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    Home » Sweet Little Bluebird

    Slow Cooker Smothered Fritos Taco Bowls (Easy)

    by Mary Neumann · 59 Comments

    • Facebook

    Today’s slow cooker recipe is sure to have family and friends cheering – Slow Cooker Smothered Fritos Taco Bowls, a crowd pleasing meal!

     

    Slow Cooker Smothered Fritos Taco Bowls

    Aka, Frito Pie, this Slow Cooker Smothered Fritos Taco Bowls recipe is made with just a few ingredients and takes minutes to throw together. This awesome meal is sure to become an instant, go-to favorite! Ground beef and chili beans are slow-cooked in a delicious Tex-Mex broth. The tender beef mixture is served in bowls over Fritos and topped with your favorite taco fixings. Kids and adults will rave over this meal! Perfect for a busy day, parties, game night, tailgates, potlucks, and more.

    Read Rave Reviews From People Who Tried This Recipe on Pinterest

    More Reviews with Photos

    SLOW COOKER SMOTHERED FRITOS TACO BOWLS - Sweet Little Bluebird

    This is one of my favorite slow cooker recipes for so many reasons. It’s simple to make, so darn good, even the pickiest eaters will enjoy this meal. If you are a fan of Walking Tacos and Frito Pie, you will love this dish. It also makes great leftovers.

    WHAT YOU NEED

    Lean ground beef, chopped onion, chili beans, tomato sauce, Taco seasoning, Rotel Original, water and Fritos – along with your favorite taco toppings.

    SLOW COOKER SMOTHERED FRITOS TACO BOWLS - Sweet Little Bluebird

    HOW TO MAKE

    Brown beef and chopped onions in large skillet over medium-high heat until beef is no longer pink and onions are translucent. Add taco seasoning, 1/2 cup of water, mix well – remove from heat.  Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Pour chili beans, tomato sauce and Rotel in slow cooker. Next add browned beef  mixture to the slow cooker and mix well. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 5-6 hours.

    How To Make Slow Cooker Smothered Fritos Taco Bowls

     

    PINNABLE IMAGE

    SLOW COOKER SMOTHERED FRITOS TACO BOWLS - Sweet Little Bluebird

    If you enjoyed this dish, be sure to check out these awesome recipes

    CROCK POT CHICKEN AND RICE BURRITO BOWLS by The Country Cook – Tons  of flavor thanks to salsa and seasoning and only takes a few minutes of prep time. So easy!”

    FRITOS CORN SALAD by South Your Mouth – “Easy and delicious corn salad made with Chili Cheese Fritos for a fantastic super tasty flavor!”

    CHIPOTLE PORK CARNITAS BURRITO BOWLS by Belle of the Kitchen  – “Flavorful, juicy pork that cooks all day in your crockpot. Layer it up with rice, homemade pico de gallo, and all of your favorite toppings for a delicious lunch or dinner!”

    BARBACOA BEEF BOWLS by Kevin in the Kitchen – “Chunks of beef chuck  simmered in chipotle, adobo, vinegar, citrus juice and spices with black beans, corn and pickled onions served on top of salad greens.”

    THE BEST MARGARITA RECIPE by Gimme Some Oven – Cheers to this simple 3-ingredients cocktail –  the perfect addition to any Mexican, Tex-Mex meal.

     

    Please Note – This is NOT a sponsored post. I have no affiliation with any of products used/shown in this recipe.

     

    Slow Cooker Smothered Fritos Taco Bowls (Easy)

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    Ingredients

    • 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
    • 1 cup chopped onion (yellow or sweet)
    • 2 cans (16 ounces each)  Bush’s Best Chili Beans (pinto beans – mild chili sauce) – do not drain
    • 8 ounce can Tomato sauce
    • 1 can Original Rotel (10 ounce can) – do not drain – Or use Homemade Rotel – Tomatoes and Green Chilies,
    • taco seasoning packet  (1 ounce)
    • 1/2 cup water

    Taco Bowl Fixings 

    • Fritos
    • Rice (optional) – My favorite, Copycat Chipotle Restaurant’s Cilantro Lime Rice
    • Favorite taco toppings suggestions – cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, jalapenos, sour cream, hot sauce, avocado, fresh lime juice, fresh cilantro, etc.

