Serve this Texas Caviar for a satisfying salad or scoop it up with tortilla chips for a healthy, flavorful dip. It’s a crowd pleasing side dish recipe that comes together in just minutes!
Y’all, I’ll take a big bowl of this Texas Caviar recipe over fresh salsa any day! I just love the combination of textures and flavors from the black eyed peas, corn, onion and bell pepper in a sweet and sour dressing.
Whether you snack on it with chips or vegetables, use it to top a taco or grilled chicken breast, or serve it as a side salad with your next easy dinner, this is a versatile and nourishing dish that your family will adore!
What is Texas Caviar?
Also called, “Cowboy Caviar,” this is a salad of black eyed peas that have been lightly pickled in a vinaigrette dressing. The recipe was originally created in Texas in 1940 by a woman named Helen Corbitt, who first served it on New Year’s Eve at the Houston Country Club (source).
How to Make Texas Caviar:
First, prepare the vinaigrette. You’ll need the following ingredients:
- Apple cider vinegar
- Olive oil
- Sugar
- Salt and pepper
Place all of the dressing ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking occasionally. Remove from the heat and cool completely (this will take at least 30 minutes).
Next up: the salad ingredients! You'll need:
- Black eyed peas
- Corn
- Bell peppers
- Onion
Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl:
Add the cool dressing and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight). This gives the salad a chance to “marinate” in the delicious dressing!
I like to drain off any extra liquid or dressing just before serving. Then garnish with chopped fresh cilantro, parsley, green onions or a squeeze of lime juice.
Is Texas Caviar healthy?
Yes! This salad is full of protein and fiber from the beans, along with plenty of nutrients from all of the fresh vegetables. The olive oil vinaigrette adds healthy fat, while the sugar can be increased or decreased according to personal preference. This recipe for Texas Caviar has just 74 calories per ¼ cup.
Is Texas Caviar gluten-free?
Yes, this recipe is naturally gluten free.
How long does Texas Caviar last?
The Texas Caviar will keep in the refrigerator for at least 2 days. You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days, but the vegetables start to break down and become soft as they sit in the dressing.
Can Texas Caviar be frozen?
Yes, you can freeze this recipe. The vegetables will be softer when thawed, but it will still taste good! Give it a stir and drain any excess liquid before serving.
What to serve with Texas Caviar:
Wondering what goes with Texas Caviar? Here are a few options to serve with your Texas Caviar:
- As a dip appetizer with tortillas chips or pita chips
- Alongside sliced bell pepper strips, celery sticks or cucumber for a healthy snack
- As a side salad with grilled chicken or fish
- As a salsa garnish with tacos, fajitas, or quesadillas
- As a topping on nachos
- As a topping on a baked potato
Cook’s Tips and Recipe Variations:
- This Texas Caviar recipe uses apple cider vinegar, but you can substitute with regular white vinegar in a pinch.
- The Cowboy Caviar dressing is made with vinegar and sugar. You can increase or decrease the amount of sugar in your dressing, to taste. As written, this is just a slightly sweet dressing – it’s not overpowering.
- Make Texas Caviar with Black Beans: you can substitute black beans for the black eyed peas in this recipe. If you like, try a combination of both black beans and black eyed peas by using 1 can of each!
- Prepare Cowboy Caviar with Avocado by adding diced avocado to the salad just before serving.
- Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro, sliced green onion, fresh parsley, or a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
Other easy dip recipes that you might enjoy:
- Easy Pizza Dip
- Mom's Best 10-Minute Holiday Crab Dip
- 3-Ingredient Spicy Jalapeño Queso Dip
- 4-Ingredient Cream Cheese Apple Dip
- 5-Ingredient Creamy Spinach Dip
Texas Caviar
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 (15 ounce) cans black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
- 1 (11 ounce) can corn, drained
- 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 small green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- ¼ cup sweet onion, diced
- Optional garnish: fresh cilantro, fresh parsley, squeeze of fresh lime juice
- For serving: pita chips or tortilla chips
Instructions
- In a saucepan, whisk together vinegar, oil, sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, whisking occasionally. Remove from heat and cool completely (at least 30 minutes).
- In a large bowl, combine black-eyed peas, corn, bell peppers and onion. Add cool dressing and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours (or overnight).
- Drain off any excess dressing just before serving.
- Garnish with fresh herbs or lime juice, if desired, and serve with pita chips or tortilla chips.
Notes
- This Texas Caviar recipe uses apple cider vinegar, but you can substitute with regular white vinegar in a pinch.
- The Cowboy Caviar dressing is made with vinegar and sugar. You can increase or decrease the amount of sugar in your dressing, to taste. As written, this is just a slightly sweet dressing – it’s not overpowering.
- Make Texas Caviar with Black Beans: you can substitute black beans for the black eyed peas in this recipe. If you like, try a combination of both black beans and black eyed peas by using 1 can of each!
- Prepare Cowboy Caviar with Avocado by adding diced avocado to the salad just before serving.
- Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro, sliced green onion, fresh parsley, or a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
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We usually make this for New Years Eve but it’s such a great salad/side/snack to make year round. Thanks for the reminder! For the dressing I’ve used just olive oil and lime or lemon juice , I will try with your dressing recipe next time.