Are you looking for the perfect side dish to bring to your next party, potluck, or picnic? Look no further than this delicious and easy-to-make Frito Corn Salad.
This creamy, cheesy salad is filled with crunchy and colorful ingredients that will have your guests asking for seconds. With Fritos corn chips, cheddar cheese, bell peppers, canned corn kernels, and a creamy dressing – it’s sure to be the star of any gathering!
Best of all, it takes just minutes to make.
So get ready to wow your guests with this irresistible and delicious corn salad!
Why Choose Frito Corn Salad?
Quick and Easy to Prepare
With readily available ingredients and no special cooking skills required, this salad takes just minutes to assemble. It’s perfect for those last-minute preparations.
Serve as a summer salad or party dip.
With its beautiful and simple ingredients, this corn chip salad is perfect for a summer side dish, but it can also just as easily be served as a chunky corn salsa- much like Fiesta Corn Dip or Street Corn Dip.
Salad Ingredients:
- Sweet corn drained
- red onion
- chopped green bell pepper
- Colby jack cheese
- mayonnaise
- hot sauce
- Frito chips
How to make Frito Corn Salad.
Prepare the Ingredients: Begin by thoroughly washing the green pepper and onion. Drain the canned corn to remove excess liquid. Dice the green pepper and onion into small pieces, and grate the cheese if it’s not already pre-shredded.
Combine the Main Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the drained corn kernels, diced green pepper, chopped onion, and shredded cheese. Toss these ingredients together to ensure they are evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
Add the Dressing: Whisk together the mayonnaise and hot sauce in a separate bowl until well blended. This mixture forms the creamy dressing for the salad. Gradually pour the dressing over the corn, pepper, onion, and cheese mixture, folding it carefully to evenly coat all ingredients.
Refrigerate the Salad: Cover the mixing bowl with a lid or cling film to keep the salad fresh. Place the bowl in the refrigerator and allow the salad to chill for at least an hour or until you’re ready to serve.
Prepare the Chips: While the salad is refrigerating, take the opportunity to prepare the corn chips if necessary. If they’re large, you can break them into smaller pieces or leave them whole for a more substantial crunch.
Final Touch Before Serving: When ready to serve the salad, remove it from the refrigerator. Add corn chips to the salad, depending on your preference for crunchiness. We typically use up to 3/4ths of a bag and reserve some for leftovers. Using a large spoon, gently mix the chips into the salad, taking care not to crush them.
Serve and Enjoy: Transfer the Frito Corn Salad to a serving dish or leave it in the mixing bowl if it’s presentable. Serve immediately, as the chips are best enjoyed when fresh and crunchy.
There are a ton of corn salad recipes to really make the most of this beautiful and delicious veggie. If you want to expand your recipe collection, here are some great choices:
How to Serve Frito Corn Salad
Consider Portion Sizes: If you’re serving the salad at a casual gathering, you might serve it in individual cups or small bowls. For a more formal setting, a large serving bowl with a serving spoon allows guests to help themselves.
Serve with Suitable Utensils: Provide large spoons or salad tongs for easy serving.
Keep It Chilled if Serving Outdoors: If you’re serving the salad at a picnic or outdoor event, consider placing the serving bowl over a bed of ice to keep it chilled. This ensures that the salad remains fresh throughout the gathering.
Commonly Asked Questions
Can I Make Frito Corn Salad in Advance?
Yes, making Frito Corn Salad in advance can be beneficial as it allows the flavors to meld together, creating a more cohesive and flavorful dish. You can prepare the salad a few hours ahead of time or even the night before.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to doing it right:
- Mix the Main Ingredients: Combine the corn, green pepper, onion, cheese, mayonnaise, and hot sauce in a mixing bowl.
- Cover and Refrigerate: Cover the salad tightly with cling film or place it in an airtight container, then refrigerate. This helps retain the freshness and flavors.
- Add the Fritos Just Before Serving: To ensure their crunch, wait to mix them into the salad until just before you’re ready to serve. The crunchiness of the Fritos is a key texture in this salad, and adding them too early can cause them to become soggy. Tip: Try with Chili Cheese chips.
What if I Don’t Have All the Ingredients?
If you find yourself missing some of the specific ingredients, here are some creative substitutions that can still make a tasty corn salad with Fritos recipe:
- Cheese: If you don’t have shredded cheddar cheese, you can use mozzarella, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, or even a blend of your favorite cheeses.
- Hot Sauce: If you don’t have hot sauce, add a pinch of chili flakes or a dash of cayenne pepper to add some heat.
- Crunchy Corn Chips: While Fritos are a vital part of this salad, other corn or even tortilla chips can work if needed.
- Fresh Corn: If you prefer, fresh corn on the cob or frozen corn can replace cans of corn. Just make sure to cook and cool it first.
This salad recipe is also super easy to adjust.
Add pinto beans, fresh diced tomatoes, kidney beans, green chiles, lean ground beef, taco meat, black beans, or even southwest corn.
Frito Corn Salad
Equipment
- small mixing bowl for dressing
- large serving bowl
Ingredients
- 15.5 oz Canned Corn drained well of excess water
- ½ cup red onion chopped – add more or less depending on preference
- ½ cup green bell pepper diced or chopped
- 1 cup Colby Jack cheese
- 1 bag Frito Chips (see note – also try with BBQ Fritos if preferred)
Dressing
- 1 cup Mayo
- 2-4 tbsp hot sauce as desired for heat
Instructions
- Prepare the Salad Base: In a large mixing bowl, combine the drained can of corn, diced green pepper, chopped red onion, and grated Colby Jack cheese, ensuring the ingredients are well blended.
- Create the Dressing: In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise and hot sauce until smooth. We suggest between 2-4 tablespoons of hot sauce, adjusting to taste depending on tolerance to heat. Gradually pour dressing over the prepared salad base, gently folding to coat all the ingredients evenly.
- Chill the Salad: Cover the mixing bowl securely with a lid or cling film to retain freshness. Place the salad bowl in the refrigerator, allowing the salad to chill. We recommend a minimum of one hour or until you're ready to serve so that the flavors can meld together. That being said, the salad could be served immediately if necessary. The longer the ingredients sit in the fridge, the more cohesive they will become.
- Add the Final Crunch: When serving, remove the corn salad from the refrigerator. Toss up to a bag of crispy Fritos corn chips into the salad. Gently stir the chips to combine, taking care not to crush them too much. We like 3/4ths of the bag in our frito salad, but you can add more or less based on how much crunch you want.
- Serve and Enjoy: Your Frito Corn Salad is now ready to be served!
Notes
Storing Frito Salad:
Separate the Ingredients if Possible: It’s best to store the salad and the Fritos separately if you know you’ll have leftovers. This prevents the chips from becoming soggy. You can mix the amount you want just before serving. Avoid Freezing: Freezing is not recommended for this type of salad, as the mayonnaise-based dressing may separate, and the vegetables may become mushy once thawed. Add Fresh Ingredients if Needed: When you’re ready to serve the leftover salad, you might want to add a fresh sprinkle of cheese, a dash of hot sauce, or even a handful of fresh herbs to brighten it up.Nutritional information is an automated estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator or app.
Nutrition
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