Cowboy Caviar
This homemade cowboy caviar recipe is made with all-natural ingredients! Serve it as salad or dip—it'll be a hit at your next party. Vegan and gluten free.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 5, 2024
Y’all know I’m from Oklahoma, right? I grew up eating cowboy caviar, also called Texas caviar. It’s a classic bean salad recipe popular in the South. You can serve it as a side salad or as salsa. Either way, people go crazy for cowboy caviar at potlucks.
Cowboy caviar is made with black-eyed peas and black beans, chopped tomatoes, corn, bell pepper, onion and cilantro tossed in tangy Italian dressing. I typically think of cowboy caviar as a warm weather salad, but it’s made with ingredients that are readily available year-round.
Cowboy caviar is actually perfect for New Year’s if you’re craving something fresh yet hearty, and trying to hit your black-eyed pea quota!
I have one issue with most cowboy caviar recipes—they’re often swimming in store-bought Italian salad dressing. As such, they can be way too oily and contain some unnecessary preservatives. Instead, I whisked together a simple, homemade Italian dressing from scratch. It’s easy to do and tastes fantastic.
This recipe yields a big bowl of dip, but I don’t think you’ll have any trouble polishing it off. I hope you enjoy this cheekily titled delight!
Cowboy Caviar Ingredients
You’ll find the full recipe below. The Italian dressing is made with pantry ingredients. Here’s what you need to know about the fresh ingredients:
Black-Eyed Peas and Black Beans
Beans form the backbone of this healthy salad. Canned beans are fine to use, or you can cook your own if you’d like. One can is equivalent to one and a half cups cooked beans.
Tip: Drain your beans and corn very well before adding them to the bowl. If they’re watery, they’ll dilute the flavor of the vinaigrette.
Corn
Depending on the season and availability, you might prefer to shuck fresh corn, or use frozen corn (simply soak it in cool water until fully defrosted), or open a can of corn.
Tomatoes
Ripe red tomatoes are ideal. When tomatoes aren’t in season, I reach for Roma tomatoes (three to four of them) or cherry tomatoes (one pint would be perfect for this recipe). You could use canned tomatoes, but it will change the flavor and the vibe a bit. Fresh is best.
Bell Pepper and Jalapeño
Red, orange or yellow bell pepper will do. If you can tolerate a little heat, you’ll love the jalapeños. If you’re nervous about the jalapeño, you can reduce the spiciness by using just one of them, and being sure to remove the seeds and membranes before chopping.
Red Onion and Cilantro
I know these ingredients can be polarizing and I promise there’s not too much of either in them in this recipe. Don’t skip them!
Tip: Take care to chop your ingredients small to keep with the “caviar” textural theme.
Optional Avocado
While untraditional, ripe avocado is a welcome addition to this bean salad. Wait to add avocado just before serving so it doesn’t brown, or serve individual portions with a few strips of avocado on top.
Watch How to Make Cowboy Caviar
How to Serve Texas Caviar
Serve your cowboy caviar as a bean salad or as a dip with sturdy tortilla chips. This recipe happens to be vegan and gluten free, so it will please everyone at a party. It’s also a great healthy snack to keep in the fridge and keeps well for several days.
Cowboy caviar is lovely for lunch with a sandwich or quesadilla, or even for breakfast with scrambled or fried eggs and a warm tortilla.
You can also turn this dip into a green salad by serving it on lettuce. Add a squeeze of lime, some crumbled feta and a sprinkle of crushed corn chips or toasted pepitas (green pumpkin seeds).
More Fresh Bean Salads to Make
Love this cowboy caviar? You’ll also enjoy these vibrant bean salads.
- Favorite Chickpea Salad
- Fresh Black Bean Salad
- Greek Lentil Salad
- Lemon-Parsley Bean Salad
- Lemony Lentil and Chickpea Salad with Radish and Herbs
Please let me know how your cowboy caviar turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Healthy Cowboy Caviar
This cowboy caviar recipe (also known as Texas caviar) is made from scratch with all-natural ingredients! Serve it as a dip, salsa or salad—it’ll be a hit at your next party. Recipe yields a lot of “caviar,” about 8 cups.
