Want an easy-as-pie-to-make dip with eye-poppin’ every color of the rainbow flavor, filled with fresh veggies?
Try our delicious Garden Fresh Cowboy Caviar with cucumber; it’s great as an appetizer, game-day treat, or a fresh dose of yummy goodness, ready in 20 minutes!
Check the recipe card below for the full recipe.
Garden Fresh Cowboy Caviar
Sometimes, you must change things up and go for the gold.
Making our super delicious, colorful Cowboy Caviar is one way to add a tasty splash of color as the perfect summer appetizer or summer BBQ.
This is cowboy salad, but more like a dip side piece, literally bursting with all kinds of color-drenched flavors, and your taste buds won’t know what to do with themselves.
Some people call this hearty dip Texas Caviar, Cowboy Salsa, or Mexican Caviar. Whatever you call it, this recipe is delicious!
It is similar to our Sweet Corn Pico de Gallo we recently shared and pairs well with our Cucumber Margarita Mocktail.
It’s like someone emptied the whole garden into a bowl, added a bit of sunshine, and said, “You’re welcome!”
And to be honest, it’s not too far from the truth.
Then there are all of the healthy-ish aspects of this dish; this is a very real no-guilt goldmine!
This is summer eating at its finest!
It includes black-eyed peas and black beans, avocado, fresh cilantro, cherry tomatoes, green, red, and yellow bell peppers, cucumber, jalapeños peppers, red onion, and sweet corn kernels.
The whole thing is drizzled with quality extra virgin olive oil and seasoned with flaky sea salt.
As an afterthought, I sprinkled a bit of freshly cracked black peppercorn on top to show off.
So, if you are into foods that look good and taste like a million and one dollars, this is the perfect bowl of yum for you to make!
As a bonus, your friends and family will likely thank you!
How to make Cowboy Caviar Recipe
Serving Size: 4-6
Ingredients:
- 1 can black-eyed peas, rinsed
- 1 can black beans, rinsed
- 1 cup of fresh corn cut off the cob or 1 can of whole-kernel corn
- 2 ripe avocados, cut into cubes
- 1 medium sweet red onion, chopped
- 1 cucumber, chopped
- 8-10 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 small yellow bell pepper, chopped
- 2 jalapeños peppers with the seeds removed and chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 lime, freshly squeezed juice
- flaky sea salt to taste
- freshly cracked black peppercorns to taste
Directions:
- Thoroughly rinse the black-eyed peas and the canned black beans and drain off the excess water using a colander.
- Add the following prepared fresh vegetables and the ripe avocado to a large mixing bowl: sweet red onion, fresh sweet corn kernels, cucumber, green, red, and yellow bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, and jalapeños pepper.
- Drizzle two tablespoons of E.V.O.O. and fresh lime juice over the veggies.
- Fold in the drained black-eyed peas and black beans.
- Gently fold in the chopped cilantro and avocado.
- Season with flaky sea salt and freshly cracked black peppercorns to taste.
- Give it a good stir to mix all the ingredients.
- Serve with crispy tortilla chips.
Additional items you can add to this bean mixture include:
- Pinto beans
- Roma tomatoes
- Green onions
- Jalapeño pepper
- Feta Cheese
- Orange bell pepper
- Fresh Garlic
- Grape Tomatoes
- Black Olives
This is a great side dish if you plan to attend a cookout this summer!
This Cowboy Caviar Recipe will pair well with tortilla chips, corn chips, or your favorite chips.
You can also pair this flavorful dip with:
How to store this Cowboy Caviar Recipe?
This simple dip can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
Can I make this recipe ahead of time?
Add ingredients to the large bowl, mix, and store in the fridge.
Because you are using fresh ingredients, making this caviar recipe within 24 hours of serving is best.
However, if you make this dip ahead of time, we recommend waiting and adding the avocado right before serving to prevent browning.
Can I Put Cucumber In Cowboy Caviar?
