Sweet corn and crunchy corn chips in a creamy dressing — this easy Frito Corn Salad is a flavorful summer side dish or potluck appetizer that’s perfect for any occasion.
Easy Frito Corn Salad
This quick and easy salad is a delightful combination of sweet corn kernels, crunchy Fritos corn chips, and a creamy dressing. This Frito corn salad goes with just about everything. It looks pretty and it tastes even better! Your family and friends will love it.
This is the perfect side dish for so many occasions! You can make it for holiday dinners, summer cookouts, barbecues, potlucks, tailgates, or anytime you are craving a taste of sweet corn with some extra crunch. It can also be served as a corn dip or appetizer. There’s no wrong way to enjoy this dish!
I found our family’s version in an old local cookbook. There are many variations out there and we’ll share some of those ideas with you as well in this post.
When I found this recipe, the idea of a corn salad was new to me. But it’s not a new thing. My recipe is old enough that it calls for Miracle Whip.
The recipe ends with these words: “Trust me, this is great. No one will guess the secret ingredient.” I’m not 100% sure which ingredient is secret, but my guess is the Fritos.
But no matter what the “secret” ingredient is…one thing that isn’t secret is how good this corn salad tastes! I want to make it again and again now!
Ingredients
- 3 cans whole canned corn, drained
- ½ cup red onion
- ½ cup chopped green bell pepper
- 1 cup Miracle Whip or Mayonnaise
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
- 1-2 cups crushed Frito corn chips
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Helpful Kitchen Tools
Instructions
The prep time is short and sweet. The total time is at least four hours so plan accordingly.
To Prep: Empty then cans of whole kernel corn into a colander and allow to drain while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Chop onion and pepper (1/2 cup = about ½ a medium onion or pepper)
- Combine all ingredients except for the corn chips in a large bowl. Cover and place the mixing bowl into the refrigerator for at least four hours for the flavors to combine. This is really important. Be sure and allow enough time for this.
- Stir in crushed Fritos right before serving so you get that crunch and not soggy Fritos.
- Garnish with extra Fritos, red onion, green bell pepper if desired.
Prep Tips
- Corn – The recipe called for canned corn and that’s what I would recommend. I’m just not sure how frozen corn or fresh corn would work. Plus, canned corn is so easy to keep on hand and will be usable for a long time.
- Cheese – The original recipe calls for shredded cheese, but if you want a non-dairy dish you can simply omit this ingredient.
- Chips – Frito brand corn chips were in the recipe but I’m sure any brand would work fine. My recipe also called for the BBQ flavor. Chili cheese Fritos are also a great option. I however, really preferred the plain chips in this recipe. You can use any flavor you like!
- Peppers – I used green bell pepper, but you can also use red bell peppers. If you like it hot, you could also add some chopped jalapeños to spice up the recipe.
- Salad Dressing – My recipe also specified Miracle Whip so that is what I used. I think I might try mayonnaise the next time I make this dish. You can either mayo or Miracle Whip depending on what you have on hand or prefer.
- Garnish – We topped our salad with extra Frito crumbs, but feel free to customize this dish with your favorite toppings such as extra cheese, green onions, black pepper, or a dollop of sour cream.
- Storage – After mixing, this recipe needs to be refrigerated for a few hours to develop the taste. It tastes much better after being in the refrigerator. The overall flavor becomes richer and more mellow. If you have leftovers, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate as soon as possible.
More Appetizer Salad Recipes To Try
- 7-Layer Salad
- Creamy Tomato Bacon Pasta Salad
- Homemade Potato Salad
- Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad
- Old Fashioned Grape Salad
- Creamy Hawaiian Fruit Salad
Frito Corn Salad Recipe (Printable Recipe Card)
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Frito Corn Salad
Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 serving dish or bowl
- 1 colander
Ingredients
- 3 cans whole kernel corn drained
- 1/2 cup red onion chopped
- 1/2 cup green bell pepper chopped
- 1 cup Miracle Whip or Mayonaise
- 2 cups cheddar cheese grated
- Frito corn chips crushed (any flavor)
Instructions
- Empty cans of whole kernel corn into a colander and allow to drain while you prepare the rest of the ingredients
- Chop onion and pepper (1/2 cup = about ½ a medium onion or pepper).
- Combine all ingredients except for the corn chips in a large mixing bowl.
- Cover and place the mixing bowl into the refrigerator for at least four hours for the flavors to combine. This is really important. Be sure and allow enough time for this.
- Stir in crushed Fritos right before serving so you get that crunch and not soggy Fritos
- Garnish with extra Fritos, red onion, green bell pepper if desired
Notes
Nutrition
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