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Frito Cowboy Cabbage Recipe

4.6 from 111 reviews

Frito Cowboy Cabbage is a vibrant and flavorful salad featuring a crunchy coleslaw mix combined with black beans, corn, diced jalapeño and bell peppers, and fresh cilantro. Tossed in a zesty chipotle lime dressing and mixed with Chili Cheese Fritos, this dish is perfect for a quick, satisfying, and slightly spicy side or light meal that serves six.

Ingredients

Scale

Salad

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

Dressing

  • 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)

Instructions

  1. Mix salad together: In a large bowl, combine the coleslaw mix, rinsed and drained black beans, drained corn kernels, diced jalapeño, diced red bell pepper, sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, taco seasoning, and ground cumin. Toss until all ingredients are evenly mixed.
  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. Add all but a handful of the Chili Cheese Fritos to the bowl and gently stir to coat all ingredients evenly with the dressing.
  4. Top and serve: Just before serving, sprinkle the reserved handful of Chili Cheese Fritos on top for added crunch. Serve immediately to maintain the crisp texture of the Fritos and freshness of the salad.

Notes

  • For extra spice, leave some seeds in the jalapeño pepper.
  • Serve immediately after adding Fritos to keep them crunchy.
  • This salad pairs well with grilled meats or as a standalone light meal.
  • Adjust the chipotle sauce quantity based on your preferred heat level.
  • Can be made ahead but add Fritos just before serving to prevent sogginess.

Keywords: Frito Cowboy Cabbage, chipotle dressing, coleslaw salad, black bean salad, crunchy salad, Southwestern salad, chili cheese Fritos, quick salad