Savory Thoughts logo

You are here: Home » Main Dish » The BEST Cowboy Caviar Ever

The BEST Cowboy Caviar Ever

By 77 Comments

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

The BEST Cowboy Caviar Recipe Ever!

Perfectly serve Cowboy Caviar as a side dish and or as an appetizer. The easiest and most simple dip to make in 15-20 minutes. Every bite includes a sharp sweet flavor.

This recipe includes fresh lime juice, garlic powder, white wine vinegar, and sugar to name a few. A great recipe to include as a salad topping or taco filling.

This veggie cattleman caviar or Texas salad as it is sometimes referred to is the easiest side dish you could make and is sure to be a crowd pleaser. If you are press for time, this salad can be made the night before. Did I also mention that this recipe is also healthy?

Reasons why this cowboy caviar recipe works:

I first came across cowboy caviar on Meggan’s blog, Culinary Hill, a year or so ago when I was looking for side dishes for my BBQ gatherings. I altered the recipe by adding my own touch to it which has now become a staple in my home for small gatherings. This cowboy caviar or Texas salad has been requested so much, I can now make it with my eyes closed.

  • The acidic flavor from the lime, and the white wine vinegar along with the sugar give this side dish a savory sweet richness.
  • It is a simple recipe that can be made quickly or ahead of time.
  • This recipe is also delicious with BBQ meat, hence the reason why I sometimes pair it with my BBQ Chicken recipe.
  • Goes well with plain tortilla chips.
  • When prepared ahead of time, it allows the opportunity for the flavors to fully settle. Refrigerates well. Reheat well.

The BEST Cowboy Caviar Ever

What’s included in the Cowboy Caviar recipe?

It depends on your taste. I am not a fan of the tomatoes in this dip so I leave it out. I personally love acid and spice. However, the base ingredients include the following below:

  • Canned beans; black and black-eyed peas
  • Sweet kernel corn
  • White wine vinegar
  • Bell peppers; I used orange and red bell peppers
  • Chopped cilantro
  • Chili powder
  • Sugar and salt

All you need is a large mixing bowl to prepare this mouthwatering salad.

Texas Caviar Preparation Tip:

  • Rinse, drain, and pat dry the beans before adding them to the bowl. Drying the beans leaves no room for unwanted liquid.
  • The longer you let the flavors settle, the richer the flavors become.
  • Add ½ tsp. of cayenne pepper to give the dip a little kick.
  • This Texas Salad can also be made with balsamic vinaigrette or any vinaigrette of your choice instead of adding white wine vinegar. I’ve even made it with raspberry vinaigrette.

The BEST Cowboy Caviar Ever

Making Cowboy Caviar

How to make the cowboy caviar? Making this Texas salad is very simple – here’s how to do it:

  • First and foremost, drain and rinse your beans and corn. I used a couple cleaned paper towels to pat dry the beans and corn after they are rinsed.
  • Using a cutting board, chop and dice all of your vegetables and set them aside.
  • Press and roll, cut the lime in half.
  • Add all of the dry ingredients first then add all of the liquid ingredients one at a time.
  • Mix it all together and serve.

Savory Thought: The master is a beginner that never gave up. – Avina Celeste.

Did you make this delicious Texas salad? Tag me on Instagram or Facebook and please give it a star rating below!

The BEST Cowboy Caviar Ever
4.56 from 67 votes
Print

The BEST Cowboy Caviar Recipe Ever

Perfectly serve Cowboy Caviar as a side dish and or as an appetizer. The easiest and most simple dip to make in 15-20 minutes. Every bite includes a sharp sweet flavor.

Course Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish, Sides
Cuisine American
Keyword caviar recipes, Cowboy Caviar, cowboy caviar recipe, cowboy salad, Texas Salad
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 12 People
Calories 412 kcal

Ingredients

  • 15.5 oz. black beans
  • 15.5 oz. black-eyed peas
  • 15 oz. sweet corn
  • 1 cup cilantro chopped
  • 1/2 cup red bell pepper chopped or diced
  • 1/2 cup orange bell pepper chopped or diced
  • 1/2 cup red onions diced
  • 1 tsp. chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Instructions

Make Cowboy Caviar

  1. Drain, rinse and pat dry the beans and corn. transfer to a large bowl. 

    Add the cilantro and the remaining ingredients to the beans and corn mixture. 

    Stir to combine. Serve cold or at room temperature. 

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Recipe Tip:

  • Lightly warm the salad if refrigerated overnight to loosen up the liquid/oil or thaw for 1 hour before serving.

