Flamin Hot Cheeto Salad (Printer-Friendly)

A bold, crunchy combination of spicy Flamin Hot Cheetos, crisp cucumber, fresh cilantro, and zesty lime-hot sauce dressing.

# What You Need:

→ Salad Base

01 - 2 cups Flamin Hot Cheetos, coarsely crushed
02 - 1 large cucumber, peeled and diced
03 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

→ Dressing

04 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
05 - 1 tablespoon hot sauce (such as Tapatío, Valentina, or Sriracha)
06 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
07 - 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

# How to Cook:

01 - Place the diced cucumber and chopped cilantro in a large mixing bowl.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, hot sauce, salt, and black pepper.
03 - Pour the dressing over the cucumber and cilantro, tossing gently to combine.
04 - Just before serving, add the crushed Flamin Hot Cheetos and toss lightly until evenly coated.
05 - Serve immediately for maximum crunch.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It takes 10 minutes and tastes like you actually tried, which is the best kind of kitchen magic.
  • The combination of heat, crunch, and brightness hits different when you're craving something bold and unapologetic.
02 -
  • Add the Cheetos at the very last second—if they sit in the dressing for more than a minute or two, they soften and lose the whole point of this salad.
  • The lime juice and hot sauce do most of the heavy lifting flavor-wise, so don't skip whisking them together properly before dressing everything.
03 -
  • Crush the Cheetos by hand right before serving rather than crushing them earlier and storing in a bag, which creates more powder and dust.
  • If your cucumber is particularly watery, lightly pat the diced pieces dry with a paper towel before tossing with the dressing so the salad doesn't get soggy.
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