Home > Salads > The BEST Cowboy Caviar The BEST Cowboy Caviar March 28, 2020 | 23 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. Cowboy Caviar (AKA Texas Caviar) is a tasty side dish or dip made with black beans, black-eyed peas, lots of veggies, and a chili-lime vinaigrette-style dressing. This dip makes a great side salad, appetizer, or potluck addition! Try some of our other bean salads next — this garbanzo bean salad, quinoa black bean salad, or chickpea salad. Cowboy Caviar Cowboy Caviar, also known as Texas Caviar or Mexican Caviar is a mash-up between a salad and a dip and is made with a variety of fresh veggies, black-eyed peas, black beans, and then tossed in a light and tangy vinaigrette. It’s one of my all-time favorite snacks and today I’m sharing a twist on that original cowboy caviar with a few unconventional (but delicious) additions and a punched-up dressing! Why is it called Cowboy Caviar? This salad was created in the US around 1940 by Helen Corbitt. She served the dish at a Hotel in Austin Texas and it was given the name “Texas Caviar” as a funny comparison to true caviar (which is an expensive salt-cured fish roe). It’s since also earned the name “Cowboy Caviar.” Texans (and cowboys) are known for eating a lot of beans, and the black-eyed peas resemble caviar a little (just a little, though!). And if you’re in a pinch and unable to make it from scratch, many stores even sell pre-made cowboy caviar. It’s not the same as this fresh dip–it’s more like a bean and corn salad or salsa. Ingredients In Cowboy Caviar Veggies: One of the “secrets” 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. Cowboy Caviar tips The longer the red onions sit with the salad, the stronger they become. If you’re sensitive to the flavor, stir them in the dip right before serving, or only add them to a portion of the dip if you plan to have leftovers. I recommend dicing the avocado last (and right before enjoying) to keep it as fresh as possible. Since avocados brown quickly, you don’t want to chop them too far in advance. You’ll also want to make sure you don’t dress or add avocado to any of the cowboy caviar that you plan to save for leftovers. Control the heat: Leave in some of the seeds and/or ribs in the jalapeño for extra spice. You can also add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the dressing for more heat. For less heat, use McCormick® chili powder in the dressing (it’s very mild) and be sure to thoroughly remove the ribs and seeds before dicing the jalapeño. How long can you keep Cowboy Caviar? 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 omit the avocado. How to make Cowboy Caviar There’s nothing tricky about making this dip or salad, but it does take a good amount of prep time. There are quite a few veggies to chop and a dressing to assemble. 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 corn tortilla chips! QUICK TIP Cut all the tomatoes at once: Place a plate with a lip upside down on a solid surface. Place all the cherry tomatoes inside that lip and then secure them down with the bottom lip of another plate. Place your hand on top of that plate securely and using a sharp serrated knife, slice through all of the cherry tomatoes at one time! 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 Layer over cilantro–lime 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 rock shrimp for additional protein. More Easy Recipes Mango Salsa with avocado and red onion Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad with a lemon vinaigrette Cucumber Salad with a balsamic vinaigrette Chicken Salad creamy chicken salad with pecans and dried cranberries Costco Kale Salad with a creamy poppy seed dressing FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Cowboy Caviar 5 from 9 votes - Review this recipe Cowboy Caviar (AKA Texas Caviar) is a tasty side dish or dip made with black beans, black-eyed peas, lots of veggies, and a chili-lime vinaigrette-style dressing. This dip makes a great side salad, appetizer, or potluck addition! SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Cowboy Caviar 5 from 9 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Cowboy Caviar (AKA Texas Caviar) is a tasty side dish or dip made with black beans, black-eyed peas, lots of veggies, and a chili-lime vinaigrette-style dressing. This dip makes a great side salad, appetizer, or potluck addition! Course Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish, Vegetarian Cuisine American, Vegan, Vegetarian Keyword cowboy caviar Prep Time 25 minutes minutes Total Time 25 minutes minutes Servings 8 -10 servings as an appetizer Chelsea Lords Calories 165kcal Author Chelsea Lords Cost $5.62 IngredientsSalad/Dip▢ 1 and 3/4 cups sweet corn (use frozen that has been thawed, drained canned corn, or cut off the cob (2 ears))▢ 1 and 3/4 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered (1-10 oz container)▢ 