**This post was first published in May 2018. It is now republished with a video** 

Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
The BEST Cowboy Caviar Recipe Ever
Amount Per Serving (12 people)
Calories 412 Calories from Fat 104
% Daily Value*
Fat 11.5g18%
Saturated Fat 1.7g11%
Sodium 139mg6%
Potassium 1169mg33%
Carbohydrates 69.6g23%
Fiber 12.4g52%
Sugar 12g13%
Protein 16.2g32%
Calcium 40mg4%
Iron 7.6mg42%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
The BEST Cowboy Caviar Ever

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Can you leave out sugar? Would that have a big impact? A few people in my group can’t do sugar for different reasons.

    Reply

    • Hello Kimberly,
      Yes, you can leave out the sugar and substitute it with honey. To get the sweet taste the sugar is helpful. However, honey will work fine just as well. I would also recommend you test it out with a small batch of honey first to see if you like. I hope this is helpful.

      Reply


  2. I’ve made this recipe multiple times. Love it.
    I made a few changes added pickled jalapeno 1.5 tbsp.of lime 1.5 tbsp. Chili powder 2tbsp.of maple syrupand parsley instead of cilantro.

    Reply

  4. How many days can I make this ahead of time? I want to make this for my son’s birthday party Saturday – can I make it tonight? TIA ,erin

    Reply

    • Hi Erin,
      Yes, you can make the cowboy caviar ahead of time. It can last up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

      Reply


  12. I’ve seen several versions floating around and have yet to try this! Your recipe looks perfect! Can’t wait to try it

    Reply

  15. Wow, first time I ever tasted cowboy caviar and so glad I picked this recipe. Absolutely delicious! I almost didn’t make it when I saw the high calorie count of 412 per serving. That didn’t seem right for the ingredients so I entered it on MyFitnessPal recipes. The count there is a much more reasonable 179 calories. I’m hoping they are right and enjoying every bite! Thank you for a fantastic recipe.

    Reply

    • Thank you very much, Sharon. It does sound much more reasonable. I will adjust that. I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe and I am SO glad to hear you are enjoying every bite. We love it in our home. I have not tried MyFitnessPal. I’ll definitely look into it. Thank you for your comment!

      Reply


  16. Talk about perfect summer food! What a gorgeous dish and the flavor combination is perfect. This would be the ideal bowl of yumminess at every summer BBQ!

    Reply


  17. Cowboy caviar is something my husband would it with two spoons. The name is absolutely hilarious but so true!

    Reply


  18. Oooh!! That looks so good and a perfect side any time of the year. We are going to have several family gatherings this summer and it would be great to have the Cowboy Caviar on the menu.

    Reply


  20. Now that looks like one nutritious and healthy bowl of goodness. I love how colorful this is and I love all the beans you have there. Sounds so yum. This would be lunch for me!!

    Reply


  23. That is such a colorful and delicious looking black bean salad. It has all my favorite ingredients — black beans, corn, peppers, black eyed peas — yum, yumm!! This is just perfect for a summer gathering. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply


  25. This cowboy caviar is calling my name. I want to try it out. I like that you dried the beans first. I think I would have to cook the beans just a tad. Can I cook them or will that ruin the dish?

    Reply

    • You can definitely cook them. But I would only cook them for no less than 5-7 minutes. You don’t want to loose the texture.

      Reply

  26. I’ve never heard of cowboy caviar before, but it’s definitely my kind of caviar! Those fresh colors are beautiful. I imagine it’s perfect for a bbq and tortilla chips. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply


  28. I LOVE Cowboy Caviar, and think the name is the best thing in the entire world! This looks absolutely delicious and I cannot wait to make it for my next BBQ.

    Reply


  33. I have never heard of cowboy caviar but Woah do I need to try it! Such the perfect thing to scoop up with fresh tortilla chips. I can’t wait to bring this to my next BBQ 🙂

    Reply


  34. This is beautiful!!! Although I’m not a fan of beans, my husband would eat this up in a heart beat! I can’t get over those colors though wow!

    Reply


  38. I keep seeing this on Pinterest, but I really need to try it. I am loving all the colours going on!

    Reply

  41. The colors in this dip are absolutely fabulous!! Your tips are awesome too… I will definitely be trying this to take to an upcoming family gathering!

    Reply


  43. This is not only delicious, but such a colorful and pretty dish to place on your table when doing some summer entertaining. I like how you can make it ahead of time.

    Reply

    • Thank you, Mirley. Yes, I have warm up the beans lightly when it is made ahead of time. Just enough to loosen up the oil.

      Reply


  46. This BEST Cowboy Caviar Recipe looks so delicious! I will definitely make it soon. 🙂 I really like how you served it with plain tortilla chips!

    Reply

    • Thank you, Helena! let me know how you like when you do make it. It’s a great balance with plain tortillas.

      Reply

  49. I like the ingredients of The BEST Cowboy Caviar Ever. In combination the blended taste would make for a good tasting recipe. My husband would love the acidic flavor from the lime, and the white wine vinegar along with the sugar,

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *