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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.
How many people will this race?
Hi Julie, I have 12 servings listed in the post which is a rough guess. The recipe makes about 3 quarts of Cowboy Caviar which is 12 cups, so that’s assuming 1 cup per person. I’d say it’s a rough guess because it might depend on how big your onion is or things like that. And of course, it depends on how much your guests each. This is the size recipe I would make for a potluck where there are other dishes around and people will be grazing. I hope this is at least somewhat helpful. Good luck! If you have other questions just let me know. Thanks.
Hi! I was wondering if you can make this in advance? Like the day before an event or do the veggies get gross?
Thanks!
Hi Erika! I think you can make this the night before without problems. I have for sure enjoyed leftovers for a couple of days after without issue. Just in case you have a higher standard for such things, though, you could chop all the vegetables the night before and have them in separate containers, mix up the dressing, and just toss it together shortly before serving it. That would be your best option if you’re worried. Thank you!
Meggan I love this! I made it for the first time today because it was obviously going to be awesome and IT WAS! I just ate some for “lunch” and it will be served alongside burgers and fries tonight! (And probably any leftovers will be paired with the BBQ’ed ribs tomorrow!)
I loved the sugar but didn’t have any white wine vinegar-let me tell you that red wine vinegar works just fine!
I am from Texas and living in Mississippi and I give my stamp of approval but it is probably like BBQ sauce, spaghetti, and chili-everyone has a preference and no way is every the same!
Yay Brittany, that’s so great to hear! I am not surprised that red wine vinegar works. I feel like any kind of vinegar would work. Even the plain old white stuff my mom uses to clean glass, with all that sugar it would probably still taste good. 🙂 So glad you and I agree on Cowboy Caviar! xoxo PS: I had 2 burgers today (one at brunch and one at dinner). I think I might have a problem. LOL
Just wondering if anyone had tried coconut sugar or pure maple syrup to replace the white sugar? I am definitely going to experiment with this to make the recipe totally raw, plant-based. Yum!
Hi Amy, I think that is a great idea! I have been thinking the recipe needs a makeover. I mean, I love it with the sugar but I could eat it all the time, constantly, if it didn’t have all the sugar. 🙂 I will definitely post any updates I figure out. I hope you find something that works for you too!
Thank you Meggan. Love your recipes!
How long can you keep cowboy caviar?
Hi Carol, general storage times for leftovers are about 3 to 4 days, and I think Cowboy Caviar would be good for that long. I hope that helps. If not, just let me know! Thanks!
This is absolutely delicious, thank you so much for sharing. It’s going to become my staple for BBQ’s and parties for sure ?
Hi Nicci, THANK YOU! This is so wonderful to hear and I really appreciate that you took the time to let me know. 🙂 I personally love the stuff and can’t stop eating it, ever. Thanks again and have a wonderful week! 🙂
I made this today. I had to double the recipe because a lot of people were coming over. I should not have added extra sugar, it made it too sweet. First time to double it, won’t add the sugar next time. Or was there something I did wrong?
Hi Tracy, I think it must come down to personal taste. Another reader commented today that he thought it was too sweet, but this is exactly how we ate it growing up and still the way we eat it today. And be “we” I guess I mean everyone I know in the Milwaukee area. If you doubled the vinegar and olive oil, doubling the sugar shouldn’t have been a problem. I will make notes for people to go easy on the sugar though. I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you! You definitely didn’t do anything wrong.
This looks delicious and would love to make it. I do have a question though, do you think I could substitute the green bell pepper with finely chopped celery hearts? Green peppers and I don’t get along to well, but the red ones do not bother me….go figure.
Hey Dani! Yes, I think you should absolutely substitute whatever vegetables you want, ever. Celery hearts would be great. I love the crunch. I put those in my 3-bean salad (which is also full of beans and a sweet/sour dressing) and it’s just perfect. Possibly even better than peppers. I’m going to have to try that next time! Thank you so much. 🙂
I hope I didn’t offend you with my proof reading mention. I just always miss a correction, then go nuts trying to fix it. As for your Xavier. I am sitting in bed in a hosp. With pneumonia. Hungry. Hosp. Food is gross. All I want is a bowl of this Xavier and tortilla chips. Mouth watering, and stomach growling.