Cowboy Caviar is one recipe everyone raves about!
A fresh, simple dip that can be thrown together in under 15 minutes!
This Cowboy Caviar makes a great side dish for any picnic, potluck, or party, and is a great way to use up your summer produce!
I tried cowboy caviar for the first time at a potluck last summer and was instantly obsessed
I didn’t expect it from this unassuming, summery dip that at first glance I confused with chunky salsa or pico de gallo, but one bite and I knew that I was hooked for life.
The saltiness of the chips combined with the freshness of the tomatoes, the crispness of the pepper, the subtle heat of the jalapeno, the faint hint of lime and garlic…. It was heaven.
A replication of the highest order was necessary, and since that first fateful bite last year, I have perfected my own recipe for cowboy caviar and I am so excited to share it with you today.
I made this cowboy caviar for my family last weekend for Easter, and after baking both my signature carrot cake and coffee cake for brunch, I wanted something a little less sweet, and definitely something that wouldn’t require turning on the oven.
This cowboy caviar is easy to make, just a matter of chopping your veggies and tossing everything together.
If you ask me, the trick to the best possible cowboy caviar is to dice the ingredients that need dicing (the tomatoes, onion, pepper, etc — not the beans!) very small, the smaller the better. Try to keep your tomato and avocado pieces petite rather than big and chunky (about bean-sized works great!). An easy way to do this is with my favorite chopper, including for the tomatoes!
To easily cut my avocado, I like to slice it in half and then score it into small pieces using my knife, then just scoop everything out into the bowl with a large spoon!
Everyone who tried this cowboy caviar loved it and the bowl was scraped clean in record time.
P.S. As you can see in the pictures, I love serving these with tortilla chips, but cowboy caviar also tastes amazing eaten straight by the spoon!
Cowboy Caviar
Ingredients
- 3 Roma tomatoes seeds removed, diced
- 2 avocados diced
- ⅓ cup diced red onion
- 15 oz canned black beans 1 can, rinsed and drained
- 15 oz canned black eyed peas 1 can, rinsed and drained
- 1 ½ cups frozen corn thawed
- 1 bell pepper diced, any color
- 1 jalapeño seeds removed, finely diced
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Tortilla chips for serving
DRESSING
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice fresh preferred
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
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Combine tomatoes, avocado, onion, black beans, black eyed peas, corn, pepper, jalapeno pepper, and cilantro in a large bowl. Toss/stir well so that ingredients are well-combined.
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In a separate bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, red wine vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
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Pour dressing over other ingredients and stir/toss very well.
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Keep refrigerated. If not serving immediately, be sure to toss/stir well before serving.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
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This recipe is amazing!! Doubled the recipe and took it to an outing. Everyone loved it as there was none left at the end of the party!
This is my favorite version of Texas Cavier. Since it is summer, I used fresh corn on the cob. I served it as a side dish at a BBQ. Skipped the tortilla chips. It is great for those who are vegan. Healthy and tasty. I used one avocado this time. Avocados can be expensive… People have never heard of up north. So its nice to bring something different!
Was so good and a big hit at the bbq!!
Thank you for the great recipe and for including the calorie count! I’m sorry if I missed it but could you advise what a serving size the count is based on? I know it says 12 servings, I just can’t tell how big they should be, particularly in accosting the calories count. Thank you!
Each serving would be approximately ¼ cup.
Love this recipe
Wow, this was perfect. I am taking it to a potluck tomorrow so I didn’t put tomatoes or avocado in yet. But I scouped out a bowl for me to taste and added tomatoes and avocado to my bowl. I know this will be something I crave from now on. The dressing was perfect. This taster bowl was my lunch an I topped it with smoked salmon on a whim and it was great. Can’t wait to see how fast it goes tomorrow.
So good!
Delicious! Grabbed a couple bags of tortilla chips and took to a pool party….everyone loved it! ❤️
This is a new FAVORITE for our whole house. Everyone loved it! I’m making it a second time in the same week because it’s so good!
How long can this stay in the fridge if I leave out the avocado?
It should last a few days in the fridge without the avocado.
This sounds delicious!! Do you think this would be just as good substituting couscous? I’ve never had orzo, and only had a couscous salad once that I think had similar ingredients and I loved it. I’ve been on the hunt for a recipe ever since, but don’t know how the orzo and couscous compare.
This salad isn’t made with orzo. But I think added couscous would be delicious.
a friend just gave me this recipe! has anyone tried adding grilled or sauteed shrimp to it?
I think that sounds delicious, Carol!
Everybody raves over this anytime I make it
I made this recipe for a visiting Cousin who is vegan and everyone loved it. I just made it again and will enjoy the whole bowl myself!
Easy, delicious and healthy! Better second day!3
I made this and brought it to a family gathering. It was a huge hit. We loved it and next time I will have to double the recipe and make more. Thanks for this recipe.
Can this be frozen?
While you can freeze leftovers, the fresh vegetables will change texture when defrosted. If you do have frozen leftovers they’re great added to soups and chilis as they’re simmering.