Frito Cowboy Cabbage Slaw (Print Version)

Bold, crunchy Southwestern slaw with vegetables, black beans, and Fritos in smoky chipotle dressing.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Salad

01 - 16 oz coleslaw mix
02 - 1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
03 - 1½ cups canned corn kernels, drained
04 - 1 medium jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced
05 - 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
06 - 3 green onions, finely sliced
07 - ¼ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
08 - 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
09 - ½ teaspoon ground cumin
10 - 9.75 oz bag Chili Cheese Fritos, divided for topping

→ Chipotle Dressing

11 - ½ cup sour cream
12 - ½ cup mayonnaise
13 - ¼ cup fresh lime juice, approximately 2 limes
14 - 2 tablespoons chipotle sauce from canned chipotles in adobo

# How to Make It:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine coleslaw mix, black beans, corn, jalapeño, red bell pepper, green onions, cilantro, taco seasoning, and ground cumin. Toss until well mixed.
02 - In a separate medium bowl, whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice, and chipotle sauce until smooth.
03 - Pour chipotle dressing over salad mixture and toss until evenly coated.
04 - Add all but a reserved handful of Chili Cheese Fritos to the salad and gently stir to combine.
05 - Just before serving, top with reserved Fritos for extra crunch.
06 - Serve immediately while Fritos remain crispy.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It comes together in 20 minutes with zero cooking, perfect when your oven is already occupied.
  • The texture stays crunchy even after mixing, thanks to a trick of saving some Fritos for the end.
  • People who claim they don't like coleslaw always ask for the recipe after tasting this version.
02 -
  • If you add all the Fritos at once and let this sit for more than 10 minutes, they dissolve into the dressing like they're trying to disappear.
  • The chipotle sauce is where the magic happens, but it's easy to go overboard and make it spicy enough to clear a room.
03 -
  • Reserve the Fritos for topping because that moment of crunch against the creamy dressing is literally the whole point of this recipe.
  • Don't skip squeezing fresh lime juice, because it brightens the entire salad in a way bottled juice simply cannot match.
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