Frito pie is the Tex-Mex snack of corn chips topped with chili, cheese, and other garnishes.
The simplest version is served directly in a small bag of Fritos corn chips, with hot chili spooned over the top. Typical toppings include shredded cheese, chopped onions, sour cream, jalapeños, or salsa. In other versions, the ingredients are baked together in a dish or served over a larger portion of chips.
The dish is strongly associated with Texas, the American Southwest, school events, fairs, and sporting occasions. Its history is difficult to assign to one inventor: both Texas and New Mexico have longstanding claims, and early Fritos advertisements helped popularize the name and serving style. The term does not mean a conventional pie with a pastry crust.
Frito pie is also distinct from nachos. Nachos traditionally begin with individual tortilla chips topped with cheese and other ingredients, while Frito pie uses corn chips and chili as its defining base.