This contemporary and colourful Cowboy Caviar recipe combines two kinds of beans, scrumptious summer season greens, and a candy and tangy lime French dressing dressing to make a daring and versatile dish that I at all times make all summer season lengthy. It’s an important chip dip, occasion appetizer, taco topper, salad add-on, or only a easy aspect dish. Plus, cowboy caviar holds up nice within the fridge, so it has turn out to be my go-to wholesome meal prep. I actually by no means get bored with it!


All recipes are rigorously examined in our Nashville Take a look at Kitchen to make sure they’re simple, inexpensive, and scrumptious.
“These things is implausible. Make it the day earlier than you plan to serve it to let the flavors mingle. It’s nice on burritos, scrambled eggs, over rice, on a chip…This can be a staple recipe in my home.”
Austin
What’s Cowboy Caviar?
Cowboy caviar, typically known as Texas Caviar or Mexican Caviar, is a cross between a bean salad and a contemporary salsa. It combines two kinds of beans, black beans and black-eyed peas, with a colourful medley of contemporary greens and a tangy balsamic-lime French dressing. I serve it as a aspect dish, or a garnish for any variety of meals like tacos, salads, grilled meats, and extra. It’s completely scrumptious, and I do know you’re going to adore it!
Cowboy Caviar
Cowboy Caviar is a deliciously contemporary bean salad with a colourful mixture of beans and greens, plus a zesty lime dressing.


DRESSING*
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.22)
- 1 contemporary lime (2 Tbsp juice) ($0.25)
- 1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp chili powder** ($0.05)
- 1 tsp floor cumin ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/2 tsp sugar ($0.02)
Salad
- 1 15oz. can black beans ($0.94)
- 1 15oz. can black eyed peas*** ($1.24)
- 1 bell pepper (any coloration) ($1.48)
- 2 Roma tomatoes ($0.48)
- 1 jalapeño ($0.33)
- 1/4 pink onion ($0.11)
- 1/4 bunch contemporary cilantro ($0.20)
-
In a small bowl, whisk collectively the olive oil, 2 Tbsp of juice from the lime, balsamic vinegar, chili powder, cumin, salt, and sugar.
-
Rinse and drain each cans of beans in a colander. As soon as properly drained, switch them to a big bowl.
-
Finely cube the bell pepper, tomatoes, jalapeño, and pink onion. Attempt to cube the greens into items which might be roughly the identical dimension because the beans. For a much less spicy salad, scrape the seeds out of the jalapeño earlier than dicing. Roughly chop the cilantro.
-
Add the chopped greens to the bowl with the beans.
-
Pour the dressing over the salad, then stir till every little thing is properly coated. Serve instantly, or refrigerate till able to eat.
See how we calculate recipe prices right here.
-
Chef’s Knife
-
White Chopping Boards
-
Measuring Cups Spoons
**”Chili powder” is a mixture of spices used to season chili, not pure pink pepper.
***As a result of black-eyed peas are technically a “pea” (vegetable), they’re typically discovered with the canned greens moderately than the beans. You can too usually discover them within the freezer aisle, though you’ll wish to boil these black-eyed peas first, in response to the cooking directions on the package deal. And in case you can’t discover black-eyed peas, you’ll be able to substitute pinto beans or navy beans.
Serving: 0.5CupEnergy: 140kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 7gFats: 3gSodium: 122mgFiber: 7g
Learn our full
vitamin disclaimer right here.
Tips on how to Make Cowboy Caviar Step-by-Step Images


Make the dressing: I at all times make the dressing first so the flavors have a couple of minutes to mix. Whisk collectively 2 Tbsp olive oil, 2 Tbsp lime juice, ½ Tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp cumin, ½ tsp chili powder, ½ tsp sugar, and ½ tsp salt.


Prep the components: Rinse and drain one 15oz. can of black beans and one 15oz. can of black-eyed peas in a colander.


Collect one bell pepper (any coloration), two Roma tomatoes, one jalapeño, 1/4 of a pink onion, and 1/4 bunch of cilantro. Whereas any coloration bell pepper can be utilized, I just like the colourful pop of yellow or orange bell pepper.


Finely cube the bell pepper, tomatoes, jalapeño, and pink onion. The thought is to get the items shut in dimension to the beans so that you’ve got a “caviar” sort look ultimately. Roughly chop the cilantro leaves. Place the chopped greens within the bowl with the rinsed beans.


Assemble the salad: Pour the ready dressing over the salad.


Serve: Stir the salad till every little thing is coated within the dressing. Serve instantly or refrigerate till able to eat. That is a type of salads that tastes even higher after it has time to sit back within the fridge, so it’s nice to eat over the course of some days!


Cowboy Caviar Variations
This cowboy caviar recipe is extraordinarily versatile and there are tons of different components you’ll be able to add to make it your individual. Listed here are another components you’ll be able to add:
- Avocado for a creamy end
- A touch or two of scorching sauce to make it additional spicy
- Skip the jalapeño to make a light cowboy caviar
- Use inexperienced onion rather than the pink onion to make it extra gentle, or rather than the cilantro if cilantro isn’t your factor!
- Candy corn provides extra coloration and texture to the combo and generally is a nice low-cost substitution for yellow bell pepper
- I used a combination, however you should utilize any coloration bell peppers you want!
- Recent garlic provides a savory-spicy kick!
- Add canned hominy (drained) for extra coloration and texture
- Use garbanzo beans rather than any of the beans
There are SO some ways to eat cowboy caviar. Truthfully, you’ll most likely end up including it to every little thing you eat. However listed below are a number of concepts anyway:
…and a lot extra. If in case you have a favourite approach to eat this recipe, be at liberty to share it with me within the feedback under!
How Lengthy Does it Final?
Properly, in case you don’t eat it multi function sitting (it may possibly occur!), this cowboy caviar recipe holds up extraordinarily properly within the fridge and can keep good within the fridge for about 3-5 days. Whereas the greens will let off somewhat water, a lot of the components are very sturdy. Simply you should definitely stir the salad earlier than serving to redistribute the dressing. This salad will most likely not freeze properly, as a result of contemporary herbs and greens.
Our Cowboy Caviar recipe was initially printed on 7/9/16. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be higher than ever 5/11/25.