Yes, you can. Cucumber is a great addition to Cowboy Caviar because it adds a cool, crisp crunch that balances the hearty beans and creamy avocado. English cucumbers or Persian cucumbers are excellent choices since they have fewer seeds and a thinner skin, but a regular garden cucumber works just as well.
What Veggies Go In Cowboy Caviar?
One of the reasons we love Cowboy Caviar is how easy it is to customize.
While black beans, black-eyed peas, and corn are the foundation, fresh vegetables bring color, texture, and flavor to every bite.
Popular vegetables include:
Sweet red onion
Cherry or grape tomatoes
Fresh corn or canned corn
Red, yellow, and green bell peppers
Jalapeños or serrano peppers
Cucumber
Avocado
Fresh cilantro
Green onions
Diced poblano peppers
Feel free to mix and match based on what’s in season or already in your refrigerator.
What Are Some Variations Of Cowboy Caviar?
Cowboy Caviar is easy to make your own. Here are a few delicious variations to try:
Southwest Cowboy Caviar: Add chili powder, cumin, and a dash of smoked paprika for a smoky, Tex-Mex flavor.
Mango Cowboy Caviar: Fold in diced fresh mango or pineapple for a sweet and savory twist that’s perfect for summer.
Mediterranean Inspired: Swap the black-eyed peas for chickpeas, add feta cheese, Kalamata olives, and finish with a squeeze of lemon.
Protein Packed: Top with grilled chicken, shrimp, or steak to turn it into a satisfying main dish.
Can I make Cowboy Caviar ahead of time?
Yes. Prepare everything except the avocado. Add the avocado just before serving so it stays fresh and doesn’t brown.
Should fresh or canned corn be used?
Both work well. Fresh corn provides the best texture during summer, while canned or frozen corn makes this recipe easy year-round.
Additional Tips:
If you would like to enhance the flavor of this recipe.
You can add different dressings, such as balsamic vinaigrette or Italian dressing, red wine vinegar instead of lime juice, and olive oil, or incorporate spices like paprika, cumin, red pepper flakes, or chili powder.
Now that you have the recipe, you can grab all the fresh ingredients and try the easy Cowboy Caviar Dip.
During the summer months, we love creating and sharing recipes that are easy to make, require no cooking, yet still fit the bill of being delicious and full of flavor.
And since we love to entertain in our backyard (also known as The W), this is an easy appetizer to make ahead of time and serve when guests arrive.
More Recipes:
Garden Fresh Cowboy Caviar
Ingredients
- 1 can of black-eyed peas rinsed
- 1 can of black beans rinsed
- 1 cup of fresh sweet corn cut off the cob or 1 can of whole-kernel corn
- 2 avocados cut into cubes
- 1 medium sweet red onion chopped
- 1 cucumber chopped
- 8-10 cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 1 small of each green, red and yellow bell peppers, chopped
- 2 jalapeños peppers with the seeds removed and chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 lime freshly squeezed juice
- flaky sea salt to taste
- freshly cracked black peppercorns to taste
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Thoroughly rinse the black-eyed peas and the black beans and drain off the excess water using a colander.
- Into a large bowl, add the following prepared veggies plus the avocado: sweet red onion, corn, cucumber, green, red, and yellow bell peppers, cherry tomatoes and the jalapeños peppers.
- Drizzle two tablespoons of E.V.O.O. and fresh lime juice over the veggies.
- Fold in the drained black-eyed peas and black beans.
- Gently fold in the chopped cilantro and avocado.
- Season with flaky sea salt and freshly cracked black peppercorns to taste.
- Gently mix.
- Serve with crispy tortilla chips.
Notes
Created 7/2019 | Updated 4/23/2024
Barb Link says
This looks fabulous! But I don’t see any mention of the corn that I see so vibrantly in the picture. Is it fresh corn? Or canned? Frozen? And how much? Thanks!
T Worthey says
Hi, Barb. I used 1 cup of fresh sweet corn cut off of the cob, but you can use canned or frozen corn kernels as well. I hope this helps.