Cowboy Caviar, or Texas Caviar, is a healthy, flavorful, and easy dip recipe with delicious chunks of avocado. Full of diced veggies and a healthy serving of beans, this dip is a can’t go wrong appetizer or Texas side dish perfect for party crowds, big football games, or as a stay at home movie snack.
You don’t need a Sunday or a big party to sit down and make up this delicious Cowboy Caviar – however it IS one of the most perfect football party side dishes!
Full of chunky vegetables, delicious sweet red onions and a balance of hearty beans, this easy recipe is no doubt perfect to chow when you are vegging out in front of the TV!
Why you will love this Perfect Party Side Dish
Salsa’s and dips are delicious and fun to eat year round and with very little work, this recipe is truly a dump and enjoy version of a simple and easy appetizer. Of course no one can eat just one dip (nor should they have to) so add cream cheese bean dip and creamy cucumber dip to the table for a trio of amazingness!
And while this no-nonsense dip itself is just a prep of cutting up the veggies (yay for no cooking!), you can go one step further, add some beef or chicken and really make Cowboy Caviar into a savory and filling Mexican Nacho night.
Ingredients
This Cowboy Caviar dip is a dangerously delicious and easy side dish recipe. You likely have many of these ingredients on hand already, but here is a quick glance grocery list to grab.
- black beans, drained and rinsed
- pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- corn (frozen or canned, drained, is fine)
- tomato
- cilantro
- orange peppers
- red peppers
- yellow pepper
- red onions
- jalapeno
- chili powder
- cumin
- salt
- black pepper
- olive oil
- lime
- avocado
- tortilla chips
How to make the Best Cowboy Caviar
Make sure to check out the printable recipe card for full step by step instructions and ingredients.
- Add the first 10 ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
- Gently combine and mix them together.
- Add the seasoning (chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper) and mix well.
- Drizzle olive oil and squeeze lime juice onto mixture (making a light tangy vinaigrette) and mix well to evenly coat. Add fresh cilantro leaves.
- Refrigerate for 2-4 hours or overnight to let flavors mingle and marinate for the boldest flavors.
- Stir well before serving. Occasionally the fridge may dry out dip if not sealed properly, so its fine to add an additional tablespoon of oil if necessary. Serve dip with tortilla chips.
Add Healthy Avocado for Ultimate Cowboy Caviar!
While this cowboy caviar recipe above has no avocado, you can easily add chunks of it right before serving.
Remember that avocado starts to turn brown over time when exposed to the air, so make sure this ingredient is the last thing you add prior to serving and eating to avoid it oxidizing all day.
What to Serve with Texas Caviar
Chunky dips like Texas Caviar with beans and corn typically need flat surfaces to scoop up big delicious tastes.
- homemade tortilla chips
- crunchy crostini’s
- crispy corn tortillas
Is Cowboy Caviar Keto Friendly?
I get asked if Cowboy Caviar is Keto and Low Carb a lot. While beans are an amazing source of natural protein, they are not keto friendly if you are on a strict diet.
That doesn’t mean this football dip isn’t a great choice over other party side dishes.
Here are estimated nutritional values.
Disclaimer: Dietary information provided by Carb Manager. If you are on a KETO or Low Carb diet, always make sure to double check your own information with this or My Fitness Pal based on the brands and weights you use.
I am not responsible for the calculations but do try to provide as much information as possible for readers to make informed decisions.
FAQ’s
This is another famous recipe that Helen Corbitt created in the 1940s. She is the same one that made my favorite dip in the world “Neiman Marcus Dip.”
Yes, this recipe is completely vegan. It is full of whole foods like beans and fresh herbs.
Wow, you have some dip left?? All jokes aside, if you have excess of this recipe, it is best NOT to freeze cowboy caviar. This recipe needs to be served fresh. If you do have left overs, I suggest making them a meal serving them on top of White Chicken Enchiladas instead.
Black beans and Pinto Beans are best for this dip as shown, however, its fine to vary beans like Kidney beans, Black-eyed peas and Navy beans if you like.
Cilantro either tastes super fresh and almost sweet or it tastes like soap. If you are one of those people that hates cilantro, then you can leave it out.
A really great substitute for cilantro is green onions.
Related Recipes
- Mexican Ground Beef Casserole
- Mexican Street Corn Salad with Feta
- Cilantro Lime Rice
- Mexican Grilled Corn with Mayo
- Mexican Chicken Chili
- Spicy Dorito Taco Salad
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Cowboy Caviar
Ingredients
- 15 oz. black beans - drained and rinsed
- 15 oz. pinto beans - drained and rinsed
- 1 cup corn - frozen or canned
- 1/2 cup tomato - chopped, Roma or Beefsteak
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves - chopped
- 1/3 cup orange bell pepper - diced
- 1/3 cup red bell pepper - diced
- 1/3 cup yellow bell pepper - diced
- 1/3 cup red onions - diced
- 1 jalapeno - seeded and diced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
- juice of 1 lime
- tortilla chips for serving
Instructions
- Drain and rinse beans from can. Draining helps prevent too much moisture as well as the dark black color of the beans making the dip look muddy.
- Add first 10 ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Mix well.
- Measure and dd seasoning (chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper) and mix well.
- Drizzle olive oil and squeeze lime juice onto mixture and mix again to evenly coat.
- Add in chopped fresh cilantro leaves.
- Refrigerate dip for 2-4 hours or overnight to let flavors mingle.
- Stir well before serving, adding an additional tablespoon of oil if necessary.
- Serve with homemade tortilla chips.
Celine says
Can Avocado oil be substituted for olive?
Trisha says
The only difference would be the taste, so its more of a preference. If you like avocado oil, it shouldnt be an problem.
Rebekah says
HI, there, I made this tonight and the red onion was soooo potent. Is there a way to make that less potent? Or should I just use regular onion nexts time? Thanks for the recipe. SOOO Good!
Trisha says
Looks like you got a really ripe onion! I personally love red onions and its one of my favorite thing in different dips, but if its too strong for you, try cutting into tinier pieces so you dont bite down as much OR just halving the onions. Alternatively, you can leave out onions if they bother you, but I feel like the recipe would have less kick.
JoAnn says
Cut your onion up as directed then place in a dish of ice water (covering it completely) for about 15 min. It will just taste like a mild red onion should. I do this all the time when adding red onion to something such as a salad or when your onion is raw and you find you have a beautiful purple onion with way too muck spunk!
Karyl says
How many days is this ok to store in fridge?
Trisha says
The problem with avocado is that it browns very quickly, so I would not keep this more than a day if you have avocado in it.
Paulette says
Can this be canned?
Trisha says
HI Paulette! Unfortunately I am not an expert in canning and I know it requires a lot of rules, so I cannot firmly tell you that you can can this type of recipe.
Erin says
Delicious and easy to make. Great for a summer cookout, too.