Published: Last Updated: by Marye 1413 words. | About 8 minutes to read this article.
Frito Corn Salad is a delicious combination of corn kernels, bell peppers, onions, cheese, and Fritos corn chips covered in a creamy taco flavored dressing. It's salty, crunchy, creamy, and your new family favorite!
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Chilling time (optional) 3 hours hrs
Total Time 3 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
Jump to Recipe
This is the perfect side dish for all your summer cookouts, potlucks, and bbqs! It's one of our favorite Fritos recipes - and a great way to use up leftover chips.
Don't want to scroll through the page to get to the recipe? Use the table of contents to click on the section you want to go to.
Table of Contents
- ❤️ Why you'll love it
- 🧾 Ingredients
- 📖Variations
- 🔪 Instructions
- 🎥 Video
- 🥫 What to do with leftovers
- 💭 Things to know
- 👩🍳 FAQs
- Related recipes
- 🍽️ Serve with...
- 📞 The last word
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
❤️ Why you'll love it
- Crunchy corn chips goodness in every bite!
- Quick and easy.
- This is definitely a crowd pleaser!
- How can you not love a recipe that's main ingredient is Fritos?
If you're looking for a summer side dish you're going to love this easy Fritos corn salad recipe. It gets its great flavor from all the fresh ingredients - and there are plenty of possible variations.
It's absolutely the easiest thing ever!
You might also like this old fashioned potato salad.
🧾 Ingredients
📖Variations
- Make this into a main course by adding cooked ground beef or chicken.
- This delicious corn salad with Fritos is really, really, REALLY good with diced jalapenos.
- Add a can of black beans which have been drained and rinsed.
- Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese work really well in this easy salad.
- If you have a taste for spicy things try the Flamin' Hot Fritos or Chili Cheese chips!
- I like mayonnaise but if you'd like to use Miracle Whip you can.
- I use frozen but you can use fresh corn or a couple of cans of sweet corn that have been well drained.
- I like to use a mixture of green, yellow, and red bell pepper.
- I like this with Pepper Jack instead of Cheddar
- You can use broken tortilla chips - try Doritos Cool Ranch
- Add a can of drained and rinsed black beans
- If you like a tangier dressing use more sour cream and less mayonnaise.
- If you like a sweeter dressing use less sour cream and more mayonnaise.
- If you like it balanced then use equal amounts. I learned this through trial and error!
- Sometimes when I make this I add a little sugar to the dressing - just a teaspoon or so. Also learned by trial and error.
🔪 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the green recipe card below.
- Combine corn and the other salad ingredients except the Fritos corn chips.
- Whisk the sauce ingredients together.
- Pour the sauce ingredients over the salad ingredients and give the whole thing a good stir. Chill for three hours or more if possible.
- Important! Mix in the corn chips just before serving or they will be soggy.
🎥 Video
Click on the image to watch me make this recipe from start to finish with extra tips! (Video opens in a new tab).
🥫 What to do with leftovers
Store leftover Frito corn salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Or, cover it tightly with plastic wrap.
Keep in mind that the leftovers aren't as good as the fresh salad - unless you happen to like soggy Fritos.
This recipe doesn't freeze well.
If you have leftover Frito chips you can use them up in these other delicious recipes. Waste not, want not - right?
Frito Chicken Casserole is a fun, retro recipe from the 1950s! It's a little like King Ranch Casserole.
Frito Pie: How to Make the Original Chili Pie is a football season classic! So easy!
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Please eat this within about 3 hours after adding the chips. After that it gets super soggy. And honestly, it's best in the first hour.
- Some people like the chips slightly crushed. The easiest way to do this is to lightly squeeze the bag.
- IF you think there might be leftovers put a bowl of Fritos on the table and add them to each serving individually. It's not the best way but there won't be any waste.
👩🍳 FAQs
Here are the questions I am most frequently asked about this recipe.
Is Frito salad gluten free?
According to Frito-Lay Fritos are gluten free and neither dairy nor vegetables contain gluten. As always read labels but as far as I know this recipe is gluten free.
Can I use no-fat or low-fat variety of sour cream or mayonnaise in this corn salad?
Yes you can. I don't think that the result is as delicious as the regular Frito corn salad with mayo but you can certainly use them.
Can you make Frito salad ahead of time?
Yes, as long as you don't add the Fritos until just before serving.
More easy salad recipes -
- Mom's Homemade Potato Salad is one of those summer side dishes everyone loves!
