Frito Corn Salad
This Frito Corn Salad is a unique appetizer that combines corn kernels, cheese, taco seasoning, Fritos, green peppers and red onion. So good!
A FAVORITE SUMMER DIP RECIPE
Need a unique side dish to take to your next BBQ or potluck? Sure, we all love our Macaroni Salad and Potato Salad and Deviled Eggs. A BBQ wouldn’t be the same without those classic side dishes. However, if you really want one that gets folks talking, try this Frito Corn Salad. This stuff is surprisingly good, y’all! You will be amazed how you will keep going back and eating more and more! It’s one of those appetizers that everyone will want the recipe for – so be prepared!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
This can actually be served a variety of ways. You can serve as a side dish or an appetizer (as a dip). I could eat this stuff with a spoon as a side dish (or better yet, try using it to top tacos or in taco salad – so yum!) but most people serve it as a dip. You can use tortilla chips, Frito scoops, toasted pita bread or simply some Ritz or Club crackers.
Yes you can. If you don’t have time to thaw out a bag of corn, then use 2 (15 ounce) cans of corn that are drained really well.
This is where you can have some fun! Try switching out the flavors by using chili cheese flavor or BBQ flavored Frito corn chips. I prefer the good ole original but you can really change up the flavors by using different flavored Fritos.
Some folks put in half the crushed Fritos at the time they make it, then add the other half in right before serving. But you don’t have to use all of the Fritos. It’s a matter of preference.
Keep in mind, the Fritos will get soft as this sits so while you can cover and store this in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, the Fritos will soften and you won’t get that crunch (unless you choose to just add a bit of the Fritos as you go along.)
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- sweet corn – as you’ll see in my ingredient image below, I just picked up a bag of frozen corn and let it thaw. It does not need to be steamed or cooked in a pot first.
- cheddar cheese – you can have a lot of fun with the cheese here. If you want to give it a little more kick, try using Pepper Jack cheese.
- green pepper – if you find green pepper a bit too strong, you could use red, yellow or orange pepper. You could even switch it out for celery.
- red onion – if you find the red onion flavor too strong you have a couple of options. You could soak the chopped onion in ice water for a few minutes. This takes out the pungency of the onion but still gives you good flavor. Just dry them on a paper towel before adding them into the rest of the mixture.
- mayonnaise – you could use plain Greek yogurt or even sour cream. Just keep in mind, sour cream or Greek yogurt will gave this a slightly tangier flavor.
- taco seasoning – you can pick up a packet of store bought or make your own Homemade Taco Seasoning.
- Fritos corn chips – some folks love to use the Chili Cheese Fritos. I tend to find the flavor a bit too overpowering with the other flavors (since we’re also adding taco seasoning) but it is definitely a taste preference. Some folks absolutely swear by the Chili Cheese flavored ones but I prefer the traditional. Go with what you love!
- black pepper
HOW TO MAKE FRITO CORN SALAD:
In a large bowl, combine thawed corn, cheese, diced bell pepper and onions. Stir well.
Then add in mayonnaise and taco seasoning.
Stir until thoroughly combined.
I like to season it with a little bit of pepper too (this is optional.)
Then just before serving, stir in crushed Fritos so they stay nice and crunchy. Some folks put in half the crushed Fritos at the time they make it, then add the other half in right before serving. You do not need to use the entire bag if you don’t want that many corn chips.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
- Frito Chili Pie
- Frito Taco Salad
- Frito Pie Casserole
- Summer Corn Salad
- Crock Pot Smoked Queso Dip
- Crock Pot Jalapeño Popper Corn Dip
- Million Dollar Dip
Originally published: May 2013
Updated photos & republished: June 2025
Frito Corn Salad (+Video)
Ingredients
- 12 ounce bag frozen corn kernels, thawed
- 1 green pepper, finely diced
- ½ cup finely diced red onion
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tablespoon taco seasoning
- black pepper, to taste
- 10.25 ounce bag Fritos, crushed (or Chili Cheese Fritos)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine 12 ounce bag frozen corn kernels, thawed, 1 green pepper, finely diced, 1/2 cup finely diced red onion and 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese. Stir well.
- Then add in 1 cup mayonnaise and 1 Tablespoon taco seasoning. Stir until thoroughly combined.
- Season with black pepper, to taste (optional)
- Just before serving, stir in 10.25 ounce bag Fritos, crushed (using as little or as much as you like) so they stay nice and crunchy.
- Then serve!
Video
Notes
- Some folks put in half the crushed Fritos at the time they make it, then add the other half in right before serving.
- You do not need to use the entire bag of Fritos corn chips. This is entirely up to you and your tastebuds.
- Using pre-shredded cheese in a bag works just fine.
- If you don’t have time to thaw out a bag of corn, then use 2 (15 ounce) cans of corn that are drained really well.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
So good! Huge hit at our BBQ! Nothing left! 🙂
Thank you for all your photos and video on how to make it. I love your site! So helpful & a delicious recipe!
This was a huge hit. I prefer this version over the one that uses the chili cheese Fritos. The taco seasoning has a much better flavor since we are not fans of the chili cheese flavored Fritos. Thank you for sharing!
Made this today for a work bbq lunch and it was a huge hit! Definitely a recipe I’ll make again and again!
Yay!! This makes me so happy to hear!! Thanks so much Colleen!
Woo hoo!! Thanks so very much Colleen!
Can I make this up the day befor?
Yes, just don’t add the Fritos until right before serving or they’ll get soggy (unless you like them soggy) 🙂
So the recipe say ‘grated cheddar cheese’ but the pic shows shredded. Big difference.
Which do you REALLY use? I’ve done this basic recipe before with just a bag of shredded, but with all the wax in those bags of cheese there is very little flavor. I might try getting a block of cheese and actually ‘grating’ as the recipe says. Just curious if you’ve ever grated.
For this recipe it really doesn’t matter which way you do it. It’s just a dip. So it depends on how thick or thin you want it. I have friends that love it grated because they prefer it to be smaller to blend in more but it really is a personal preference. Freshly shredded/grated really makes a difference though! However, fresh cheddar cheese can be a little hard to grate because it’s a softer cheese. So I would recommend popping it in the freezer for a couple of hours. It makes grating a bit easier since the cheese will be firmer.
I’ll make sure I update the recipe to be more clear. Thanks!
Do you precook the cob corn
Hi Jennifer, if you are using fresh corn on the cob, you will want to boil it then allow it to cool completely before you cut off the kernels.
I made this yesterday for 8 people at a pot luck. Huge hit! Will be using this recipe for years to come.
Yay!! Love hearing that Chad! Thanks so very much for taking the time to comment!
If not using fritos, what kind of Doritos?Taco flavor Doritos.