Fritos Corn Salad adds a fun crunch to your favorite summer side. It’s easy to make at the last minute with corn, cheese, bell pepper, onion, and corn chips mixed with a creamy, taco-seasoned dressing. It’s the perfect no-cook, fuss-free dish to take to barbecues, potlucks, and tailgates.
Frito Corn Salad Recipe
Our easy Fritos Corn Salad recipe could be the most fun way to chew your chip! As silly as it sounds to mix Frito corn chips into a cold summer side, the salty crunch is the perfect contrast to the creamy dressing-coated veggies and cheese. It’s like adding croutons to a salad but with a Tex-Mex flair.
Fritos Corn Salad Ingredients
- Yellow whole-kernel corn: I used frozen corn for this recipe. If you prefer to use yellow canned corn, you will need 2 (15.25 ounce) cans that have been drained. You can also use fresh corn on the cob removed from the husk.
- Sharp cheddar cheese: The shredded sharp cheddar cheese adds great flavor to this salad. However, you can certainly substitute medium shredded cheddar cheese, mild cheddar cheese, or even Colby Jack cheese in this recipe.
- Green bell pepper: For a little different color and slightly sweeter flavor, you can substitute the green bell pepper for red bell pepper. You can also use a combination of green and red bell peppers.
- Red onion: The slightly sweet flavor of the red onion works better than the sharper white or yellow onion varieties.
- Mayonnaise: While I recommend using mayonnaise, you can make your Fritos corn salad with sour cream or Greek yogurt instead. Both make for a great creamy base that won’t overpower the veggies and cheese.
- Taco seasoning: Taco seasoning brings out some southwest flavors. Feel free to use a store-bought packet or make your own homemade taco seasoning.
- Fresh lime juice: Adds a bit of tang and brightness to the dressing. I always prefer fresh lime juice, but you can use bottled if necessary.
- Salt and black pepper
- Fritos corn chips: For added flavor, you can substitute the traditional Fritos Corn Chips for the chili cheese Fritos.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Fritos Corn Salad
- Make The Corn Mixture: Combine the corn, shredded cheese, diced pepper, and diced onion. Set aside.
- Make The Mayo Mixture: Stir together the mayonnaise, taco seasoning, lime juice, salt, and black pepper until smooth.
- Coat, Cover, and Chill: Stir the mayonnaise mixture with the corn mixture to fully coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours until chilled.
- Serve: Stir in Fritos corn chips and top with more for garnish. Serve and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
This Fritos corn salad is best served chilled and while the corn chips are still fresh and crunchy. It makes a delicious side dish, dip, or topping for many main meals (although I love to eat it straight from the spoon)!
Serve With Scoopables: Fritos Scoops, Tostitos Scoops, or your favorite tortilla chips are great for scooping and dipping. You can also serve your Fritos salad with some celery sticks, carrots, or bell pepper slices.
Make It Into A Meal: Add your corn chip salad to a Burrito Bowl, Queso Chicken Tacos, Mini Enchilada Cups, Taco Bell Frito Burrito, or a Mexican Casserole. It also makes a tasty topping for Grilled Chicken Breast and Grilled Salmon.
Tips & Variations
- Don’t Forget To Drain: Make sure to drain the corn well so you don’t end up with a soggy salad!
- Create Your Crunch: Only add the crushed Fritos right before serving. You want to keep the corn chips nice and crunchy.
- Serve It Spicier: Add some Tabasco or sriracha for some spice in your salad. You can also mix in diced jalapeños for even more heat!
- Pair With Protein: For additional protein, add grilled chicken, steak, shrimp, or tofu to the salad. If you prefer to add more protein without meat, bulk it up with black beans, pinto beans, or kidney beans.
- Prepare With Pasta: My street corn pasta salad and Mexican pasta salad recipes are also filled with similar south-of-the-border ingredients and flavors. They’re the perfect way to feed your friends at your next potluck or warm-weather gathering.
Proper Storage
- To Store: Store this salad in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Make Ahead: You can make this Fritos corn salad up to 24 hours ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap. Don’t add the corn chips until you’re ready serve. The longer this sits, the softer the corn chips will get.
More Great Side Dishes
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Fritos Corn Salad
Serves — 8
Fritos Corn Salad could be the easiest side you'll serve this summer. Corn, cheese, bell pepper, and onion, coated in a creamy taco-flavored dressing and tossed with crunchy corn chips with more sprinkled on top.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Chill Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 30 ounces (3 10-ounce bags) frozen yellow corn thawed and drained
- 1½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ¾ cup diced green bell pepper
- ¾ cup diced red onion
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 5 cups (9 ¼ ounce bag) Fritos corn chips roughly crushed, divided (4 ½ cups mixed into corn salad and ½ cup for garnish)
Instructions
- To a large mixing bowl add the yellow corn, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, diced green bell pepper and diced red onion. Set aside.30 ounces (3 10-ounce bags) frozen yellow corn, 1½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, ¾ cup diced green bell pepper, ¾ cup diced red onion
- To a small mixing bowl stir together the mayonnaise, taco seasoning, lime juice, salt and black pepper until smooth and fully combined.1 cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon taco seasoning, 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Add the mayonnaise mixture to the large mixing bowl of vegetables. Stir to fully coat all the ingredients with the mayonnaise mixture. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours or until chilled.
- To the bowl of chilled corn mixture, gently stir in the 4 ½ cups Fritos corn chips, being careful not to break up the corn chips too much. Top with remaining ½ cup corn chips for garnish and serve.5 cups (9 ¼ ounce bag) Fritos corn chips
Jenn’s Notes
Storage:
- To Store: You can store this salad in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Make Ahead: You can make this Fritos corn salad up to 24 hours ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap. Don’t add the corn chips until you’re ready serve. The longer this sits, the softer the corn chips will get.
- Make sure to drain the corn well so you don’t end up with a soggy salad!
- Only add the crushed Fritos right before serving. You want to keep the corn chips nice and crunchy.
- Feel free to add some tabasco or sriracha for some spice in your salad. You can also mix in diced jalapeños for even more heat!
- You can add some grilled chicken, steak, shrimp, or tofu to the salad for additional protein. Or bulk it up with black beans, pinto beans, or kidney beans if you prefer to add more protein without meat.
- For added flavor, you can substitute the traditional Fritos Corn Chips for the chili flavored ones.
- For a little different color, and slightly sweeter flavor, you can substitute the green bell pepper for red bell pepper. You can also use a combination of both.
- Finely diced jalapeno pepper can also be added for a spicy kick to your Fritos corn salad.
- If you prefer to use canned yellow corn, you will need 2 (15.25 ounce) cans that have been drained.
- The shredded sharp cheddar cheese adds great flavor to this salad, however you can certainly substitute medium cheddar, mild cheddar or even colby-jack cheese in this recipe.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 583kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 22g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 771mg | Potassium: 150mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 313IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 233mg | Iron: 1mg
