Cowboy Caviar (AKA Texas Caviar) is a delicious side dish or dip with black beans, black-eyed peas, veggies, and a chili-lime vinaigrette. Perfect as a side salad, appetizer, or potluck dish.
The Best Cowboy Caviar
Growing up, my auntโs signature dish was Cowboy Caviar. I always asked my mom if my aunt would be at family get-togethers, hoping that meant her Cowboy Caviar would be there too. I was (and still am) totally obsessed.
Cowboy Caviar, also known as Texas Caviar or Mexican Caviar, is a mix between a salad and a dip. Itโs made with fresh veggies, black-eyed peas, black beans, and tossed in a light and tangy dressing.
Itโs one of my all-time favorite sides, and today Iโm sharing a twist on the original Cowboy Caviar with the absolute best dressing plus a few unconventional (but delicious) additions!
Quick Tip
Why is it called cowboy caviar? This salad was made in the 1940s in Austin, Texas, and got the name โTexas Caviarโ as a joke since the black-eyed peas look like fancy caviar. Itโs also called โCowboy Caviarโ because Texans and cowboys love beans.
Ingredients In Cowboy Caviar
- Veggies:ย One of the โsecretsโ to really good Cowboy Caviar is cutting veggies small so they mix well with beans and fit nicely on chips!
- Beans: Black beans and black eyed peas are the star of the show. Used canned beans or cook up your own. One can of beans is equivalent to one and a half cups cooked beans.
- Dressing: The dressing is light and simple, but packs a punch! It ties all the flavors together and brings out the fresh flavors of our veggies and heartiness of the beans. Make sure to shake it thoroughly before using.
Featured Comment
Absolutely delicious!! Should be called Cowboy Crack! I could eat a whole huge bowl of it!
โ Linda
How To Make Cowboy Caviar
Thereโs nothing tricky about making this dip or salad, but it does take some chopping.ย
- Start by prepping the veggies and draining the beans. Add everything into a large serving bowl.
- Next prepare the dressing by adding the ingredients to a Mason jar and shaking to combine.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad and gently toss to combine.
- Serve it as is or (how we like it best) with some good tortilla chips!
Quick Tip
Cut all the tomatoes at once: Place cherry tomatoes between two plates with lips. Hold the top plate securely and use a sharp serrated knife to slice through all the tomatoes in one go!ย
Tips For Success
- The longer red onions sit in the salad, the stronger their flavor gets. If youโre sensitive, add them right before serving or just to the portion youโll eat if you plan to have leftovers.
- Dice the avocado last, right before serving, to keep it fresh. Avocados brown quickly, so avoid chopping them too early. Donโt add avocado to any Cowboy Caviar you plan to save for leftovers.
- Control the heat: For extra spice, leave some seeds and ribs in the jalapeรฑo or add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the dressing. For less heat, use mild McCormickยฎ chili powder and remove the ribs and seeds from the jalapeรฑo before dicing.
Serving Suggestions
- As a side salad or appetizer
- With tortilla chips as a dip
- As a salad, spooned over romaine lettuce
- Serve Cowboy Caviar into lettuce wraps or a burrito
- Layer over cilantroโlime rice for a vegetarian entree, sprinkled with some crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese
- Add in 1 to 1-1/2 cups cooked diced chicken or shrimp for additional protein.
Storage
How long Does Cowboy Caviar Last?
Without the avocado and dressing added, this dip sits fairly well and will last 2-3 days refrigerated in an airtight container.
Add dressing only to the portions that will be enjoyed immediately; for leftovers, store dip, avocado, and dressing separately. Or simply leave out the avocado.
More Easy Recipes
- Mango Salsaย with avocado and red onion
- Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad with a lemon dressing
- Cucumber Salad with a balsamic dressing
- Chicken Saladย creamy chicken salad with pecans and dried cranberries
- Costco Kale Saladย with a creamy poppy seed dressing
Cowboy Caviar
Video
Equipment
- Wide-mouth Mason Jar or other sealable container
Ingredients
- 1-3/4 cups sweet corn fresh or frozen
- 1-3/4 cups cherry tomatoes quartered, 1 (10-ounce) container
- 1 cup diced bell peppers I use 1/2 red and 1/2 green pepper
- 1/3 cup diced red onion see note 1
- 2 tablespoons finely diced jalapeรฑo see note 2
- 1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro measured after chopping; 1 bunch
- 1 (15.25-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can black-eyed peas drained and rinsed
- 2 ripe avocados 1 cup, optional
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 large lime
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Tortilla chips for serving
Instructionsย
- Aim to dice the vegetables to roughly the same size as the beans for the best results. If using fresh corn, cut it off the cob. Sautรฉ fresh or frozen corn in a drizzle of olive oil over medium-high heat, about 5โ8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cooked. Let cool completely before adding. Quarter cherry tomatoes, dice bell peppers, and finely dice jalapeรฑo and cilantro.
- Add all the prepped vegetables to a large bowl with the drained and rinsed black beans and black-eyed peas.
- Zest and juice lime to get 1/4 teaspoon zest and 2 tablespoons juice. Add zest and juice along with all other dressing ingredients to a mason jar. Seal the jar and shake until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I add 1/2 teaspoon each).
- Right before serving, dice the optional avocados and gently stir them into the caviar. Drizzle with dressing. (Feel free to use less dressing if desired.) Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt if needed (I add up to 1/2 teaspoon more salt).
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Everybody loved this recipe. I brought it to a church potluck as a salad and the men especially gobbled it right up. The ladies were asking for the recipe. I didnโt have red wine vinegar so I used organic ACV instead. Also left out the avocado so the salad would keep better. It was delicious, thanks so much! Will be making this again.
Iโm so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Christine!
Great recipe! Delicious!!
Thanks so much Deb!
In the nutrition sction , It would help if the amount โper servingโ was given. It says at the top 8 servings. 1/2 c? 1 cup?.
Thank you, Iโll be making this tonight!
Beverly
If you divide the recipe into 8 bowls, each bowl counts as one serving. I donโt have an exact measurement for each serving.
Really delicious and healthy!
Iโm so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Pamm!
If I leave the cilantro out will it be as good. I love cilantro, but would make this for a upcoming event where some have an a aversion to cilantro.
Yes! Iโve made this without cilantro and itโs still amazing!
My niece brought this to our Christmas dinner and wow it was a HIT !! I had to ask her for the recipe. I am looking forward to making it myself. Iโm going to add the shredded chicken and make burritoโs topped with cheese dip. Thanks Chelsea for sharing the recipe.
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks for your comment Patty!
I made it for a Christmas Eve this year and it was delicious but it cost me $25 to make
Iโm so thrilled this was a hit! Sorry about the price, itโs hard when you have to buy every individual ingredient and donโt have any on hand all ready!
What is the serving size for nutritional facts
10 servings (so entire dish equally divided in 10 and each portion is one serving)
Love this recipe been making it for years the only difference is before we serve we toss with crumbled feta!
Sounds delish!