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Cowboy Caviar is a super fresh dip you can make in minutes and will disappear in no time!
Cowboy Caviar or something called Texas Caviar is a classic dip or salad that you find at so many potlucks. It is super easy to make, loaded with flavor, and something you don’t have to feel guilty about eating. It is loaded with veggies, so you can enjoy as much as you like!
Pico de Gallo and Fresh Salsa are often what you think of with fresh summer produce, but time to expand that. Cowboy caviar can take advantage of some summer produce to really shine! Or because it relies on some canned goods, you can make it in the middle of winter and it is still delicious!
Why You’ll Love This Cowboy Caviar
- Easy – There is just a couple things to chop and that is it. No mixer, no cooking of any kind, just chop and mix.
- Fast – This really takes about 5 minutes to throw together, so fast!
- Make Ahead – this is great as it sits and the flavors come together. So make the day before and it is great
- Travels Well – this is great to bring to potlucks or parties, just cover and it goes anywhere easily!
What You’ll Need
Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card.
- Tomatoes
- Red Onion
- Garlic
- Green Bell Pepper – you really can use any color you like
- Black Beans – I use canned that I drain and rinse
- Black Eyed Peas – I use canned that I drain and rinse
- Corn – use fresh if in season, or canned that you drain or frozen
- Cilantro
- Jalapeno
- Lime Juice
- Olive Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Sugar
- Salt
- Garlic Powder
- Black Pepper
How To Make Cowboy Caviar
- Chop and prep all of your vegetables and add them to a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl make the dressing by whisking together olive oil, lime juice, vinegar, sugar, garlic powder, salt and pepper until really well combined.
- Pour the dressing over the bowl of vegetables and mix until well combined.
- Store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Recipe Tips & Suggestions
- The beauty if this dip is you can make it all year round. So fresh tomatoes are best in the summer, if they are not good in the winter, you can use canned. Just drain them well before adding.
- If using canned beans and corn, make sure to drain and rinse them. The liquid in the can will affect the taste of the dip.
- Want a shortcut for the dressing that goes on the cowboy caviar? Use 1/2 cup Italian dressing with the lime juice and you will have one tasty dip without any extra work.
- Get creative! You really can use anything you like in this Texas Caviar. Add avocado or green onions, if you like it spicy add more jalapeno, skip the onion if you don’t like it, change up the beans. A million different variations you could make to make it your own.
- Store Cowboy Caviar covered in the fridge for 3-4 days. After a few days the vegetables will start to get a little soggy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yep! You can make Texas Caviar up to about two days ahead of time and keep it covered in the fridge. Just give it a good stir before serving, but it is great to make ahead for get togethers. And you can always double or triple the recipe as needed.
Yes, you can swap out just about anything in this recipe. Want to use a different bean, go for it. Want yellow onion instead of red, totally fine! Use a different color pepper. Add avocado for a twist and delicious addition. This is a super versatile dish that you can use up what you have and make to your taste.
This is filled with vegetables, so there is a lot of nutritional value in the dip or salad itself. Once you serve it with chips that does take away from the nutritional aspect. But you are still getting your vegetables, so if that is the only way you eat them, I am not judging.
How To Serve Cowboy Caviar
The beauty of this is you really can serve this multiple different ways!
- Appetizer – Serve along side Restaurant Style Salsa and Homemade Tortilla Chips for the start to any meal. It is great to set out at a barbecue because there is nothing that is going to spoil quickly.
- Side Dish – Use this as the vegetable or salad that you serve with your Air Fryer Salmon or Baked Shrimp.
- Main Dish – You could serve cowboy caviar as a topping over Grilled Chicken or sliced Grilled Pork Tenderloin. Or even over Chicken Tacos for a different twist.
More Tasty Appetizer Recipes
- Homemade Salsa Verde
- Bruschetta
- BLT Dip
- Pinwheel Sandwiches
- Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Bacon Wrapped Smokies
- Caramelized Onion Dip
Cowboy Caviar
Ingredients
- 3 Roma Tomatoes, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, mined
- 1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15 oz can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
- 1 15 oz can corn, drained
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 jalapeno, finely chopped
Dressing
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons lime juice
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl add the chopped tomatoes, onion, garlic, black beans, black eyed peas, corn, cilantro and jalapeno.
- In a separate bowl whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing until very well combined.
- Pour the dressing over the bowl of vegetables and mix until well combined.
- Store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I love how light and fresh this is. It’s so full of all the Tex-Mex flavors I love. Really good dip!
This dip is our go-to! Everyone loves it and I take it to all the parties we attend!
I can literally dip anything on this! So flavorful and refreshing! Such a crowd favorite!
Your Cowboy Caviar was a smash hit at our BBQ this weekend! The fresh, zesty flavors paired perfectly with our grilled meats. Even the kids enjoyed it.
I seriously loved this. Really awesome flavor. I had my whole family over and it got devoured, haha! Thanks!
The flavors are bright and refreshing, making it an instant crowd-pleaser that will disappear fast. Ideal for parties, potlucks, or as a healthy snack, Cowboy Caviar is a must-try recipe for any dip lover.
This is one of my all time favorite appetizers/dips. It’s soooo delicious, I love that it’s full of healthy and fresh ingredients – it’s hard not to eat the whole bowl!
This dip/salad was wonderful! I found that briefly soaking the sliced red onion in water took the “bite” out of the red onion. Seriously so, so good!