If you’re wondering “hold up, what’s a cowboy caviar?”, it’s a black eyed peas and bean salad, but you can totally treat it like a dip too. This one comes together in a few minutes but the flavor is just right. Get into it boos.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
Cowboy Caviar Ingredients
For the Caviar:
- Black Beans & Black-Eyed Peas: These two are the base of our caviar. You can swap the black beans and black-eyed peas for any beans you like. Pinto, kidney, or even garbanzo beans would work great.
- 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: Make sure it’s well-thawed and drained! You can also use canned fire roasted corn if that’s what your store has. If you can’t find frozen fire-roasted corn, grab one cup of canned Mexican street corn, drain it, and rinse it.
- Avocado: Pick out a ripe one, boos! It should be soft, but not mushy. Sub it for a scoop of guacamole in a pinch.
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
Make the Dressing
Step 1: Add the dressing ingredients to a small bowl.
Step 2: Whisk together.
Mix Everything Up
Step 3: Add the caviar ingredients to a large bowl.
Step 4: Toss together.
Step 5: Pour the dressing over the caviar ingredients. Let sit at room temperature, then mix again prior to serving to really incorporate the flavors.
Step 6: Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!
Want to Save This Recipe, Boo?
I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Cowboy Caviar Recipe
Look whether you call this Texas Caviar of Cowboy Caviar it's so dang good, boos! It's like a chunky salsa got together with a bean salad and made the best chip topping!
Want to Save This Recipe, Boo?
I’ll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Servings: 6
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.
- Dressing swap: I looove the cilantro-lime dressing, but you can totally use Italian dressing instead.
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.Nutrition
Calories: 365kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Sodium: 920mg | Potassium: 695mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 299IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 4mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @GrandbabyCakes or tag #grandbabycakes!
Recipe Tips
- 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.
Serving Suggestions
- With Burgers: You can add inside your burger for extra flavor! It pairs great 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 or on birria tacos.
- With Bread: Serve it with some cornbread, garlic bread, or dinner rolls to scoop up all the goodness.
Recipe Variations
- 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.
Recipe help
Why is it called cowboy caviar?
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.
Is this recipe spicy?
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.
What kind of chips should I serve with this caviar?
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.
pinterest 
facebook 
twitter 
email