- Macaroni Salad has all that old fashioned flavor you remember.
- Pea and Cheese Salad is full of sweet peas, salty bacon, and yummy Cheddar cheese - it's always been a potluck favorite.
- Asparagus Lemon Garlic Pasta
- Oven Roasted Asparagus
- Asparagus Tart with Puff Pastry
- Is It Safe to Eat Raw Asparagus?
🍽️ Serve with...
Frito corn salad is perfect with any of your basic summertime foods.
- Pulled chicken
- Hamburgers
- Grilled chicken
- Ribs
Or hot dogs!
📞 The last word
This time of year I love good pasta salads but after a while I am ready for something a little different, a little out of the ordinary - like this fun salad with crunchy Fritos chips.
It's a real showstopper at potlucks, backyard BBQs, picnics, or even as a tasty side dish for your summer feast. It'll have your guests coming back for seconds. Trust me, this easy side dish is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser!
My mom was potluck famous because of this recipe.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
4.73 from 22 votes
Frito Corn Salad
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Frito Corn Salad is a delicious combination of corn kernels, bell peppers, onions, cheese, and Fritos corn chips covered in a creamy taco flavored dressing. It's salty, crunchy, creamy, and your new family favorite!
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American - Southern
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Chilling time (optional): 3 hours hours
Total Time: 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes
Servings:12
Calories:380
Author:Marye Audet-White
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 pound whole kernel corn, frozen, canned, or fresh
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 cup bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup red onion, diced
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- ½ cup green onions, chopped
- 4 ounces chiles
- 4 slices bacon, cooked crisp, reserve grease
- 9 ¼ ounce fritos
Dressing
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¾ cup mayo
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 teaspoon reserved bacon grease
- ½ lime
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Instructions
Mix all the salad ingredients except Fritos I a large mixing bowl.
Set aside.
Squeeze the lime half into a small mixing bowl, about 1 tablespoon of lime juice.
Add the remaining salad dressing ingredients.
Whisk the dressing ingredients together.
Pour the dressing over the salad. Stir to coat.
Taste and adjust seasoning. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate a few hours or overnight.
Remove the salad from the refrigerator.
Mix lightly.
Add the Fritos corn chips and mix them in.
Garnish with some sliced green onion and cilantro if desired.
Serve immediately.
Notes
Storage:
Store leftover Frito corn salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Or, cover it tightly with plastic wrap.
Keep in mind that the leftovers aren't as good as the fresh salad - unless you happen to like soggy Fritos.
This recipe doesn't freeze well.
Expert Tips:
- Make this into a main course by adding cooked ground beef or chicken.
- Instead of just green bell pepper use a mixture with red peppers and yellow peppers. It's so much prettier!
- This delicious corn salad with Fritos is really, really, REALLY good with diced jalapenos.
- Add a can of black beans which have been drained and rinsed.
- Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese work really well in this easy salad.
- If you have a taste for spicy things try the Flamin' Hot Fritos! If you have a taste for spicy things try the Flamin' Hot Fritos! You can change the flavor of this great summer salad with a different kind of Fritos every time you make it!
- Some people like the chips slightly crushed. The easiest way to do this is to lightly squeeze the bag.
You'll find more helpful tips and variations in the body of the post.
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 380kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 399mg | Potassium: 275mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 796IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 189mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
First published April 19, 2021. Last updated May 30, 2023 for editorial improvements.
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- Old Fashioned Macaroni Salad with Hellmann's
About Marye
Meet Marye Audet, a wizard in the kitchen and a storyteller at heart. Marye is like your eccentric but fun aunt who knows all the secret recipes and isn't afraid to spill them. She's been around the culinary block more than once, turning simple ingredients into mouthwatering masterpieces. With a sprinkle of humor and a dash of wit, she makes cooking feel like a piece of cake (which she can also teach you to bake perfectly). When she's not conjuring up delicious dishes, you might find her sharing laughs with her family, reading by the fire, or scribbling down her next big recipe idea. Marye believes that a good meal and a hearty laugh are the best parts of life. Marye's a NY Times Bestselling author with 10 cookbooks under her belt and her recipes have been featured in Good Housekeeping, Country Living, Today, House Beautiful, Texas Living, Food & Wine, and many more.
Reader Interactions
Comments
Monica
If using fresh corn should you cook it?
Reply
Marye
Yes, you'll want to cook it and remove it from the cob.
Reply
