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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.
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
Cowboy Caviar ingredients
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
- 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 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
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.
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 Recipe
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 chopped fresh cilantro or fresh parsley, from 1 bunch
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
- 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 ¾ c., but feel free to use the whole 15-oz. can of corn.
- Yield: This recipe makes about 12 c. of Cowboy Caviar (more or less depending on the size of your bell peppers). It’s enough for 24 servings, ½ c. each.
- Storage: This recipe keeps for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Yummy goodness, just the thing for summer BBQ
Thank you for your comment, Rosalie! Take care! – Meggan
I’ve made this several times. Everyone loves it. Especially on a hot day. Goes great with Watermelon.❤️🤗
I’m so glad you keep coming back to my recipe! Thanks so much Barbara! I appreciate you! -Meggan
Cowboy Caviar originated in Texas, not the Midwest. Still doesn’t take away from this great recipe though. A+
An acquaintance gave me a similar recipe that I made and took to a family gathering but I think she left the dressing out therefore it was not a hit at all. I really am looking forward to trying your version. It looks so delicious and healthy.
I hope you love it, MerlesGirl! – Meggan
Is there a way to make this last longer in the fridge? Would keeping the dressing separate and making single serve portions to “marinate” each day work? I want to use it as a healthy snack with pita or chips but I’m likely the only one that will be eating it so may not make it through all of it in 3-4 days.
Hi Carrie, thank you so much for your question! In this situation, I recommend scaling the recipe down by half, which should make about 6 cups total. While keeping the dressing separate from the salad should prolong its freshness, the dressing should also still be consumed in 3 to 4 days. Since beans don’t typically come in smaller cans, you can freeze the unused beans by rinsing them, placing them in a freezer-safe bag or container, covering them with water (make sure they are submerged) and freezing. They can be thawed in the refrigerator overnight for when you’re ready to make your next batch. Leftover diced bell peppers can also be pat dry with a paper towel and placed in a freezer safe bag, squeezing all the air out, and stored in the freezer as well. In my experience, fresh tomato doesn’t freeze well. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any more questions! – Meggan
Can this be frozen after mixing everything together?
Hi Taylor, thank you for the question! I am not sure it would hold up well. The flavors would be fine, but I suspect the texture (especially the tomatoes) would be quite mushy after freezing and thawing. I wouldn’t really recommend it. Take care and please write if you have any more questions! – Meggan
It was really yummy and a huge hit at happy hour. Next time I think I will reduce the olive oil a tiny bit and add a little extra vinegar
Hi Amanda, I’m so glad you loved it! Take care! – Meggan
I really like this. I love to bring it to potlucks because it is so easy to make, and is vegan. It can be served as a dip, or a side dish, or, my favorite as a hearty veggie lunch.
I’m so glad you love it, Nancy! Thank you for your comment! Take care! – Meggan
This is a great combination of sweet and “kick.” However, I did scale back the chili pepper and add the juice of 1/2 a lime. Doubled the recipe and took it to a church dinner. There we no leftovers! Definitely a keeper.
Hi Barbara, thank you for your comment! Glad it was a hit! Take care! – Meggan
I absolutely love this recipe! My kids, husband AND father-in-law all LOVED it. My favorite part about this dish is that it’s so versatile; it can be a topping, a dip(with corn chips delish), or a side dish. You can make it a day before serving, I think it even tastes better the next day so its great to take to a party. Its also a mix of fresh veggies & some canned so super easy to throw together and actually there’s no cooking involved so anyone cam make this
Hi Kelly, thank you! I agree, it tastes so delicious the second day! Take care! – Meggan