Ingredients
Cowboy caviar
- 2 cans (14 ounces each) black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained, or 3 cups cooked black-eyed peas
- 1 can (14 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked black beans
- 1 ½ cups fresh or defrosted frozen corn kernels (about 2 ears of corn), or 1 can (14 ounces) corn, drained
- 1 ½ cups chopped ripe tomatoes (about ¾ pound)
- 1 medium red, orange or yellow bell pepper, chopped
- ¾ cup chopped red onion (about ½ small red onion)
- ½ cup chopped cilantro, leaves and stems
- 1 to 2 jalapeños, ribs removed, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 avocado (optional)
Italian dressing
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar or lime juice
- 2 medium cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons salt, to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large serving bowl, combine the drained black-eyed peas, black beans, corn, chopped tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, cilantro and jalapeño. If you’ll be including avocado, wait to dice it until you’re ready to serve the dip, so it doesn’t turn brown in the meantime.
- In a cup, whisk together the dressing ingredients until well blended. Drizzle the dressing over the serving bowl and toss until well mixed. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. If you’d like the salad to have more of a pickled flavor, add another tablespoon of vinegar, or for more richness, add another tablespoon or two of olive oil.
- For best flavor, let the mixture marinate for at least 20 minutes before serving. If you’re adding avocado, mix it in just before serving.
Notes
Serving suggestions: Don’t forget the chips! I also like to turn this dip into a green salad by serving it on lettuce with a squeeze of lime, some crumbled feta and a sprinkle of crushed corn chips or toasted pepitas.
Storage suggestions: This dip keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
This is without a doubt one of my family’s all time favorites!! I am constantly being asked to make it for family gatherings. It takes a bit of time to chop all the veggies, but it’s always well worth the effort! Even while my family was away on vacation, we had to make it to have on hand in the fridge. This one’s a winner!! Thanks Kate!!
You’re welcome, Sandy! I’m glad everyone likes it so much.
Hi there. Thanks for this healthy recipe. I’m going to try to make it today. My husband is going on a plant-based diet for his heart disease, and I would love to find other good, plant-based recipes. He has been a carnivore all his life, and this is going to be a challenge. Thanks.
Good luck, Susan! I hope you can find some good recipes here. Check out my Meatless Recipes that Carnivores Will Love list, too!
We’re plant-based! I sub vegetable broth for the oil. Tastes just the same.
Forgot to take a picture when I made this yesterday for our opening of the deck party season. Love this healthier Cowboy Caviar recipe and have made it several times in the past. If I have any leftovers we eat them over a green salad the next day. Delicious with corn chips as well. One substitution that I made was using local green onions from the Farmer’s Market instead of the red onions. I love your blog and have made many of your recipes; keep up the great work!
Thank you Coleen! I’m jealous that it’s summer party season where you are– Kansas City is still quite drizzly and cool! So happy you loved the recipe.
I love your fresh Mexican recipes! There is so much color and flavor in each bite–red onions, cilantro, corn, tomato, black beans. Ugh, can’t get enough! In addition, I made some baked sweet potato chips to scoop up the caviar, and it added a really sweet taste to the dish. Five stars!
Homemade sweet potato chips sound amazing with this, Ally. I’ll have to try that!
Made this dip for the lake for the 4th of July. So delicious everyone loves it! Even my husband who would typically not like a dip like this. Super refreshing! Thanks for sharing!
It sounds like a hit! Thanks, Wendy.
Definitely a crowd pleaser, and I can eat on it for days. I often make it with a can of hominy in addition to or as a replacement for corn.
Hominy addition sounds great! Thanks so much for your review and feedback, Meg!
Has anyone made this without the oil?
Can I omit the olive oil or use balsamic vinegar?
Hi Julie – If you want to omit the olive oil, I would replace with another neutral oil (like avocado or something similar). You can increase the lime juice/vinegar to cut down on the oil. For the dressing it needs an oil to make it more of a dressing to help coat. Balsamic would likely be to potent. Hope this helps!
If you’re trying to make it “healthy”, why not use dry beans instead of canned?
Sorry, I’m not quite following. “Healthy” means a lot of things to different people, so I’m not sure if you’re referencing the sodium content of canned beans (in which case, choose low-sodium varieties) or the potential BPA content in the can lining (in which case, choose BPA-free options, available at Trader Joe’s or from Eden brand, etc.). Otherwise, canned beans are not different from home-cooked beans.
Kate I love this recipe it gets requested every time we have a potluck at work.. I only made one minor adjustment by leaving out the bell peppers. I use wildflower honey and fresh lime juice really delicious. Thank you for all your great recipes.
You’re welcome, Robin!
I am making this recipe for our condo gathering for Canada Day. It tastes great just like all your recipes. One question about measuring herbs, like cilantro, in this case, or parsley, measure before or after chopping?
Great question! For this, measurement is for when it’s chopped. Thanks for the comment and review!
It was astounding how little flavor this had. I followed it exactly and made no substitutions. Quite disappointing.
