Cowboy Caviar Recipe

Cowboy caviar in a bowl on a white plate with tortilla chips.

This easy recipe for Cowboy Caviar is fun, fresh, colorful, and endlessly adaptable. It makes a great dip, salad, side dish, or even a topping for grilled meats. Always a potluck favorite!

Course Appetizer, Salad

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 5

Total Time 20

Servings servings (1/2 cup each)

Calories 80kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Ingredients

For the dressing:

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup granulated sugar or to taste (see note 1)
1/4 cup white wine vinegar (see note 2)
1 teaspoon chili powder
Salt

For the vegetables:

1 pound Roma tomatoes seeded and diced
1 (15-ounce) can black-eyed peas drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
1 (11-ounce) can sweet corn drained (see note 3)
1 red onion peeled and diced
1 green bell pepper stemmed, seeded, and diced
1 red bell pepper stemmed, seeded, and diced
1 cup fresh cilantro or fresh parsley, chopped, from 1 bunch

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To make the dressing, in a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, sugar, white wine vinegar, chili powder, and salt to taste (I like 1 teaspoon).
In a large bowl, add tomatoes, black-eyed peas, black beans, corn, red onion, bell peppers, and cilantro. Drizzle with the dressing and stir to combine. Cover and chill until serving time.

Video

Notes

Sugar: The recipe reflects how we make it in my family. But YES, it has a lot of sugar. Please feel free to reduce it or omit it entirely. If you want to reduce it, mix the dressing with just a tablespoon of sugar to start, taste it, and go from there.
White wine vinegar: Or substitute apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, or even lime juice.
Corn: Regular canned sweet corn or frozen corn may be substituted for the extra sweet "shoepeg" corn. The closest measurement for either option is 3/4 cup, but feel free to use the whole 15-ounce can of corn.
Yield: This recipe makes about 12 cups of Cowboy Caviar (more or less depending on the size of your bell peppers). It's enough for 24 servings, 1/2 cup each.
Storage: This recipe keeps for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.

Nutrition