Cowboy Caviar is one recipe everyone raves about!

A fresh, simple dip that can be thrown together in under 15 minutes!

This Cowboy Caviar makes a great side dish for any picnic, potluck, or party, and is a great way to use up your summer produce!

Cowboy Caviar in a glass bowl with tortilla chips

I tried cowboy caviar for the first time at a potluck last summer and was instantly obsessed

I didn’t expect it from this unassuming, summery dip that at first glance I confused with chunky salsa or pico de gallo, but one bite and I knew that I was hooked for life.

The saltiness of the chips combined with the freshness of the tomatoes, the crispness of the pepper, the subtle heat of the jalapeno, the faint hint of lime and garlic…. It was heaven.

A replication of the highest order was necessary, and since that first fateful bite last year, I have perfected my own recipe for cowboy caviar and I am so excited to share it with you today.

Ingredients for cowboy caviar in a glass bowl

I made this cowboy caviar for my family last weekend for Easter, and after baking both my signature carrot cake and coffee cake for brunch, I wanted something a little less sweet, and definitely something that wouldn’t require turning on the oven.

This cowboy caviar is easy to make, just a matter of chopping your veggies and tossing everything together.

If you ask me, the trick to the best possible cowboy caviar is to dice the ingredients that need dicing (the tomatoes, onion, pepper, etc — not the beans!) very small, the smaller the better.  Try to keep your tomato and avocado pieces petite rather than big and chunky (about bean-sized works great!).  An easy way to do this is with my favorite chopper, including for the tomatoes!

To easily cut my avocado, I like to slice it in half and then score it into small pieces using my knife, then just scoop everything out into the bowl with a large spoon!

cowboy caviar in a bowl

Everyone who tried this cowboy caviar loved it and the bowl was scraped clean in record time.

P.S. As you can see in the pictures, I love serving these with tortilla chips, but cowboy caviar also tastes amazing eaten straight by the spoon!

image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text
Cowboy Caviar in a glass bowl with tortilla chips
4.98 from 1210 votes
Author Samantha

Cowboy Caviar

Author Samantha
Servings 12 servings
A fresh, simple dip that can be thrown together in under 15 minutes! This Cowboy Caviar makes a great side dish for any picnic, potluck, or party, and is a great way to use up your summer produce!
Servings 12 servings
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
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Ingredients  

  • 3 Roma tomatoes seeds removed, diced
  • 2 avocados diced
  • cup diced red onion
  • 1 (15 ounce) can canned black beans rinsed and drained
  • 1 (15 ounce) can canned black eyed peas rinsed and drained
  • cups frozen corn kernels thawed
  • 1 bell pepper diced, any color
  • 1 jalapeño seeds removed, finely diced
  • cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • Tortilla chips for serving

DRESSING

  • cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions 

  • Combine tomatoes, avocado, onion, black beans, black eyed peas, corn, pepper, jalapeno pepper, and cilantro in a large bowl. Toss/stir well so that ingredients are well-combined.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, red wine vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
  • Pour dressing over other ingredients and stir/toss very well.
  • Keep refrigerated. If not serving immediately, be sure to toss/stir well before serving.

Notes

Calories do not include tortilla chips.
Frozen Corn: I just usually toss it in the salad frozen unless I plan on eating it immediately, it thaws quite quickly.
4.98 from 1210 votes

Nutrition Information

Serving: 0.75cup | Calories: 211 | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 240mg | Potassium: 506mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 540IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Appetizer
Cuisine American

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About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
See more posts by Holly

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4.98 from 1210 votes (981 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. Delicious and refreshing! I didn’t add any avocado just to save WW points, but I’m sure it only adds to it! A+

  2. This is a fantastic recipe. I made for a potluck (cowboy themed) so it was perfect. For the most part I stuck to the recipe but mad a few tweaks but using both red onion and green onions. I also added a healthy dash of Worcestershire as I found other recipes that featured this as an additional ingredient. Pretty easy to make just time consuming with lots of chopping but worth it for sure. I will definitely make this dish again.5 stars

  3. I just made the candy bacon I’m going to try cowboy caviare soon as I get All the ingredients and there’s more I send this to my family and friends too5 stars

  4. This recipe was wonderful. I substituted cannellini beans for black eyed peas and added 2 jalapeños. You can also just use canned sweet corn. I also love the taste of cherry tomatoes instead of Roma tomatoes. I just diced those up and it was a hit! Thank you for the recipe!5 stars

  5. This is my go-to party dish, and it gets rave reviews every time. I also make this as a vegan salad meal by adding salad green and rice or quinoa!!!5 stars

  6. Had this at a summer bbq and found this recipe to make it at home. It makes a lot but it’s so delicious that it gets eaten fast in my home. I like it for brunch with sunny side eggs on top. Love and will be making this often!5 stars

  7. I made this and it’s really tasty! I added some chopped green onion as well. I like to put some on top of chopped romaine and take as a lunch salad.5 stars

  8. It was a big hit but not a lot eaten. I am wondering if it can be frozen or how long it keeps. With just two of us eating on it, it will be around for days and longer.4 stars

  9. Delicious. Made it for my granddaughters last family meal as she heads to college. Everyone loved it. Added extra chicken to feed 7. Thanks.5 stars