I’m sorry you felt that way, Jennifer! You could always increase your favorite amount of seasoning, if you like.
Love how quick & easy this recipe is! It’s perfect to bring to large family get-togethers, where I have a couple relatives who are gluten-free and/or vegan and sometimes have difficulty eating from the variety of items at a potluck. I also love that it’s healthier than the version I’m used to at my work gatherings – when given the recipe, i was shocked to learn how much sugar was in it!
Thanks for sharing, Taija!
I made this for dinner last night for the first time. I left out the second can of black eyed peas and used store-bought, pre-prepped chunky avocado instead of fresh and mixed it together even though I wasn’t serving it just yet, and it was so.flippin.good. I can’t wait to make it again. My husband and I ate almost all of it by ourselves, leaving just enough for a taste of it for lunch for me today that I ate as a salad.
This is going on my favorites list!
Favorite list worthy, I love it! Thank you for sharing, JM.
I am making this Cowboy Caviar for the second time in as many weeks and what a huge hit it has been! I adore the aromatic fragrances of the combinations of vegetables and herbs this dish has to offer. I substituted a poblano pepper for the jalapeño, which made it milder for my non-spicy loving guests, but it gave it a little zest for the rest of us. I will prepare it again just for us next time. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe with us.
Wonderful, Karon! Thanks for your review.
Hi Kathryne,
I made this to bring to a big birthday party, so I’d have something to eat (being vegetarian). And let me tell you- it was a big hit! As per your comments, I brought an avocado there and sliced it right before serving – it adds the perfect creaminess and would highly recommend it. I adapted the recipe slightly by using some chickpeas, in place of all black eye peas and black beans. The salad is so colorful and is a great addition to add some ‘pop’ to any table. Thanks again for the recipe; I’ll definitely be making it again and will add it to my repertoire.
That’s great! Thank you for your comment and review, Suzy!
Hello,
I plan to make this! Sounds delicious. Do you cook the fresh corn first or just cut it off the cob?
Thank you,
Julie Anderson
You can just cut it right off the cob!:)
HI Kate. Yummy recipe, I had never heard of Cowboy Caviar so thank you for exposing me to this receipe. It is so fresh, I used fresh corn which made it extra tasty. I had to use other beans as black-eyes peas are hard to find here (France). I love all of the fresh ingredients and the fact that isn’t a super easy (no cooking) recipe and low cost. Thank you!
You’re welcome! Thanks for your review, Malia.
I’ve made the cowboy caviar recipe a few times now and everyone loves it!
Hi Kate!
Would this recipe be ok to make the night before? I want to bring this to my office potluck! Wondering if it might be best to save the dressing for when I’m going to be serving…
I was asked to bring black-eyed peas to a New Year gathering. Made this and it was SO GOOD. Put a scoop of leftovers in your sweet potato chili. Yum!
I’m glad you loved it, Jeanne! Thanks for your review. I like the way you used your leftovers!
Is the nutrition calculated (estimated) with or without the avocado?
Hi Denise! I did it with the avocado since I love avocado:)
I LOVE this recipe! My 16 month old says “mmm yummy”. ♥️
Hi Kate!
This recipe was exactly what I was looking for since I made a big batch of Rancho Gordo lucky black-eyed peas for another recipe and the left over beans were staring at me every time I opened the fridge. Made this today as written, with frozen corn since it’s April..and it’s amazing!
We went plant-based in January and hubby was given your cookbook by a co-worker and we’ve loved it and your recipes here.
Also, nice to know you’re from Oklahoma – me too, been gone for a loooong time but still love flavors from my childhood.
Thanks for all you do!
Marie
I made this for my book club and everyone loved it!! They all, even the ones who do not cook very much, wanted the recipe.
Thank you!!
I love it! Thank you for letting me know it was a hit, Carol.
I am so grossed out by roaches and bugs crawling all over this page in ads. I can’t even stay on the page.
Can this be frozen/thawed?
Hi Jordana! I haven’t tried it with this one. I don’t know if this one would give you a great thawed result. Let me know if you try it!
Sharing this recipe for Cowboy Caviar. It looks so good.
Forget about being a salad, this caviar is the bomb. I eat this as my main course with some baked tortilla chips. It’s rather addicting and tough to stop eating. I have tried so many of your recipes lately (especially salads) and its hard to say which I like best (however this is definitely a contender). So happy I found your website. Thank you.
Love cowboy caviar. I’m making your version for new years gotta have those blackeyed peas for luck in 2021!!!
Thank you, Theresa!
This is my go-to and favorite Cowboy Caviar recipe – can’t get enough of it!
