Cowboy Caviar is a fresh and flavorful Southern dip and side dish made with black-eyed peas, black beans, corn, and tomatoes tossed in a tangy homemade vinegar and lime dressing. Whether you call it redneck caviar, Southern black bean salsa, or Texas caviar, it’s a perfect dish for potlucks, BBQs, and backyard cookouts.
This hearty, veggie-packed dip is quick to toss together and can be enjoyed for days. It’s one of those recipes that lets you use what you have on hand and still impress a crowd!
Why You’ll Love This Southern Cowboy Caviar Recipe
- Great for Gatherings – It feeds a crowd and holds up well at room temperature.
- Full of Fresh Summer Veggies – Perfect way to use garden produce – tomatoes, peppers, and corn are traditional, but you could add cucumbers or roasted squash.
- Customizable – Make it with canned or fresh ingredients.
- Meal Prep Friendly – Stays delicious for days in the fridge.
Kari’s Notes
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Southern Cowboy Caviar Recipe
- Ingredients for Cowboy Caviar (Black-Eyed Pea Dip)
- How to Make Cowboy Caviar
- Recipe Yield
- Storage & Make-Ahead Tips
- Helpful Tips for Perfect Cowboy Caviar
- Easy Cowboy Caviar (Black Eyed Pea Salsa) Recipe
- ❓What is Cowboy Caviar?
- Cowboy Caviar Variations & Substitutions
- What to Serve with Cowboy Caviar
Ingredients for Cowboy Caviar (Black-Eyed Pea Dip)
Cowboy Caviar Dressing Ingredients
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar – If you don’t have red wine vinegar, you can use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
- Chili Powder & Cumin
- Juice of One Lime – Fresh or Bottled
- Kosher Salt
Bean and Veggie Salad
- Black-Eyed Peas, drained & rinsed – Canned or Freshly Cooked. If you can’t find black eye peas (or if you don’t like them), you can substitute pinto beans, navy beans, garbanzo beans, or use extra black beans.
- Black Beans, drained & rinsed – Canned or Freshly Cooked.
- Sweet Corn – Canned, frozen (defrosted and drained), fresh corn (cooked and cut off the cob), or grilled corn (cut off the cob).
- Fresh Tomatoes – Cherry, Roma, or whatever you have in the summer!
- Jalapeño Pepper – Diced, with or without seeds. (Seeds will make it spicier!)
- Red Bell Pepper, diced
- Red Onion, diced – Or swap with green onions for a milder bite.
- Fresh Cilantro
- Optional – Diced Avocado (add just before serving).
This is just a quick rundown – full ingredient amounts and instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
For Serving
- Frito Scoops or Tortilla Chips – Scoop-style chips work best to scoop up all the good stuff!
How to Make Cowboy Caviar
There are two ways to pull this dip together, and both are super easy.
Option 1: Classic Cowboy Caviar Method
- Mix the dressing – Whisk olive oil, vinegar, fresh lime juice, chili powder, cumin, and salt in a small bowl.
- Toss the salad – In a large bowl, combine beans, corn, tomatoes, peppers, onions, and cilantro.
- Dress it up – Pour the dressing over everything, gently toss, and chill for 1 hour or more.
Option 2: The Lazy Method
Just dump it all into a bowl and (gently!) stir. Add the cilantro last to keep it looking fresh.
It looks perfect!
Recipe Yield
This recipe will serve 10-12 people and can easily be doubled or tripled to make an even bigger batch.
Storage & Make-Ahead Tips
- Storage – Keep leftover cowboy caviar in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freshen it Up – Right before serving, add a pinch of salt and a splash of lime juice.
- Do NOT Freeze – The texture will turn to mush.
- Make Ahead – Mix the dressing up to 3 days ahead and chop the veggies the night before. Wait to combine until a few hours before serving for the freshest taste.
Helpful Tips for Perfect Cowboy Caviar
- Let the flavors meld for at least 3 hours.
- Add avocado just before serving to keep it fresh and green.
- Use scoop-shaped chips for dipping – You want every bite to have a bit of everything!
- Cook Your Own Beans – 1 cup of dried beans will give you ~2 cups of cooked beans. I like to cook mine in my Instant Pot.
Whether you’re making it for a backyard BBQ, potluck, or just using up your summer garden haul, this easy cowboy caviar recipe is a total win. It’s healthy, hearty, and endlessly flexible – and everyone always goes back for seconds.
