Cowboy Caviar
On January 31, 2024 (Updated September 24, 2024)
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My Cowboy Caviar is a fresh and delicious side that is perfect for parties and potlucks. Chocked full of beans, diced veggies, and avocado with a tangy homemade dressing, it’s a magical cross between a side dish, salad, and a chip dip.
Cowboy Caviar
Cowboy caviar, also known as Texas caviar, is a delicious dish packed with fresh veggies and then coated with a light and tasty dressing. We’re talking sweet corn, creamy avocado, rich beans, and also some peppers for heat, all tossed in a light and refreshing dressing. It may sound and taste decadent, but it’s actually super easy to make.
There’s no cooking involved with this one. It’s just hearty, sweet, and savory vegetables combined with a smooth and bright dressing. In just 4 simple steps, I’ll show you how to make this killer recipe that works great as a dip or side.
Ingredients for Texas Caviar
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this amazing recipe. Don’t let the amount scare you. While this dish is loaded with tasty vegetables, all you have to do is mix them up.
Vegetable mix ingredients:
- 1 can black beans
- 1 can black-eyed peas
- 2 cups frozen corn kernels
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 2 small avocados
- ½ cup cilantro
- ½ red onion
- ¼ yellow bell pepper
- ½ cup pickled jalapeño peppers (check out my recipe for Quick Pickled Jalapeños)
Dressing ingredients:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons lime juice
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
How to Serve Cowboy Caviar
A great thing about this dish is that you can serve it different ways. It’s packed full of tasty vegetables, so it can be enjoyed by itself. With sweet corn, rich beans, and some peppers for flavor and heat, it really does work on its own as a side or salad. My personal favorite way to enjoy this bright and loaded dish is with some salty tortilla chips. Grab a bag of your favorite kind and dig in.
How long does Cowboy Caviar Last?
This zesty and hearty dip is best enjoyed fresh after making it, but you can also store it in your refrigerator if you have leftovers. Simply place your remaining caviar into an airtight container or zip-top bag, and then place in your fridge. It will stay fresh for 3-4 days, and then you can squeeze some fresh lime juice on if you need to bring back some of that zestiness.
How to Make Cowboy Caviar
There are a ton of flavorful ingredients in this yummy stuff, but it’s super easy to make. It’s just 4 short steps, and then you’ll be enjoying this tasty treat as a side or dip in minutes.
- Make dressing. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, lime juice, red wine vinegar, honey, Kosher salt. black pepper, and also garlic powder for your dressing. Mix together gently and then set aside until ready to combine.
- Make caviar. In a large bowl, combine the ingredients for your caviar dip. Add the black beans, black eyed peas, corn kernels, tomatoes, avocados, cilantro, red onion, bell pepper, and jalapeños to a large bowl, and gently stir them together with a rubber spatula.
- Combine. Now that your mix and dressing are both ready, it’s time to pour the dressing over the vegetables. Stir gently with a rubber spatula until your dressing is coated evenly on your vegetable mix.
- Season and serve. Sprinkle on some salt and pepper to taste, and then this flavorful dish is ready to go. Serve it with tortilla chips for dipping or enjoy it as a side.
More Yummy and Versatile Recipes
Now that you’ve tried this Cowboy Caviar recipe and seen how great it is as a side or a dip, you’ll want to try more just like it. Here are a few of my personal favorite recipes to use when you need something on the side to dip your preferred chips:
Cowboy Caviar Recipe
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Cowboy Caviar
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Ingredients
- 1 15.5 ounce can black beans drained
- 1 15.5 ounce can black-eyed peas drained
- 2 cups frozen corn kernels defrosted
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes quartered
- 2 small avocados peeled, pitted, and diced
- 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
- 1/2 medium red onion diced
- 1/4 medium yellow or orange bell pepper finely chopped
- 1/2 cup quick pickled jalapeños diced
Dressing
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons lime juice
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper freshly cracked
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Make dressing. In a small bowl, combine dressing ingredients and mix together gently. Set aside.1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 2 Tablespoons lime juice, 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons honey, 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Make caviar. In a large bowl, combine the ingredients for your caviar dip and gently stir them together with a rubber spatula.1 15.5 ounce can black beans, 1 15.5 ounce can black-eyed peas, 2 cups frozen corn kernels, 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, 2 small avocados, 1/2 cup cilantro, 1/2 medium red onion, 1/4 medium yellow or orange bell pepper, 1/2 cup quick pickled jalapeños
- Combine. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and stir gently with a rubber spatula until your dressing is coated evenly on your vegetable mix.
- Season and serve. Sprinkle on some salt and pepper to taste, and serve with tortilla chips.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
There are very few things that I made that got devoured like this! No leftovers! Great stuff!
Do the Quick Pickled Jalapeno’s get chopped or diced, or do they go in sliced right out of the pickled jar?
The recipe calls for diced, but you can prepare them however you like them best.
Can you add something other than black eyed peas?