Cowboy Coleslaw

This Cowboy Coleslaw is my riff on the viral Fritos Cowboy Cabbage trend that swept the hearts of social media. It’s a zesty, Mexican-inspired twist on traditional slaw with crunchy cabbage, bell peppers, corn, and black beans tossed in a creamy Tex-Mex dressing. The secret ingredient? Chili Cheese Fritos mixed right into the salad for irresistible crunch and flavor. Perfect for summer barbecues, potlucks, and any time you want a coleslaw that actually tastes exciting.

It’s All About the Fritos

Let’s just jump right to the heart of things: Don’t skip the Fritos! Southwestern slaws aren’t new on the culinary scene, and while they’re a notch above regular picnic slaws, what makes this one special and extra crave-worthy are the Chili Cheese Fritos.

Using chips as an ingredient is such an underrated pro sandwich- and salad-maker move: Extra chili flavor and automatic crunch. Just like adding potato chips to a ham and cheese sandwich, the Fritos in this slaw makes you go “wow!” and dig in for more.

And Then There’s the Dressing

I don’t often try social media-famous recipes because, like most cooking shows on TV, they’re basically just entertainment and not something you particularly want to attempt in your own kitchen. My Instagram feed is filled with over-the-top recipes that include things like smoking an entire brisket for … a lunch sandwich. Entertaining to watch — they earned their money! — but, nope.

Every once in a while, though, a recipe trend floats through that’s impossible to resist. Such as the Marry Me sauce or Dill Pickle Pasta Salad or Bacon Crackers. And today’s Cowboy Coleslaw.

What sealed the deal wasn’t the slaw — I mean, it’s a good one. But it was the dressing that stopped my scroll.

Whether the original viral trend was inspired by it or not, it reminds me of the old Chipotle restaurant hack, where you order a salad — instead of a burrito bowl, so you can get the dressing that comes with it, but still deck it out with your burrito bowl faves — along with a side of sour cream. And then mix the sour cream into the fabulous chipotle honey vinaigrette for the best. dressing. ever.

So, my take on this viral slaw includes tweaks that lean more towards the Chipotle hack side of things. Creamy, tangy, sweet, and spicy. So good!

Cowboy Coleslaw with Fritos is —

• Perfect for crowds: Easy to scale up for parties, and people always ask for the recipe.
• Definitely not ho-hum: The southwest flavors and unique toppings make this anything but ordinary.
• Texture heaven: Creamy dressing, crunchy vegetables, and those irresistible Fritos create the perfect bite.
• Make-ahead friendly: The flavors actually get better as it sits in the fridge (just add the Fritos right before serving).

Key Ingredients

Fritos — Get the chili cheese flavor in the thin rectangle form (not the Twists). In a pinch, I’m sure regular Fritos or other brands of corn chips would work just fine. If you’re making the coleslaw ahead of time, remember to leave out the Fritos until serving. They’ll get soggy quickly once mixed into the coleslaw.

Cabbage — One of the reasons that Fritos Cowboy Cabbage went viral in the first place is because of how easy it is to make. And that includes taking a shortcut on the cabbage: Bagged cabbage is perfectly fine here. I like the angel hair cut with its fine strips. Using prepared cabbage probably cuts the prep time right in half.

Vegetables & beans — Start with a nice base of bell peppers, black beans, green onions, and corn. From there, you can branch out into hot chile peppers, if that’s your jam. Or swap out the black beans for pinto beans. Keeping things simple is part of the charm of this recipe.

Seasonings — Spices and herbs play a key role in flavoring up this coleslaw. Fresh cilantro, taco seasoning, and cumin give Cowboy Coleslaw its distinct Tex-Mex notes.

The dressing — All coleslaws benefit from a little acid to brighten the creamy base. The viral recipe calls for a 1/4 cup of lime juice … which is a whole lotta lime juice. I cut this amount in half to 2 tablespoons. And, as hinted above, I added honey to level out the tartness from the lime juice and the sour cream, and then the smoky chipotle peppers add a spicy zest. It’s all about balance, and I think we got it!

How to Make Cowboy Cabbage with Fritos

Ready to make the recipe? Skip to the recipe card now to see the full ingredient list, quantities, prep/cooking times, and printable, detailed instructions. Or, keep scrolling for a visual walk-through of making the slaw.

Prep notes

Here’s a quick guide for prepping the ingredients, if you need it (not including anything that simply needs to be measured out of a container, such as dried herbs and liquids).

• Clean and chop the peppers into small dice, discarding the seeds.
• Clean and slice the green onions.
• Clean and mince the cilantro leaves.

Make the dressing

Add all of the ingredients to a bowl and whisk until smooth. So easy!

Vegetables, assemble!

In a large, roomy salad bowl (or any big pan, like the braiser I used above) add the cabbage, along with the vegetables, beans, and cilantro. Toss to mix. Pro tip: It’s easier to use tongs than salad forks.

Mix and Dress

Add the dressing, tossing to coat everything thoroughly. I do this in two batches, which helps with getting the coverage right.

Bring on the Fritos

Add the Fritos just before serving. You can mix them in, or just layer thickly on top. Put out a bowl of extras so guests can add more. Once you taste a forkful with Fritos, you’ll feel sad when they’re missing from a bite. Don’t be sad. Use lots of Fritos.

Storing

The coleslaw, sans Fritos, stores wonderfully in the fridge for several days. This is a great make-ahead side dish for parties and cookouts, especially when you’re hosting and need to free up some time on the day of the big event.

Give this Cowboy Coleslaw a try at your next barbecue and let me know if it becomes your new go-to side dish! Don’t forget to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram (@soupaddict).

Cowboy Coleslaw Recipe

by Karen Gibson

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Cowboy Coleslaw is a southwestern coleslaw with cabbage, black beans, corn, and peppers tossed in a creamy chipotle dressing and topped with Chili Cheese Fritos for an irresistible crunch.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the dressing:

• 1/2 cup mayo
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon adobo from chipotle can*
• 3-4 tablespoons taco seasoning**
• 1 tablespoon ranch seasoning mix
• 1 teaspoon cumin

For the slaw:

• 16 ounces coleslaw-cut cabbage
• 1 seeded and chopped jalapeño pepper
• 1 medium red bell pepper , diced
• 1 medium green bell pepper , diced
• 1 cup canned black beans , rinsed and drained
• 1 cup frozen corn , rinsed and drained (to thaw it)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Chili cheese Fritos , for topping

Instructions

 

Make the dressing

• Add everything to a medium mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. The dressing should be very loose and drip off the whisk. You can make the dressing ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator.

Make the slaw

• Place the cabbage in a large mixing bowl. Add everything but the Fritos and toss well to mix.
• Pour the dressing over the vegetable mix and toss to coat everything (I like to do this in two batches: pour half of the dressing; mix. Then the remaining dressing; mix). You can serve the slaw immediately or cover and store in the fridge.
• Add the Fritos just before serving – measure with your heart – so they don’t get soggy, or let your guests add their own.

Notes

*If you like extra smoky heat, finely chop one of the chipotle peppers from the can and use it as part of the tablespoon.

**Start with 3 tablespoons of taco seasoning, especially if it’s medium or hot. Taste the dressing at the end and whisk the remaining tablespoon at your discretion. I used all four.

Keyword cowboy coleslaw, fritos cowboy cabbage

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