Have You Tried This Recipe?
Please rate it and leave a comment below. I would love to hear what you think!
Easy Cowboy Caviar (Black Eyed Pea Salsa)
Ingredients
- 1 15 ounce can sweet corn drained
- 1 15 ounce can black-eyed peas drained and rinsed
- 1 15 ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 pound tomatoes diced – I use whatever we have, cherry tomatoes, sun gold tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, etc
- 1 cup red bell pepper, diced
- 1 jalapeño seeded and diced
- ½ red onion finely diced
- 1 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- juice of one lime
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the olive oil, red wine vinegar, chili powder, cumin, lime juice, and kosher salt together.¼ cup olive oil, ⅓ cup red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, juice of one lime
- Add the tomatoes, black-eyed peas, beans, corn, red onion, bell peppers, jalapeño pepper, and cilantro, and toss everything gently to combine.1 15 ounce can sweet corn, 1 15 ounce can black-eyed peas, 1 15 ounce can black beans, 1 pound tomatoes, 1 cup red bell pepper, diced, 1 jalapeño, ½ red onion, 1 cup fresh cilantro
- Give a quick taste and adjust the salt – you might need to add more – then cover and chill for at least one hour.
- Serve the caviar with your favorite tortilla chips, as a side dish, or on top of fish, steak, or chicken.
- BUT – if you want to be totally lazy like me, you can just mix it all together, you will just have to stir a little more, so just try your best not to stir too hard because you can accidentally squish the beans! I put the corn, beans, and veggies, then stir – then add oil, vinegar, spices, lime, then cilantro – and stir it all.
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
How to Store Leftovers
Store your chip dip in the fridge in an airtight container. It will keep for about 5 days. To freshen it up before serving, you can sprinkle it with a pinch of salt and a squeeze of fresh lime. Do not freeze this dip.How long can you keep it in the fridge?
If properly stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container, cowboy caviar will keep for up to five days.Helpful Tips
- For the best possible cowboy caviar, mix the ingredients up at least 3 hours ahead of time possible to allow the flavors to really develop.
- Serve this dip with your favorite tortilla chips – it works best with chips that have a scoop, so you can get some of the spicy dressing in each scoop.
Make Ahead Instructions
One of the best things about this tasty side dish is that it can easily be prepared in advance. You can make the dressing up to 3 days ahead of time, then store the dressing in a mason jar or airtight container in the refrigerator. You can also cut up the onions, tomatoes, and peppers the night before you plan on putting the salad together. The next day, drain and rinse the canned beans and corn, then dice up the cilantro and put everything together. (Without the dressing, the black beans will stain the colorful veggies, so it is best to wait to assemble the salad.)Special Equipment Needeed
- a large bowl
- measuring spoons
Nutrition
Nutrition information is approximate and is automatically calculated, so should only be used as a guide.
❓What is Cowboy Caviar?
Cowboy Caviar (also called Texas caviar, redneck caviar, or black-eyed pea salsa) is a colorful veggie and bean salad with a tangy vinaigrette-style dressing. It’s somewhere between a dip and a salad and is perfect for summer snacking or potluck sides.
Originally created by Helen Corbitt in Texas, this dish got its name as a playful nod to real caviar – but it’s packed with fresh veggies, protein-rich beans, and bright, bold flavor. (You can read more about the story of Cowboy Caviar here.)
Cowboy Caviar Variations & Substitutions
Make it your own with what you have on hand:
- Make it Sweeter – Add a teaspoon of sugar if you like a hint of sweetness.
- Switch up the Beans – Try pinto, navy, or garbanzo beans if you’re out of black-eyed peas.
- Short on Time? – Use store-bought Italian dressing instead of homemade.
- Add Protein – Mix in grilled chicken, shrimp, or bacon for a full, hearty meal.
- Turn up the Heat – Add more diced jalapeño or a splash of hot sauce.
- Make it Creamy – Add diced avocado and crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese for a Tex-Mex twist.
What to Serve with Cowboy Caviar
Serve it as a side with your favorite burger, fried catfish, crispy fried shrimp, or grilled steak. It’s also really good with crockpot BBQ chicken or boneless ribs. It’s a great side dish for a fish fry or to bring along to a potluck with a big bowl of Southern potato salad or a bowl of creamy coleslaw.
