. I hear there are some 🏀 🏆 happening in the next week or so?

Pulled Chicken Frito Pies

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Author: Nick Evans
Servings: 4 Servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
These cheesy and slightly spicy Frito pies are an easy and delicious dinner. They are also an excellent game day appetizer!

Ingredients 

  • 1 ½ pounds chicken breasts
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce
  • 8 oz. cheddar cheese
  • 1 large bag Fritos

Toppings:

  • Sour cream
  • Salsa
  • Jalapenos
  • Red onions
  • Red peppers
  • Avocado
  • Cilantro

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium pot over medium heat, add butter and cubed chicken. Add cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and hot sauce, and cook, stirring regularly until chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes.
  • Use two forks to shred the chicken in the pot as it cooks. Reduce heat down to low.
  • Either in one large baking dish or 4 smaller baking dishes (individual servings) add a layer of Fritos, followed by a layer of pulled chicken and cheese. Repeat with another layer of Fritos, chicken, and cheese.
  • Bake Frito pies for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees F. until cheese is really melted and the entire dish is bubbling hot.
  • Top Frito pies with toppings of your choice and serve immediately!

Nutrition

Serving: 1Plate | Calories: 562kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 181mg | Sodium: 1294mg | Potassium: 949mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1030IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 427mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Appetizer, Main Dishes
Cuisine: Tex-Mex

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Pulled Chicken Frito Pies

The only thing you really have to cook for these bad boys is the chicken. I cubed up some chicken in a pot with butter, spices, and hot sauce. Doesn’t get much easier!

Pulled Chicken Frito Pie
Starting the chicken

As the chicken cooks over medium heat, you can use a few forks to shred it into bite-sized pieces.

Alternatively, if you were feeding a crowd, you could put 3-4 pounds of chicken in a slow cooker with probably double the spices I used in this recipe and it’d stay warm for the whole day.

This stovetop method works great though if you want it done fast and are cooking just enough for a family.

Pulled Chicken Frito Pie
Boom.

While the chicken cooks, you can prep all your toppings. I used ALL the toppings: avocado, sour cream, salsa, red onion, red pepper, jalapenos, cilantro… go crazy.

Pulled Chicken Frito Pie
Loads of toppings.

The key to making a good Frito pie is layering! Don’t just pile in a bunch of Fritos and then top them and bake them. DON’T DO IT.

Instead, do thin layers of Fritos with thin layers of chicken and cheese throughout. That way everything bakes together evenly.

I usually do two layers of frito-chicken-cheese in my dishes.

Pulled Chicken Frito Pie
Ready to bake!

You could either bake this together in one big baking dish or individual smaller dishes.

Either way, bake them for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees F. and then top them and serve them right when they come out!

Pulled Chicken Frito Pie

Even if your team loses, you’ll be a winner with these Pulled Chicken Frito Pies!

Pulled Chicken Frito Pie