Vegan Walking Tacos (Frito Pie)

Walking tacos are also known as Frito pies, chili pies, or Frito boats. They are so easy to make and fun for both children and adults!

Traditionally, Frito pies are smothered with chili and cheese. This recipe offers a vegan spin on the childhood favorite that many of us grew up with! 

This filling meal easily comes together by quickly cooking chili beans and gathering up a variety of toppings.

These toppings are exactly what you’d have at a taco bar. Everyone’s taste preferences are met with endless topping options!

Clean-up is so simple too. Since the bags are used as bowls, you can skip the casserole dish and extra plates!

The only equipment needed is a fire pit (or stove), a cast-iron skillet, a knife to prepare the veggies, and forks to eat with. Perfect for camping!

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Ingredients and Substitutions

• Corn Chips – Small, individual bags of corn chips such as Fritos serve as the bowl and base of this dish. Alternatively, you can use any type of chip such as potato chips or tortilla chips.
• Beans – For convenience, you can use canned beans or leftovers from a previous meal. You can also follow my White Beans or Guatemalan Black Beans recipes to make them from scratch. I use two 15-ounce cans of low-sodium beans. You definitely want to try to stick to low-sodium beans because the corn chips already have plenty of salt.
• Seasoning – Taco seasoning is the only seasoning you need. It’s simply a combination of spices that give taco dishes a slightly spicy, southwest flavor. You can find this in the spice aisle of most grocery stores. 
• Fresh Veggies – Add avocados, tomatoes, onions, and lettuce as toppings. Any other veggies will work too!
• Jalapeño – Use half for the beans and half for toppings.
• Salsa – Use your favorite salsa to add more of a juicy kick to this meal or use this delicious Roasted Ranchero Sauce recipe.
• Cilantro – Fresh cilantro is the most amazing final piece that brings all the taco flavors together.
• Lime – Slice the lime and give each assembled walking taco a quick squeeze to add an irresistible acidic dynamic.

How to Make Vegan Walking Tacos (Frito Pie)

Drain half of the liquid from each can of beans. Add the beans, half of a jalapeño that has been diced, and taco seasoning to a cast-iron skillet. Put the skillet over a low fire pit flame or medium heat on the stove. Stir the beans occasionally as they cook for 10 minutes. 

Prepare all of the other toppings while the beans are cooking. Slice the limes, avocados, and jalapeños. Dice the tomatoes, lettuce, onions, and cilantro.

After the beans have cooked for 10 minutes, mash them with a fork. I like to leave some of them whole, but you can mash them to your desired consistency. If they are too thick, you can stir in some water. Continue to cook for 5 more minutes.

Gently crush the chips while the bags are still closed. Next, cut or tear one end of each bag. Layer the beans and any other desired toppings right into the chip bags. Enjoy your walking taco with a fork as you walk around and sight-see or chat!

Notes

• You can cut or tear the bags on a long edge, short edge, or front-middle. I prefer the long edge to make a wider bowl, but the short edge is easier for little hands to hold. Another option is to cut the bag down the front so that it forms a plate with edges.
• This recipe is not limited to just the toppings pictured. Feel free to make this your own by throwing in any of your favorite taco toppings! Here’s a list of ideas.

Walking Taco Bar Topping Ideas

• Corn
• Lettuce
• Onions
• Cilantro
• Tomatoes
• Lime juice
• Jalapeños
• Black olives
• Bell peppers
• Spanish Rice
• Green onions 
• Vegan sour cream
• Vegan cheese shreds
• Avocados or guacamole
• Salsa, pico de gallo, or hot sauce

Recipe Variations

• Use any type of chips such as potato chips or tortilla chips.
• Create a Frito chili pie casserole or dip by layering all of the toppings and using the corn chips as dippers!

Make-Ahead or Leftovers

• The beans can be made ahead and simply heated up before setting everything out. They can be refrigerated in a covered dish for up to 4 days. 
• All of the vegetable toppings except the avocado can be prepared and saved in a covered dish in the refrigerator for 2 days.

I hope you loved this recipe! If you try it, please let me know what you think with a rating and comment below. Your feedback really supports my blog and is helpful to other readers! 🙂 You can stay updated on my latest recipes by following me on Pinterest and joining my Email List.