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Frito Cowboy Salad Recipe

4.5 from 744 reviews

Frito Cowboy is a zesty, crunchy salad featuring a vibrant mix of coleslaw, black beans, corn, jalapeño, and red bell pepper tossed with a creamy chipotle dressing and Chili Cheese Fritos for a perfect Tex-Mex flavor and satisfying texture.

Ingredients

Scale

Salad Ingredients

  • 1 bag (16 ounces) coleslaw mix
  • 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 ½ cups (247.5 g) canned corn kernels, drained
  • 1 medium jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced
  • 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
  • 3 green onions, finely sliced
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin

Dressing Ingredients

  • ½ cup (115 g) sour cream
  • ½ cup (116 g) mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
  • 2 tablespoons chipotle sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo (just the sauce, not the peppers)

Toppings

  • 1 bag (9.75 ounces) Chili Cheese Fritos, reserving a handful for topping

Instructions

  1. Mix salad together. In a large bowl, combine the coleslaw mix, black beans, corn, jalapeño, red bell pepper, green onions, cilantro, taco seasoning, and ground cumin. Toss thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly incorporated.
  2. Make dressing. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, fresh lime juice, and chipotle sauce until smooth and creamy. This will yield about 1 ¼ cups of chipotle dressing.
  3. Combine dressing with salad. Pour the prepared chipotle dressing over the salad mixture, ensuring it coats all the ingredients evenly.
  4. Add Fritos. Add all but a handful of the Chili Cheese Fritos to the salad and gently stir to combine for an integrated crunchy texture.
  5. Top with additional Fritos. Just before serving, sprinkle the reserved handful of Chili Cheese Fritos on top to add extra crunch and visual appeal.
  6. Serve immediately. Enjoy this vibrant and flavorful salad fresh to maintain the perfect crispness of the ingredients and Fritos.

Notes

  • For a milder version, reduce or omit the jalapeño pepper and chipotle sauce.
  • Add diced avocado for a creamy twist if desired.
  • This salad is best served immediately to keep the Fritos crunchy.
  • Can be made a few hours ahead but add Fritos just before serving.
  • This recipe can be doubled for larger gatherings.

Keywords: Frito Cowboy, Tex-Mex salad, chipotle dressing, coleslaw salad, black bean salad, Chili Cheese Fritos, easy salad recipe, no cook salad