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The Lowdown on This Cowboy Caviar
If you’re wondering “hold up, what’s a cowboy caviar?”, lemme break it down for ya: it’s a bean salad, but you can totally treat it like a dip too. I first tried it at a potluck picnic, and ever since then, it’s been one of my go-to’s whenever I need something quick for a cookout or picnic. When you’re scrambling to make something but don’t want to spend hours on it (looking at you, slow-cooked ribs), this is the way to go!
I’ve probably made this Texas caviar recipe more times than I can count because it’s so easy and the flavor’s just right. So grab your pico de gallo, your beans, and get into it boos! You’ll see what I’m talkin’ about.
Ingredients you’ll need to make Cowboy Caviar
For the Caviar:
- Black Beans & Black-Eyed Peas: These two are the base of our caviar.
- Prepared Pico de Gallo: Grab it from the produce section of your nearest grocery store, ready to go. It’s fresh, flavorful, and saves you time on chopping.
- Frozen Fire-Roasted Corn: Adds a bit of smoky depth that regular corn doesn’t have. Make sure it’s well-thawed and drained! You can also use canned fire roasted corn if that’s what your store has.
- Avocado: Make sure to pick out a ripe one, boos! It should be soft, but not mushy.
For the Cilantro-Lime Dressing:
- Lime Juice: Fresh lime juice is a must. Try not to go for the bottled stuff, it’s just not the same.
- Ground Cumin: A little pinch of this gives your dressing that earthy, warm flavor.
- Granulated Sugar: Just a bit of sweetness to balance the tang!
- Kosher Salt: Because you always need it.
- Fresh Cilantro: Brightens up the flavor of this easy cowboy caviar recipe.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: This is our dressing base, so don’t skimp here.
How to make Cowboy Caviar
What to serve with this easy cowboy caviar
- With Burgers: You can toss this salad right inside your burger for an extra burst of flavor! It pairs perfectly with bacon cheddar burgers and mango jerk salmon burgers.
- On a Salad: Top off any salad with some cowboy caviar boos. It’s perfect on a simple cucumber and onion salad, or you can throw it on a shrimp caesar salad.
- With Tacos: Add a little crunch to your tacos! It’s great inside salmon or shrimp tacos.
- With Bread: Serve it with some cornbread, garlic bread, or soft dinner rolls to scoop up all the goodness.
Recipe Substitutions
- Beans: You can swap the black beans and black-eyed peas for any beans you like. Pinto, kidney, or even garbanzo beans would work great.
- Dressing: I looove the cilantro-lime dressing, but you can totally use Italian dressing instead.
- Corn: If you can’t find frozen fire-roasted corn, don’t worry boos! Just grab one cup of canned Mexican street corn, drain it, and rinse it. It’ll still give you that smoky flavor.
- Avocado: Sub it for a scoop of guacamole in a pinch.
Recipe Variations and Additions
- Spice It Up: Add diced jalapeños if you want a little heat on your cowboy dip. Careful how many you add if you’re not into too much spice!
- Cheese: Sprinkle in some crumbled cotija cheese for an extra layer of flavor.
- Sweeten It: If you like things on the sweeter side, add an extra ½ tablespoon of honey to your dressing.
- More Veggies: Throw in some diced bell peppers, or even cucumber, for added crunch and freshness.
Expert Tips and Tricks for making the best Texas caviar recipe
- Make It Ahead: Yup, you can prep the caviar ingredients the night before! Wrap them tightly with plastic wrap or store them in an airtight container in the fridge overnight. Then, about 25 minutes before serving, make your dressing and toss it all together. Add the avocado last so it stays fresh and doesn’t brown.
- Don’t Skimp on Quality: For the dressing, use fresh limes and extra virgin olive oil. It’s worth it boos, trust me. Those fresh ingredients make a big difference in the flavor.
- Let It Chill: This easy cowboy caviar tastes great after 20 minutes of chilling, but if you really want to take it up a notch, let it sit for an hour or two. The flavors really meld together!
- Go Fine with the Pico: If you’re making your pico de gallo from scratch, chop everything real fine. It’ll spread those fresh flavors evenly throughout the caviar.
How to store Cowboy Caviar
Store your caviar in an airtight container in the fridge so it stays fresh and delish!
How long will Cowboy Caviar last in the fridge?
It’ll stay fresh for about 3 to 4 days. Just make sure you add the avocado right before serving, or it might turn brown and sad.
Can I freeze cowboy dip?
You can freeze the Texas caviar for about 2 months, but here’s the catch: don’t add the avocado before freezing. It doesn’t do well in the freezer and turns mushy when thawed.
Frequently asked questions
Because the round black-eyed peas in the dish kinda resemble fish eggs, which are what real caviar’s made from. It’s a funny comparison too, fancy caviar meets down-home Texas cooking.
Not really boos, but if you’re like me and like a little heat, you can toss in some diced jalapeños or a sprinkle of hot sauce.
You gotta go with something sturdy! Tortilla chips are a classic choice, but you can try lime-flavored chips or even some crunchy pita chips.
Next time you’re at a cookout, don’t show up empty-handed boos. Bring this Cowboy Caviar and watch it disappear faster than you can say “hi y’all”! It’s a breeze to whip up and everyone’s gonna love it. Guaranteed!
More Salad Recipes
Cowboy Caviar
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Equipment
Ingredients
Caviar
- 15 ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
- 15 ounce can black eyed peas drained and rinsed
- 1 ¼ cup prepared pico de gallo
- 1 cup frozen corn fire roasted
- 1 medium avocado diced (about 1 cup)
Cilantro-Lime Dressing
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro minced
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl toss together caviar ingredients.
- In a small bowl or jar, whisk or shake together the dressing ingredients.
- Pour the dressing over the caviar ingredients. Let sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes (or in the refrigerator for longer).
- Mix again prior to serving to really incorporate the flavors. Serve with tortilla chips.
Notes
- Make It Ahead: Yup, you can prep the caviar ingredients the night before! Wrap them tightly with plastic wrap or store them in an airtight container in the fridge overnight. Then, about 25 minutes before serving, make your dressing and toss it all together. Add the avocado last so it stays fresh and doesn’t brown.
- Don’t Skimp on Quality: For the dressing, use fresh limes and extra virgin olive oil. It’s worth it boos, trust me. Those fresh ingredients make a big difference in the flavor.
- Let It Chill: This easy cowboy caviar tastes great after 20 minutes of chilling, but if you really want to take it up a notch, let it sit for an hour or two. The flavors really meld together!
- Go Fine with the Pico: If you’re making your pico de gallo from scratch, chop everything real fine. It’ll spread those fresh flavors evenly throughout the caviar.
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