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Texas caviar is a classic Texas favorite and delicious appetizer. Three types of beans, corn, onion, jalapeño, tomatoes, and cilantro are marinated in a tangy dressing for a flavorful dish that everyone will love! Perfect with tortilla chips.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- I mentioned that ranch style beans are one of my most-missed foods from when I lived in Texas? This is another. Texas caviar (also known as cowboy caviar) is a super easy, super flavorful side or appetizer that’s perfect for parties, tailgating, and potlucks. Serve it with grilled chicken, fish, or burgers, or just a big basket of tortilla chips.
- There’s no cooking involved, and even the chill time is optional (though recommended). You could have it ready to eat in just 15 minutes!
- This recipe actually makes A LOT of Texas caviar, so if you’re not serving a big group, you might want to cut it in half. It’s super easy to do! Cut the quantities for each ingredient in half, and for the olive oil and red wine vinegar, use 3 tablespoons each.
Key Ingredients
Beans – To lower the sodium content in the Texas caviar, use low-sodium canned veggies, or cook your own from dry. Use roughly 4 cups of cooked beans to replace each type of canned beans in the recipe.
Black-Eyed Peas – These are a MUST for Texas caviar. If you don’t want to use canned black-eyed peas (or if you have trouble finding them), you can cook your own from dry. The Instant Pot is my favorite way to cook them because it’s fast, easy, and you don’t have to soak them first. Check out my post on The Best EVER Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas for all the details!
Corn – I used white corn here, but you could use yellow corn instead. They taste the same! Frozen or fresh corn will work here. If you use frozen, just be sure it’s completely thawed first!
Jalapeños – If you love the heat from jalapeños, you can absolutely use more than the recipe calls for. You could also swap these out with a hotter pepper if you’re brave, but be careful not to overdo it! You don’t want to overshadow the other flavors in the cowboy caviar.
Red Wine Vinegar – Made from red wine, this vinegar gives the Texas caviar a sharp, tangy flavor that’s irresistible. You could also try a white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or balsamic vinegar .
Chef’s Tips
- You can serve the Texas caviar right away, but it’s honestly even better if you chill it in the fridge for a couple of hours first. Chilling it lets all the flavors mingle together so each bite is enhanced.
- Use a little lime juice in the cowboy caviar dressing for an added kick of citrus flavor. It’s a great, easy way to change things up a little! You could also spice it up with a dash or two of your favorite hot sauce.
- If you’re in a rush or just don’t want to mix up your own dressing, try an Italian dressing instead. Your Texas caviar won’t be quite as sweet, but it’ll be tasty!
More Dips, Salsa, and Party Foods You’ll Love
- Addictive Hot Crab Dip (Low Carb, Keto, Gluten Free)
- Beer Cheese Dip
- Guacamole Dip (Restaurant Style)
- Avocado Salsa
- Corn Salsa
- Bean Dip
- Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Cucumber Salsa
Texas Caviar (aka Cowboy Caviar)
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Small bowl
- whisk
Ingredients
For the Texas Caviar
- 2 15-ounce cans black beans drained and rinsed
- 2 15-ounce cans pinto beans drained and rinsed
- 2 15-ounce cans black-eyed peas drained and rinsed
- 2 15-ounce cans white corn drained and rinsed
- 2 jalapeño peppers seeded and finely chopped, optional
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes quartered
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 red bell pepper cored, seeded, finely chopped
- 1 small red onion finely chopped, approximately 1 cup
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro finely chopped
For the Dressing
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- ⅓ cup olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon honey or white sugar or granular Swerve
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
Instructions
- In large bowl, mix together black beans, pinto beans, black-eyed peas, white corn, jalapeño peppers, red bell pepper, red onion, and cilantro until thoroughly distributed.
- In small bowl, whisk together red wine vinegar, olive oil, honey, garlic powder, and salt until combined.
- Pour dressing over bean mixture and gently stir or toss to coat. Serve immediately with tortilla chips, or chill until serving. Note: the flavors are best if you let the dish chill a few hours.
- If halving the recipe, use 3 tablespoons olive oil and 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar.
- Make it Vegan: Use maple syrup, vegan white sugar, or granular Swerve in place of the honey.
- Make it Added-Sugar Free: Use granular Swerve in place of the honey or white sugar.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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Excellent Recipe! I’m so happy I found 40 Aprons! This recipe was easy to follow, great how to instruction as well as extra tips. It was delicious and made a big hit with guests. Thank You!!
We’re so happy you found us, too, Bonita! I’m so happy you and your guests enjoyed this recipe so much!
Hi! I’ve just found your site and haven’t made this recipe yet. Can Texas Caviar be frozen and still retain it’s flavors?
Hi, Bonita! Yes, you can freeze it no problem! Just mix everything together and freeze it in an airtight container. I’d recommend making the dressing fresh or freezing it in a container on its own rather than mixing it in with the other ingredients. That way there’s not as much liquid in with the “caviar” as it defrosts. When you’re ready to serve it, let everything defrost in the fridge at least overnight, then give it a good stir and serve!
Thank you Megan! I’ll post again after I’ve made this.