Crisp corn, bell pepper, cheese, and Chili Cheese Fritos in a creamy dressing. Fritos Corn Salad is the perfect no cook, super easy summer side dish for all your barbecues!
If you love corn, try my Corn Casserole!
Hi, is everyone dreaming of summer food?!
I also can’t wait to grill everything and make pasta salads and no bake cheesecake and all the yummy food that I associate with summer.
Today I have one of my alltime favorite summer side dishes. I know we have talked at length about my love of Fritos corn chips so this should come as no surprise.
It takes just a few minutes to put together and it is always a hit. Take it to barbecues, serve it as a side for dinner, or serve it as a dip at your next party! I promise everyone will love it.
No, it’s definitely not low calorie. It’s fine.
Ingredients
Scroll down for ingredient amounts.
- Canned corn – make sure you drain the corn well so you don’t end up with a soggy salad!
- Red bell pepper – you can use other color peppers if you prefer the flavor but the red adds a nice contrast in the otherwise yellow and orange dish.
- Mexican blend cheese – you can use cheddar cheese or Colby Jack.
- Mayonnaise
- Black pepper
- Chili Cheese Fritos – you have to use the chili cheese Fritos, not plain Fritos! It makes it so much better.
- Cilantro – this is optional, for garnish, but I think it adds such a nice brightness to the salad.
How To Make Fritos Corn Salad
This is seriously the easiest side dish to put together. Like, if you need a last minute, no fuss, no cooking side dish to take to a barbecue, this is it!
- Combine ingredients. Stir together corn, diced bell pepper, shredded cheese, mayo, and black pepper
- Add Fritos. Immediately before serving, stir in crushed Chili Cheese Fritos
- Garnish and serve. Garnish with fresh cilantro if desired
How Long Is It Good For?
Fritos Corn Salad is tastiest right after it is made, when the Fritos are still crunchy, but it is perfectly fine to eat for up to 3 – 4 days after making it.
Just keep in mind that the Fritos will get soggier the longer it sits.
Make sure to store it in the fridge in an airtight container to keep it as fresh as possible – I love these glass airtight containers for storing pretty much all our leftovers
Can You Make It Ahead?
You can mix all the ingredients but the Fritos together ahead of time if you need to. Make sure to store it in the fridge in an airtight container until you are ready to serve it.
Right before serving, add the Fritos and give it a good stir. I also like to take the chill off by letting it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes or so.
Can You Freeze It?
I don’t recommend freezing Fritos corn salad. The Fritos will get soggy once frozen and defrosted and nobody wants a salad made of soggy Fritos.
Tips
- If you can’t find (or just don’t like) Chili Cheese Fritos, plain Fritos corn chips will work fine in this recipe.
- Don’t like red bell pepper? Skip it and use diced red onion instead!
- The shredded Mexican cheese blends usually include cheddar, monterey jack, asadero, and queso quesadilla. You can use any combination of those cheeses in this recipe.
What To Serve With Corn Salad
This is one of my favorite sides to serve at a barbecue so I would go with something like my Hawaiian BBQ Ribs or Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs.
I also think it goes well with other cold side dishes like Broccoli Salad or Balela Salad.
More Barbecue Side Dish Recipes
- Root Beer Baked Beans
- Cole Slaw Pasta Salad
- Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
- Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Salad
- Ramen Noodle Salad
- Pineapple Baked Beans
- Southwest Orzo Salad
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Fritos Corn Salad
Crisp corn, bell pepper, cheese, and Chili Cheese Fritos in a creamy dressing. The perfect no cook, super easy summer side dish for all your barbecues!
Ingredients
- 2 (15 ounce) cans whole kernel corn, drained
- 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
- 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
- 1 cup mayo (can substitute light mayo)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (9.25 ounce) bag Chili Cheese Fritos, lightly crushed
- fresh cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together corn, diced bell pepper, shredded cheese, mayo, and black pepper.
- Right before serving, stir in crushed Chili Cheese Fritos.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro if desired.
Notes
- This salad is best served right after Fritos are added.
- If making ahead, wait until right before serving to add Fritos. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- This salad is good for up to 3 - 4 days if stored in an airtight container in the fridge but the Fritos will get soggy the longer it sits.
- If you can't find (or don't like) Chili Cheese Fritos, plain Fritos corn chips will work.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 258Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 238mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 6g
Ann says
this was brought to my church pot luck. I went to each table to find out who made it. This is a keeper!!!!
JS says
Is there anything you can substitute for mayo?
Dave says
Excellent base
Gonna add a meat and make burritos….
yves de carufel says
je vais faire cette recette merci beaucoup
Christine says
Its looks good
Terry says
Can you use fresh corn cut off the cob instead of can corn?
Bonnie says
I did and it tasted great!
Tammy Gallier says
I make mine with a small jar of salsa and mayo instead of the bell pepper. Try it it’s great.
Ashley says
So you cook the corn prior to mixing everything together?
Amanda Livesay says
No, just add the canned corn to the rest of the ingredients.
Melissa says
do you drain the canned corn?
Joan says
Yes, it calls for drained corn.
Micki says
Could I add some shredded chicken to this salad?
Tallulah says
This was delicious. I heard several times “this is a keeper.”
Jessica says
Oh dang! This looks like a perfect splurge!
Kimberly says
Oh man, this looks SO good! Love this flavor combo and that crunch – can’t wait to make it!
Carol says
I have made this MANY times and it is always a huge hit wherever I take it!
Judy says
I use frozen corn mixed with canned do not cook. My guests went nuts for it. also put a small amount of curry powder.
Catalina says
So delicious! This salad is exactly what I need!
katerina @ diethood.com says
Oh wow, this sounds incredibly delicious!!
Jacque Hastert says
This looks perfect for summer potlucks and picnics! I love the use of fritos for added crunch!
Amanda says
The crunch from the Fritos is a wonderful touch on this dish!
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says
This Fritos Corn Salad is seriously making me hungry!