Cowboy Caviar Recipe
This cowboy caviar recipe is refreshing, light, and delicious! I love the subtle spice, and how customizable it is. It’s absolutely packed with colorful veggies like bell peppers, corn, tomatoes, and avocado, fiber and protein from black beans and black-eyed peas, all tied together with a zesty dressing. I love serving it during the summer months, when tomatoes are at their best.
Easy cowboy caviar is a great recipe to make for taco night! Serve it as a dip with tortilla chips or use it as a salsa alongside Chicken Taco Bowls, Shredded Beef Tacos, or Taco Turkey Burgers. Or, keep things vegetarian with Cauliflower and Chickpea Tacos. Whenever you serve it, this hearty dip is sure to be a huge hit!
Why This Recipe Works
- Quick and easy. The hardest part of this recipe is chopping all of the fresh vegetables. Then all that’s left to do is throw it in a bowl and mix everything together! This simple dip is a perfect party appetizer, or for serving on game day.
- Ultimate cowboy caviar recipe. I love the addition of avocado to make this dip creamy, and the punchiness of red wine vinegar. I really think those additions make this the BEST cowboy caviar!
- Super customizable. Like I said, I love the addition of avocado and red wine vinegar, but you can adjust this recipe to your liking. Sometimes I just drizzle over some olive oil, add salt and pepper, and call it good. You can also add additional spices, like cumin or smoked paprika.
Cowboy Caviar Ingredients
- Tomatoes: I prefer to use Roma tomatoes because they hold their shape when diced better, but you can use any tomatoes you like.
- Avocados: Love the creaminess of avocados!
- Red onion: For color and a little bite.
- Black beans: Hearty beans make this cowboy caviar dip super satisfying!
- Black eyed peas: Texas caviar dip is traditionally made with black eyed peas, but you can sub more black beans or another bean if you prefer.
- Corn kernels: Frozen or fresh work great.
- Bell pepper: More flavor, crunch, and color!
- Jalapeno pepper: For a bit of spice. I deseed and devein my jalapenos for just a little heat, but you can leave the veins and seeds in for even more spice.
- Cilantro: Fresh cilantro is such a great complement to all the other ingredients!
- Spices and flavorings: This tasty dip has the best dressing tying it together, made up of olive oil, lime juice, red wine vinegar, and some simple seasoning.
- Tortilla chips: My preferred vehicle for eating this dip!
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prep & combine ingredients. Dice 3 tomatoes, 2 avocados, ⅓ cup of red onion, and 1 bell pepper. Drain and rinse 1 can of black beans and 1 can of black eyed peas. Remove the veins and seeds from a jalapeno and finely dice it. If you’re using fresh corn, remove the corn kernels from 1 cob of corn (you need 1 cup of corn kernels). Chop ⅓ cup of cilantro. Combine all of these ingredients in a large bowl.
- Make dressing. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together ⅓ cup of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice, 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon of black pepper, and ½ teaspoon garlic powder.
- Add dressing. Pour your dressing over the other ingredients and stir to combine. Taste your dip, and add more seasoning as needed.
- Serve. Eat with tortilla chips and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
This cowboy caviar recipe is super easy to adjust according to your tastes. You can make it with different beans, additional vegetables (cucumber could be a good addition), or with more spices, like chili powder and cumin. Sometimes I keep it super simple with just some oil, salt, and pepper to taste!
If you want to make this recipe in advance, add the avocado last so it doesn’t brown. You may find it tastes even better the next day when the tangy dressing and fresh ingredients have time to meld together more!
There’s no need to thaw frozen corn before tossing it in! Once mixed with the other ingredients, it will thaw quite quickly.
You can use any kind of bell pepper you like. I like a bit of color variety, so I used an orange bell pepper, but a red bell pepper or a yellow bell pepper would work great too. I don’t recommend using a green bell pepper because it’s less sweet.
If you’re not a fan of red wine vinegar, you can use white wine vinegar or another kind of vinegar, or simply use more fresh lime juice.
Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing
Make Ahead: Without the avocado, this dip will keep for a few days. In fact, I recommend making it in advance so the flavors have some time to intensify! Add avocado right before serving so it doesn’t brown.
Storing: Store leftover Texas caviar dip in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. If it’s look a little watery after a couple of days, just drain off the excess liquid.
Freezing: I do not recommend freezing this dip, as the fresh flavors and textures would be ruined once thawed!
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! Just leave out the avocado until right before you plan to serve it, so it doesn’t brown.
Typically 3-4 days, although the avocado may get brown and mushy during that time.
Helen Corbitt invented the dish around 1940. Although she was from New York, she was working in Texas when she created and served it for the first time. That’s where it originally got the name “Texas caviar,” although cowboy caviar is commonly used as well.
More Delicious Dip Recipes
Cowboy Caviar Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tomatoes - diced (I use Roma tomatoes because they hold up nicely)
- 2 avocados - diced
- 1/3 cup red onion - diced
- 15 oz can black beans - drained and rinsed
- 15 oz can black eyed peas - drained and rinsed
- 1 cup corn kernels - fresh or frozen (thawed)
- 1 bell pepper - diced
- 1 jalapeno - finely diced, seeds and veins removed (OR keep the seeds and veins for spicier version)
- 1/3 cup cilantro - finely chopped
- tortilla chips - for serving
Dressing
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- In a medium/large bowl combine the tomatoes, avocado, red onion, black beans, black eyed peas, corn, pepper, jalapeno, and cilantro. Toss to combine.
- In a liquid measuring cup whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, red wine vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Pour the dressing over the diced vegetables and toss to coat. If not eating immediately, cover and store in the fridge. Before serving toss and stir well.
- Taste and season with additional salt and pepper. Serve with tortilla chips.
Welcome to this delicious corner of the internet! Here I share the recipes my family loves.
