Ever find a dip or salsa that you love so much, you eat it by the spoonful? That’s how we feel about cowboy caviar. Sometimes called Texas caviar or corn and black bean salad, the chunky salsa-style dip is full of flavor and veggies. There are plenty of beans, corn, cilantro, tomatoes, garlic, red onion, lime juice and the perfect amount of sweetness to balance it all out. Despite its name, this recipe for cowboy “caviar” is definitely vegetarian.
If you haven’t tried it already, cowboy caviar will be your new favorite recipe—whether you serve it with the best tortilla chips, as a topping for meat or salads, or simply with a spoon.
Cowboy Caviar Ingredients
- Canned black-eyed peas
- Canned black beans
- Fresh tomatoes
- Fresh or frozen corn
- Red onion
- Fresh cilantro
- Garlic cloves
Dressing:Â
- Sugar
- White vinegar
- Canola oil
- Lime juice
- Salt
- Ground cumin
- Pepper
Directions
Step 1: Prep the salsa ingredients
First, prep all of the individual ingredients so you can easily combine them later. Drain and rinse the black-eyed peas, black beans and corn. Chop up the tomatoes, red onion and cilantro, and measure the minced garlic.
Step 2: Measure the dressing ingredients
Measure the sugar, white vinegar, canola oil, lime juice, ground cumin, salt and pepper.
Step 3: Whisk the dressing
Combine and whisk the dressing ingredients in a glass measuring cup with a pour spout.
Step 4: Combine ingredients and dressing
Transfer the beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, onion and garlic to a serving bowl. Pour the homemade vinaigrette over the other cowboy caviar ingredients and gently toss.
To let the flavors come together, store the freshly assembled cowboy caviar in the fridge for at least one hour before serving.
Step 5: Serve
Serve with corn or tortilla chips, bowls, plates and spoons so your guests can enjoy the cowboy caviar however they like.
Cowboy Caviar Tips
How else can you serve cowboy caviar?
There are lots of ways to enjoy cowboy caviar. If you want to eat it as a salsa, serve it with corn or tortilla chips. If you want to eat it as a topping, serve with grilled meat, like salmon or steak. It makes a hearty addition to tacos, burritos and salads, too. Otherwise, feel free to enjoy your cowboy caviar with a spoon!
And of course, you can always serve it with other cowboy recipes.
How can you make cowboy caviar your own?
Cowboy caviar is pretty close to perfect on its own—but you could add seeded and diced jalapenos for added flavor and heat. Diced avocado add a little bit of creaminess, but you’d have to add it right before serving to prevent it from turning brown. Chopped pineapples or mangos add tropical sweetness.
Can you make cowboy caviar ahead of time?
You could make cowboy caviar the night before to save yourself a few minutes before your gathering. Luckily, if you run out of time, the recipe only takes 15 minutes to assemble from start to finish. The longest part is waiting for the flavors to come together while it chills in the fridge. Trust us—the wait is worth it!
