Cowboy Caviar

Meggan Hill

4.96 from 602 votes

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There are endless ways to make Cowboy Caviar, but I’ve got the most popular recipe around. I grew up eating this tried-and-true version in the Midwest, and now I’m sharing the secret ingredients with you.

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


 

Meggan’s notes

In the Midwest, we make our Cowboy Caviar with a hint of sugar in the chili dressing, and in my opinion, that makes all the difference. That’s just how we like it! But for everyone else, feel free to omit the sugar and enjoy your Tex-Mex style fresh bean salsa with all the tortilla chips you can scoop.

With almost 600 5-star ratings and hundreds of comments on the post, Cowboy Caviar remains one of the most popular recipes on Culinary Hill. And with good reason! This version is easy to make, fully customizable, and ready fast. Make it today and thank me later.

Table of Contents

  1. Meggan’s notes
  2. Cowboy Caviar ingredients
  3. How to make Cowboy Caviar Dip
  4. Recipe tips and variations
  5. How to serve this Recipe for Cowboy Caviar
  6. Storing Texas Caviar
  7. Frequently Asked Questions
  8. More From Culinary Hill
  9. Cowboy Caviar Recipe Recipe

Cowboy Caviar ingredients

Labeled ingredients for cowboy caviar.

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

  • Olive oil
  • 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.
  • Chili powder: To set your face on fire, substitute Chipotle chili powder.
  • Salt
  • Tomatoes
  • Black-eyed peas
  • Black beans
  • Corn: Regular canned sweet corn or frozen corn may be substituted for the extra sweet “shoepeg” corn. The closest measurement for either option is ¾ cup, but feel free to use the whole 15-ounce can of corn.
  • Onion: I love the color of red onion, but any kind of onion works.
  • Green and red bell peppers: You just need 2 peppers total, whatever color you want.
  • Cilantro: Leave this out if you hate cilantro or substitute minced fresh parsley.

How to make Cowboy Caviar Dip

  1. 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). 
Cowboy Caviar salad dressing in a clear glass bowl with a whisk in the background.
  1. In a large bowl, add tomatoes, black-eyed peas, black beans, corn, red onion, bell peppers, and cilantro.
Cowboy caviar ingredients in a bowl before being mixed.
  1. Drizzle with the dressing and stir to combine. Cover and chill until serving time.
Cowboy caviar in a bowl on a white plate with tortilla chips.

Recipe tips and variations

  • 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, ½ cup each.
  • Make ahead: You can make the dressing up to 3 days in advance. You can assemble the full recipe a day in advance too, but the bell peppers might soften a bit in the dressing.
  • Avocado: Avocado is good with everything. The avocados may darken over time, so the salad may not last as long in the refrigerator.
  • Italian dressing: Many readers like to use a store-bought or homemade Italian dressing in Cowboy Caviar. Start with about 1 cup of dressing, taste it, and see if you want more.

How to serve this Recipe for Cowboy Caviar

The spicy-sweet dressing in Cowboy Caviar pairs perfectly with crunchy, salty tortilla chips. Or enjoy it as a salad on the side of your favorite grilled proteins like fish, chicken, pork, and shrimp. It’s also delicious stirred it into cooked rice for an impromptu side dish packed with color and flavor.

Storing Texas Caviar

This recipe keeps for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use dried beans in Cowboy Caviar?

Dried beans are extremely economical and much lower in sodium. Cook each bean variety separately, as cooking times may vary depending on size and age of the dried bean. How many dried beans makes a can? You need to cook ½ to ¾ cup of dried beans for every 15-ounce can of beans the recipe calls for.

How do I make Cowboy Caviar spicy?

Add a few chopped seeded jalapeños or serrano chiles to the salad for a little kick. Cayenne pepper or Chipotle chili powder will do the job, too!

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

Cowboy Caviar Recipe

By Meggan Hill
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!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 24 servings (½ cup each)
Course Appetizer, Salad
Cuisine American
Calories 80
4.96 from 602 votes
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Ingredients 

For the dressing:

For the vegetables:

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.