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced▢ 1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced▢ 1/3 cup red onion, diced Note 1▢ 2 tablespoons diced jalapeño Note 2▢ 1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro (measured after chopping; ~3/4 of 1 bunch)▢ 1 can (15.25 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed▢ 1 can (15.5 oz.) black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed▢ 2 small/medium ripe avocados, diced (heaping 1 cup; 160g), optionalDressing▢ 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar▢ 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice▢ 1 teaspoon white granulated sugar▢ 1 teaspoon chili powder (I use McCormick, which is very mild)▢ 1/2 teaspoon EACH: ground cumin, paprika, dijon mustard▢ 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder▢ 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil▢ Fine sea salt and freshly cracked pepper▢ Tortilla chips, for serving▢ Additional cilantro and lime wedges, for serving, optionalUS - Metric USMetric InstructionsVEGGIE PREP: (As you prep these veggies remember the results are best when all of the ingredients are roughly the same size, so aim to dice the veggies around the size of the beans.) Cut the corn off the cob. Quarter the cherry tomatoes, dice the red pepper, dice the green pepper, finely dice the jalapeño and cilantro. COMBINE: Add all the prepped veggies to a large bowl with the drained and rinsed black beans and black-eyed peas.DRESSING: Add all the dressing ingredients to a Mason jar. Seal the jar and shake until combined. Season to taste-- I add 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt and pepper.AVOCADO AND DRESSING: Right before serving, dice the optional avocados and gently stir into the caviar. Drizzle dressing. (There is a lot, but we like it all; feel free to add less if desired.) Taste and season to taste; I usually add another 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt (up to 1/2 teaspoon); depending on how ripe the veggies are you may need more or less. Taste a few times and add slowly.STORAGE: If not serving immediately, store the dressing separately from the caviar and add the avocados right before eating. If you plan to have leftovers, only add dressing and avocado to what you will be serving and store the three components separately. Video Recipe NotesNote 1: If you're concerned about the "bite" of the red onion, soak the diced onions in salted ice water for 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly before adding Note 2: To control the heat, completely remove the ribs and seeds from the jalapeño pepper. For more heat, leave some in. Nutritional information does not include tortilla chips but does include avocado. Nutrition FactsCalories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 13mg | Potassium: 314mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1061IU | Vitamin C: 53mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
I love all of these ingredients too, I guess I’ve seen this before but don’t remember, anyway, thank you for sharing this recipe and your avocado addition, that’s one of mine too Reply
My sister and I made this for my birthday brisket dinner. It was delicious!!!! It was a perfect side and everyone ate it up. My sis worked at a restaurant in Tx that serves this as a side so she had an idea of how it’s made. Thanks so much. I think it’s another addition for family dinners. I did want to ask: Since this serves 10, how would this measure in cup size? A 1/2 cup or 1/3 cup? Reply
So happy to hear this was a hit! 🙂 Thank you for the comment! I’m not sure for cup size; maybe 1/2 cup (you can divide the whole into 10 equal parts and measure 1 part for an exact amount). Reply
Love this! I agree avocado is key. If you really want to kick it up a notch then sauté the onions, jalapeño and corn in butter before adding. Reply
I make cowboy caviar all the time. My family loves it! I also add black olives and orzo pasta. Sometimes I even add bite sized pieces of uncooked broccoli. Reply
{With Video} I don’t see a video. Do you put this on all your pages to get people to click? Shameful if so. Reply
Try a different browser, it must not be loading for you. There’s definitely a video on this post 🙂 Reply
Chelsea! This is a home run. I made it this morning and brought it to work and it’s gone. Slight changes: 3 jalapenos, seeded, is still mild. 2 tsp Dijon to dressing to emulsify. Out of this world. Thank you, Chelsea. Reply
This is probably a weird question but how do you eat this? Do you eat it as is with a spoon, or do you eat it like a dip with crackers? I only ask because of the word caviar. Reply
Love this recipe been making it for years the only difference is before we serve we toss with crumbled feta! Reply
I’m so thrilled this was a hit! Sorry about the price, it’s hard when you have to buy every individual ingredient and don’t have any on hand all ready! Reply