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.
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.
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 Recipe Ever
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
- 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.
Video
Notes
Recipe Tip:
- Lightly warm the salad if refrigerated overnight to loosen up the liquid/oil or thaw for 1 hour before serving.
Debbie
Amazing as a dip!De
Mirlene
Great!!! I am very glad you liked it, Debbie.
JAC
Absolutely one of my favorite recipes! I had this one time about 10 years ago and loved it! I finally found the recipe with the correct dressing! It’s very light and addicting! My kids devour it as well!! Thanks for the great recipe!
Mirlene
JAC, thank you very much. I am so glad to hear that. You are very welcome. 🙂
Anne Marie
Hi. Plan on making this for a party. Looks delicious! Just curious why you say to add the liquid ingredients and spices one at a time as opposed to mixing them together first and then adding them. Thank,you!
Mirlene
Hi Anne Marie,
Thank you for stopping by! Adding the ingredients one step at a time is a method I personally like to use. It helps to me understand the changes in flavor as the food is created. You are more than welcome to add the ingredients in a bowl then pour it over the corn and beans. Completely up to you 🙂 I would love to know which method you choose to use and outcome. Thanks for reading! Cheers 🙂
Kimberly Speidel
Can you leave out sugar? Would that have a big impact? A few people in my group can’t do sugar for different reasons.
Mirlene
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.
Corrie Martin
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.
Mirlene
Hello Corrie, I am glad the changes you made were helpful.
Nikota
Hello. Is the calories mentioned per serving or for the whole thing? How big is a serving?
Mirlene
Hello Nikota,
The calories mentioned is for the entire dish, which serves 12.
erin
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
Mirlene
Hi Erin,
Yes, you can make the cowboy caviar ahead of time. It can last up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Evelyn Hernandez
We love cowboy caviar, and make it weekly. Your recipe looks amazing, Looks like the perfect dip for any picnic!
Kaylin
Oh we loooove Cowboy Caviar in our house! Such a yummy snack and always loved at parties!!!
MDesir
It is a great snack. We LOVE IT too!
Anna Hettick
I have always been a huge fan of cowboy caviar!! I haven’t had it in YEARS but now I think I need it!!
MDesir
Oh No! Wait no longer. We love it in our home.
Mary Meier
Looks so good my mouth started watering reading the post!
MDesir
Thank you, Mary!
Ann
I LOVE how colorful this is! Looks exactly like my kind of dip! On my next party menu for sure 🙂
MDesir
Than you, Ann. Hope you enjoy it.
Danielle
Loving all the colours going on there! This would go down very well at a party!
Shanika
Wow, this looks amazing! I love all the beans (my faves!) and how colorful it looks!
MDesir
Thank you, Shanika.
Tisha
I’ve seen several versions floating around and have yet to try this! Your recipe looks perfect! Can’t wait to try it
MDesir
Thank you for the compliment, Tisha! I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Kelli Kerkman
This looks amazing! I love all of the vibrant colors.
MDesir
Thank you, Kelli!!
Ken Grenier
You do not have to be a cowboy to love this dish.
MDesir
Hahahaha! You are right, Ken!!!! This caviar is loved by all! 🙂 Thanks for reading!!
Sharon
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.
MDesir
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!
Heather
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!
Ruchi
Cowboy caviar is something my husband would it with two spoons. The name is absolutely hilarious but so true!
Marisa Franca
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.
karyn ryan
Looks amazing so colourful and tasty perfect with tacos or BBQ
Veena Azmanov
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!!
Adriana Lopez Martin
such a classic and perfect addition to grilling season I enjoy fresh and easy recipes that you can make and enjoy by everyone because who doesn’t like a bean salsa yummy!
Lauren @ Delicious Little Bites
I’ve heard of Cowboy Caviar before, but have never had it! It’s so colorful and looks perfect for outdoor entertaining this summer! Definitely giving it a try!
Pavani
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.
Claudia Lamascolo
I love this kind of caviar and beans are my all time favorite. I put them in my salads all the time. This would be a great addition to any meal and perfect for any appetizer.
April
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?
MDesir
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.
Stine Mari
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!
Stine Mari
Those fresh colors deserve a rating too!
Nele
How colourful! Looks absolutely delicious 🙂
Casey
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.
Stephanie Simmons
They were sampling this at our local grocery store the other day and it was delicious! Can’t wait to make it at home 🙂
MDesir
That’s wonderful to hear. I hope you like this version as well.
Jacqueline Debono
I love the name cowboy caviar! This looks like a great side to serve at bbques! Love the combo of ingredients!
MDesir
Thank you.
Maninder
This looks delicious! Definitely trying it out this weekend
Tara
Yum! I have heard of cowboy caviar but haven’t tried it myself yet. I love all the color from those vegetables!
MDesir
You must try it as it is addictive.
Heather
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 🙂
MDesir
Wonderful! Thank you, Heather.
Lisa
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!
MDesir
What? Not a fan of beans?! Oh no! You must try it. And thank you 🙂
Sondria Harp
This looks so delicious. I’m making this for my next pot luck cook out.
Sara | mshealthesteem.com
I’ve never heard of Cowboy Caviar but this looks FLIPPING AMAZING… so I know I need to make cowboy caviar a thing in my kitchen. Can’t wait to try this – thanks for sharing ^^
MDesir
Great! Please let me know how you like it.
Sue|theviewfromgreatisland
I love cowboy caviar!! This looks so fresh and colorful!
Danielle
I keep seeing this on Pinterest, but I really need to try it. I am loving all the colours going on!
Alyssa
I love the addition of cilantro – it makes everything that much better!
Karen @ Seasonal Cravings
This looks perfect for block parties and as a side dish to grilled chicken and fish. So colorful!
kim
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!
Jill
I’m loving how colorful this dish is! Great recipe for serving poolside or for a grill out!
MDesir
Thank you, Jill. It is very colorful. One of my favorite sides dishes to make.
Vicky
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.
MDesir
Thank you, Vicky. It does save a lot of time when it is made ahead of time.
georgie
this looks like the perfect summer appetizer!!! i love how colourful and fresh it is too!
MDesir
Thank you, Georgie.
Mirley Guerra Graf
That looks delicious! Do you every warm up the beans?
MDesir
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.
Helena
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!
MDesir
Thank you, Helena! let me know how you like when you do make it. It’s a great balance with plain tortillas.
Shannon
This recipe looks like the perfect dish to take to summer bbqs! Love cowboy caviar!
MDesir
Exactly! It’s always a crowd pleaser, Shannon.
Nathan Wyper
looks so delicious… this would be perfect for a summer barbecue!
MDesir
Thank you, Nathan!
Ingrid
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,