Cowboy caviar Great as a dip, relish, salad, salad topping, side dish, taco topper, and on potatoes, tofu scrambles, or any dish you like. A quick and easy soccer snack for your next game! This cowboy caviar recipe is ready in minutes!
It’s football season! When I plan a get together, I pick the freshest and healthiest dips and recipes. Therefore, I decided to make my own unique version of cowboy caviar. My mom used to make a cowboy caviar recipe when I was little. Unfortunately, his version was loaded with oily dressing and canned corn.
For my cowboy caviar recipe, I chose fresh corn on the cob. First, I roast and cut the cobs. Then, I grabbed my favorite veggies and dressed them in an oil-free fresh lime juice dressing without using any oil or fat.
Jump:
What is Cowboy Caviar?
Cowboy caviar is a Texas delicacy but is commonly served as a BBQ and picnic staple throughout the United States. Often served during the summer, this Texas dish has many uses, which is why it’s so popular. So, let’s see how this cowboy caviar recipe works.
- Dip for chips or veggies (I served with black bean and quinoa chips as well as blue tortilla chips)
- Serve as a side dish or side salad.
- Add to a salad such as Chopped Southwest Salad as a salad topping
- Taste for carrot dogs
- Use as a taco topping
- Stuff inside a baked potato
- Place on top of vegan nachos
- Add vegan potato skins on top
- Top with Southwest Tofu Scramble
Without a doubt, Cowboy Caviar is versatile for many recipes!
Recipe ingredients
- Black-eyed peas: Black eyed peas A variety of cowpeas and beans and part of the pea family. Although called a pea, it is a bean. Peas and beans are legumes and contain edible seeds and pods.
- Black beans or pinto beans: Choose black beans, pinto beans, or both. Today, I wanted both, so I added a can of black and pinto beans. Both are very firm, fleshy beans.
- White Onion: Onions give Cowboy Caviar a bold flavor.
- Fresh Corn: Corn is in season, so I chose fresh, sweet corn.
- Roma tomatoes: Roma tomatoes have fewer seeds and are best sliced for salads and stews.
- Red Chilli Bell: Red bell peppers are sweeter and livelier than green peppers.
- Jalapeño: Believe it or not, jalapeños are not as spicy as you might imagine. When the seeds and veins are removed, they lose their intense heat.
- Coriander: Cilantro is a natural flavoring herb perfect for this cowboy caviar recipe.
- Lime: I like fresh lime juice and zest for extra lime flavor.
- Chili Powder: Chili powder is mild to moderately spicy, depending on how much red pepper makes up the mixture. The aromatic and savory spices in the mix create the flavor profile known as Tex-Mex.
- Garlic Salt: Garlic salt is a mixture of garlic and sea salt or kosher salt.
- Garlic Powder: Garlic powder adds an intense, concentrated garlic flavor to a recipe, while garlic cloves add a slightly subtle flavor.
- cumin: Cumin is rich, hearty, earthy and warm, with an edge of citrus. Cumin adds instant depth to any dish.
Substituting recipe ingredients
- An excellent alternative to black-eyed peas is yellow-eyed peas or cowpeas. However, you can add another can of black beans or pinto beans.
- If you don’t have garlic salt, the ratio of garlic powder to salt is one part garlic powder to three parts salt.
- Substitute 1 teaspoon garlic flakes For half a teaspoon of garlic powder. Then, grind the garlic flakes and use as a 1:1 substitute!
- Ground coriander is an excellent substitute for cumin.
Grilling Corn on the Cob
Since corn is in season in Arizona, and it’s $2.00 for 12, I grabbed a bunch of sweet corn.
Since I prefer to grill my corn on the stove rather than boil it, I grill it ahead of time and cut it up to use when needed for recipes. I love grilled corn because of the charred flavor. However, if corn is not in season, you can use canned or frozen corn instead.
- Remove the husk from the corn on the cob
- Preheat grill to medium heat or 400 degrees
- Once the grill is hot, place the corn on the grill grates to get a more even cooking surface.
- Turn the corn every few minutes for 12-15 minutes, depending on how much char you want.
- For my other recipes, like Mexican Street Corn or Charred Corn Salad, where the corn is marinated, you cook the same way.
- Then, remove the corn and let it cool before cutting off the cobs so you don’t burn your fingers.
Making the recipe
Once the corn has cooled on the cob, using a sharp knife, cut the corn off the cobs and place in a large bowl.
For a quick way to chop vegetables, I recommend using a vegetable chopper. Not only does this cut cutting time in half, but it allows everything to be cut evenly.
Then, the rest is easy. Place all ingredients in the bowl with the corn and stir. However, I recommend keeping the Cowboy Caviar in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2-3 hours. But, I like it better refrigerated overnight.
As a result, the components increase over time.
Recipe FAQs
It’s a bright, tangy blend of black beans, black-eyed peas, corn and other fresh vegetables. You can enjoy it as a dip with tortilla chips or eat it as a salad.
The name Cowboy Caviar, also known as Texas Caviar, has some Dallas history. It was created by Helen Corbitt, the legendary culinary director of Neiman Marcus in downtown Dallas in the 1940s. Since then, it has been a potluck staple for many Texans and has even been roasted at the State Fair of Texas.
Invented in the 1950s by Helen Corbitt, the famed Neiman Marcus food director of the 1950s, it was first served as “pickled black-eyed peas” on New Year’s Eve at the Houston Country Club. Soon, it was called “Texas Caviar”.
advice
- Firstly, lime zest is essential as it adds freshness to food.
- Another tip is to make cowboy caviar before any event or party. I made mine 8 hours before serving, which only intensified the flavor combination.
- Additionally, if you make a large batch, you can always plan to use the cowboy caviar for other meals throughout the week.
- My kids love cowboy caviar with chips and vegetable dip!
So, if you’re looking for a great oil-free dip, salad or topping, try Cowboy Caviar! But, of course, your guests will be begging you for the recipe.
If you like this cowboy caviar recipe, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We want to hear from you!
📖 Recipe
Cowboy caviar
The Cowboy Caviar recipe is great as a dip, relish, salad, salad topping, side dish, taco topper, and on potatoes, tofu scramble, or any dish you like. Oil-free, gluten-free, and delicious, make cowboy caviar at your next BBQ or picnic.
instructions
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In a large bowl, add all ingredients
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Stir to combine
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Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve
Comment
- Cowboy caviar tastes better as it mixes, so cover and refrigerate for at least a few hours.
- Use lime juice and zest for maximum flavor.
- Add another can of choice as an entrée salad for more protein or instead of a side dish.
- Use canned or frozen corn if you don’t have access to fresh corn on the cob. However, cook the frozen corn and let it cool before adding it to the bowl with the other ingredients.
- For a sweeter onion appearance, use red onion instead of white onion. Green onions provide a mild flavor.
nutrition
Worship: 12gCalories: 127kcalSugars: 24gProtein: 7gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.2gPolyunsaturated Fats: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.2gTrans fats: 0.003gSodium: 209mgPotassium: 431mgFiber: 7gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 841IUVitamin C: 23mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 2mg
Oh! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher and vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is completely plant-based vegetarian. I truly believe that what we eat and how we live determines our health and the preservation of our planet! 🙂