Great to hear this is your favorite, Jill! I appreciate your review.
Stellar Hit! Always a Request. I use 3x amount of fresh corn to balance the beans & use fresh lime juice & real maple syrup. Yummy & a feel great healthy addiction. ❤
I made the Cowboy Caviar for a friend and served it over lettuce from my garden with a side of goat cheese and thinly sliced grilled pork. My cilantro had just gone to seed so I substituted fresh mint, opted for mesquite honey and lime to make the dressing. I used fresh peas and fresh corn and no black beans. It was fantastic!
Each Cookie and Kate recipe has been so fresh, balanced and zings with nutrition! This is just the way we enjoy eating—delicious and fresh! Thank you!
That sounds delicious, Adriana! Thank you for your review.
Another family favorite from Cookie & Kate! I have shared this recipe too and everyone loves it!
I’m glad this one is a hit, Margaret! Thank you for your review.
Absolutely delicious!
Thank you, Joyce! Glad you enjoyed it.
Oh my gosh Kate!! Another winner. Delish!! This is so much better than what I’ve had with bottled Italian dressing. Thanks again for a real keeper recipe! Tell Cookie hello!
This is the best Texas caviar I’ve had. I’m from Texas and love this stuff. Everyone at work liked it too. Thanks for the recipe. Tell Cookie I said hey!!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Lisa! I appreciate your review.
Hi Kate, Can you sub a store bought Italian dressing for this instead of the dressing? If so, what is the measusrment?
Hi Krissi, I prefer this as is. I would estimate shy of 1/2 cup.
I have another recipe for this called Texas Caviar but not too healthy. I am so excited to try this version. Going to make it for Superbowl and since we are not going to any parties, don’t have to share. Look forward to the leftovers for lunch too.
Thanks Kate for such great recipes. I love your cookbook!
I hope it was a hit, Jill! Thank you for your feedback and glad you are loving my cookbook. :)
This is the second recipe I have really enjoyed from you, this is very yummy I just omitted the corn because I don’t eat corn (GMO).
Do you prefer dressing with apple cider vinegar or lime juice. I was thinking lime juice
Either is delicious! I hope you try it, Gaye.
Coming from Mississippi, I fondly refer to it as “Redneck Caviar.”
Thank you. This pairs well with Spaghetti Westerns.
Thank you for sharing, Rod!
Hi Kate, I’ve always loved so many of your recipes and will continue to make them again and again. However, I’m seriously considering unsubscribing to your blog. Over the last many months I’ve been so disappointed; I haven’t seen very many new, interesting or innovative recipes. I used to get on a new recipe from you pronto. Now I’m seeing a lot of pedestrian and recycled recipes. I do understand that you have a child and that takes a lot of your time, but imo this blog is suffering as a result. I do wish you all the very best luck and nothing but wonder and love in the coming year.
Hello, I’m sorry to hear you are disappointed. I am working on brand new recipes that I’m excited to share them in the new year.
Thank you for reposting this and bringing it to my attention! It’s summer here in New Zealand so this couldn’t be more appropriate. It’s always useful finding ways to use pulses/beans/peas in the summer. It seems similar to your black bean salad which I would rather eat than chocolate, so I’m looking forward to making it! I’ll be using the first tomatoes of the season from my garden. Happy New Year!
Great New Year’s Day treat! I have made this several times now. I left out the syrup and added a bit of Cajun seasoning & some celery. Replaced jalapeños with mild Hatch green chillies for friends who aren’t into a lot of heat.
Thank you for sharing, Carla!
Hi Kate,
Thanks for sharing this recipe for black eyed peas. Happy New Year and thanks for all your amazing recipes. We had the most wonderful Fluffy Cinnamon Oat Pancakes this morning from your book, “Love Real Food.” My grandkids loved them. We’ll have the Best Waffles Ever tomorrow. I love that your recipes use healthy ingredients.
All the best for 2023!
Deborah
That’s great to hear, Deborah! I appreciate your review.
I am eating this right now! OMG so delicious – this will become a staple around here. I couldn’t locate canned black-eyed peas, so I just used all black beans, and it is delicious. Thanks!!
It was a great recipe! Full of protein and vitamins, thank you. Of course, we must remember that when we travel with ghasedak24 tours, especially air tours, we must avoid fatty and heavy foods to avoid digestive problems.
Thanks so much for this recipe! I have never had cowboy caviar before but I knew it would be good because it is filled with all my favorite ingredients. It makes a ton! Next time I’ll cut it down to half, but of course the two of us had no problem eating it up in a few days.