Recipe Video

Notes

  1. 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.
  2. White wine vinegar: Or substitute apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, or even lime juice.
  3. Corn: Regular canned sweet corn or frozen corn may be substituted for the extra sweet “shoepeg” corn. The closest measurement for either option is ¾ cup, but feel free to use the whole 15-ounce can of corn.
  4. 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, ½ cup each.
  5. Storage: This recipe keeps for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 cupCalories: 80kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 2gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 4mgPotassium: 140mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 402IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 10mgIron: 1mg
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

4.96 from 602 votes (445 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. I can’t eat green bell pepper for some reason, so I substitute yellow and added jalapeรฑo. It’s delicious5 stars

    Reply

  2. All I can say is WOW! This is the cowboy caviar of my dreams.. Iโ€™ve tried so many recipes and this is the keeper! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  3. Very tasty!!!! I changed it up a bit. Just added red kidney beans and oregano stewed tomatoes. I suggest not using so much sugar. So itโ€™s not too sweet however. Good with lime tortillas5 stars

    Reply

  4. Iโ€™m wanting to make this so badly but I am wondering about omitting the oil? I know that sounds weird but I wonโ€™t be able to use any kind of oil. Do you have any suggestions?

    Reply

    1. Hi CiJi, other readers have omitted the oil and loved it! I would think adding some avocado would give some of the mouthfeel and texture of having an oil in it. Hope you love this dip! – Meggan

  5. This is an all-time favorite for all that I make it for! Everyone loves it seriously!! I have substituted honey instead of sugar and it is just as good. You would never know that I substituted anything.5 stars

    Reply

  6. Tried this recipe on a whim and LOVED IT!! It’s our go to recipe for parties and any time we want it at home. So glad I happened on this!5 stars

    Reply

    1. Hi Kathy, this dip contains ingredients that are naturally gluten-free. If you are making this for someone who is sensitive to gluten, please make sure to check the labels to make sure the ingredients are not processed in a facility that processes gluten-containing items, and that they do not have any additives that may contain it. – Meggan

    2. It is, I promise, as a celiac. Made an account just to post this lol

      Also I would just call this bean salad, mexican style, personally. Bean salad is a trio of beans soaked in high vinegar and somewhat high sugar dressing, and sometimes tossed with fresh green beans and onions, but in this case it mixes mexican ingredients. I feel like “mexican bean salad” may also bring up alternatives but I might as well leave a review of the recipe without making it now that I’ve entered my info and say i’m going to try this because fresh, marinated bean salad was my absolute favourite thing as a child and I haven’t been able to even see it once since moving from Oregon to Canada when I was 12.

    3. I didn’t realize the writer replied and I didn’t have to sign up LOL.
      The only ingredient that may ‘contain traces of wheat’ are the canned beans. Some facilities process wheat and or barley and may say, “May contain wheat, barley” or “may contain traces of wheat, barley” or “processed in a facility that also processes wheat, barley” and all of those would be an immediate no.

      On top of that, if you are making it for gluten free guests, you have to make sure to use utensils that have been (preferably) never touched gluten to begin with (cutting board, knife, fork to whisk the dressing, bowl to mix the dressing) and if they have touched gluten at some point in their life, if they are glass and not scratched it is likely to be safe to use however I normally wash them 10x with a brand new sponge (also don’t use a sponge you previously used for gluten). Preferably use gluten free equipment alltogether and ask the severity if you are not able to, explaining what you have on hand.

      If YOU are the gluten free person, it’s all up to you and how sensitive you are

    4. Thank you so much for taking the time to write, Sabrina! I appreciate you taking the time to write and share your expertise on this so food can be safely prepared for those with gluten sensitivities. Thank you again! – Meggan

    1. Thanks for writing, Mary! I’m glad you were able to tweak it to your liking! – Meggan

  10. Yum to the Yum Yum! Delicious, Delicious, Delicious! Simple recipe. I like that it did not have avocado in it as my husband hates avocado and it turns brown. I tried for the first time at a party and everyone RAVED about it. So easy and good. This recipe is a keeper for me.5 stars

    Reply

    1. Awww thanks Jeanine! I appreciate that. So glad you tried it and everyone loved it ๐Ÿ™‚ – Meggan