    Directions

    Brown beef and chopped onions in large skillet over medium-high heat until beef is no longer pink and onions are translucent. Add taco seasoning, 1/2 cup of water, mix well – remove from heat. *If you are using higher fat ground beef, be sure to drain excess fat before adding taco seasoning.

    Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Pour chili beans, tomato sauce and Rotel in slow cooker. Next add browned beef mixture to the slow cooker and mix well.

    Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 5-6 hours.

    In individual serving bowls, add a handful of Fritos, a small layer of  rice (optional), a large spoonful of the beefy taco mixture then top with your favorite taco toppings. Fresh squeezed lime over top is an awesome addition along with fresh cilantro. Enjoy!

    Tip – Not a fan of beef? Use ground turkey or chicken.

     

    Thanks for stopping by!

    Cheers!

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    Comments

    1. Helen

      April 26, 2025 at 9:23 am

      Hi, good morning this is my third time making this and it is absolutely delicious. My family loves it. I made way too much of it though. Can the leftovers go into the freezer?

      Reply
      • Mary Neumann

        April 26, 2025 at 12:40 pm

        Helen, yes! Make sure it’s cooled and place in a freezer safe container. It should be good up to 3 months. So happy to hear you like the recipe!

        Reply
    2. Kacie

      December 31, 2024 at 12:06 pm

      Made this tonight for my family of four- two of which are toddlers. Everyone loved it and it was super quick and easy to make. The leftovers were equally as delicious! Thank you for this recipe!

      Reply
    3. Mary Canova

      November 14, 2024 at 9:53 am

      Having this tonight. Oh my it looks delicious. 😍

      Reply
    4. Roxana Garcia

      April 29, 2024 at 7:01 pm

      How long would you set it to cook in an instant pot?

      Reply
    5. Luckey Deborah

      September 17, 2023 at 11:16 pm

      Please tell me how many this serves!! I’m needed to know soon as I’m making this for my sons wedding rehearsal meal the 5th of OCt.

      Reply
      • Mary Neumann

        September 18, 2023 at 12:04 am

        This serves 6-8 depending on serving size, Deborah.

        Reply
        • Deborah Luckey

          September 18, 2023 at 1:07 am

          Perfect. Thank you very much! And thank you for your quick response

          Reply
      • April

        October 31, 2023 at 11:48 am

        Sounds so good I just bought the ingredients to make it tonight.

        Reply
        • Kandace Hullett

          February 03, 2024 at 11:49 pm

          Me too!!! Only I was in such a hurry I forgot the chili beans… I threw in a can of drained, corn and black beans, and it still tasted so good! I think it would also make an excellent dip for scoops!

          Reply
      • Erica

        July 19, 2024 at 6:40 pm

        I made this for my family of 6 yesterday (two adults, two teens, two kids). We had enough for all of us, plus some of us had seconds, and there are enough leftovers for at least two more servings. It seems like a good crowd feeder!

        Reply
    6. S

      June 29, 2023 at 8:44 am

      How many servings does this make?

      Reply
    7. Cheri Robinson

      June 12, 2023 at 8:06 pm

      This is Excellent. My husband didn’t thaw the hamburger so I ,are it on the stove top. It was delicious family loved it! This will be in the regular rotation.

      Reply
    8. Wendy

      May 31, 2023 at 10:34 am

      Can you puree the Rotel and not use water in taco meat instead?

      Reply
    9. Carolyn

      March 24, 2023 at 8:34 am

      Can this be made on the stove top? No slow cooker.

      Reply
      • Mary Neumann

        March 24, 2023 at 12:50 pm

        Yes, Carolyn!

        Reply
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    Hi, I’m Mary, the face behind the food blog Sweet Little Bluebird. I am a Michigan girl, born and raised in Flint, and currently living outside of Atlanta, Georgia. I am married to a great guy from Northern California, together we have two sweet girls.

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