Our easy Cowboy Caviar recipe is the ultimate fresh, healthy side dish that pairs with anything. It’s budget friendly and only takes 10-minutes to make.
If you love this dip recipe, make sure to try 7-Layer Dip, Hummus, Pimento Cheese Dip, or Easy Homemade Salsa.
Budget-Friendly, Crowd-Approved: Saddle Up for the Easiest Cowboy Caviar.
Budget-Friendly, Crowd-Approved: Saddle Up for the Easiest Cowboy Caviar.Our easy Cowboy Caviar recipe is a staple from my childhood. We called it Cowboy Salsa growing up, and I know it’s also called Texas Caviar, since it originated in Texas. Bottom line, you wont find an easier, healthier recipe that’s this budget friendly. It’s a perfect game day food, or side dish for a BBQ or potluck with a bag of chips.
How to make Cowboy Caviar:
Rinse Beans: Drain and rinse beans and corn and add to a large serving bowl with chopped tomatoes, and onion.
Combine: Add avocado and cilantro and squeeze fresh lime juice on top with a pinch of salt, to taste. Stir and serve with your favorite chips.
Make Ahead Instructions:
Chop the onion and cilantro, rinse the beans, but keep all the ingredients separately in airtight containers in the fridge. Don’t cut and slice avocado until ready to serve. When you’re ready to serve, combine all ingredients in a bowl and add fresh avocado, lime juice, and salt. Store leftover cowboy salsa in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Recipe Variations:
- Cheese: Add crumbly cheese like feta or gorgonzola, or small chunks of cheddar or mozzarella.
- Beans: Use whatever beans you have on hand and they will substitute fine.
- Veggies: Toss in some shredded carrot or diced cucumber or celery if you want extra veggies.
- Flavor Twist: Add some Italian dressing, to give a different flavor.
More Appetizers to Try:
- Air Fryer Meatballs
- Deviled Eggs
- Pizza Sliders
- Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
- Air Fryer Chicken Wings
- Pepper Jelly
- Easy Homemade Crab Cakes
- Easy Shrimp Cocktail
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Recipe
Cowboy Caviar
Ingredients
- 15 ounce can black beans , drained and rinsed
- 15 ounce can pinto beans , (or 2 cans if you want more bean), drained and rinsed
- 15 ounce can corn , drained
- 6-8 Roma tomatoes , diced
- 1/2 large sweet onion , diced
- 2 avocados , peeled, seeded and diced
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro , finely chopped
- 3 small limes, juiced
- sea salt , to taste
- Tortilla Chips , for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Combine: In a large bowl combine beans, corn, tomatoes, and onion. Stir in avocados and cilantro.
- Season: Squeeze lime juice into the bowl and add a pinch of sea salt. Stir to combine. Add more sea salt, to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Cheese: Add crumbly cheese like feta or gorgonzola, or small chunks of cheddar or mozzarella.
- Beans: Use whatever beans you have on hand and they will substitute fine.
- Veggies: Toss in some shredded carrot or diced cucumber or celery if you want extra veggies.
- Flavor Twist: Add some Italian dressing, to give a different flavor.
Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe August 2014. Updated June 2019 and August 2024.
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This sounded good so I made it for a family get-together. It was a huge success. Several people took this recipe home with them. My family really likes your recipes, this was one of our favorites.
Like the recipe. Its basically ceviche with black beans.
Is this recipe too heavy to be used as a small side salad/dish? As on a three salad luncheon plate for example.
Thanks
This good for my Sissy Frances too!
My wife’s favorite snack. Quick and easy with colors that look great. We like to and orange and yellow peppers for extra flavor and color.
Love that cowboy caviar! Actually I really have enjoyed all your recipes and so have my family when Ihave shared them!
my guests loved it
I see it says serves 15 people and gives nutrition info, but what is the serving size for the nutrition info? 1 tbsp? 1 cup? Etc. Thanks!
White sweet corn on the cob was on sale, so as a variation, I roasted 3 ears of corn, cut off the kernals and WOW! Another deminson to the taste and texture. Hit with my family. Really enjoyed, so easy to prep. Yum!👍
I LOVE your Mexican recipes! I want to go a wee bit further and not use canned beans- cook the dry beans but I have no idea how to go about that, to get a nice firm bean that we could use in this recipe. Perhaps you could give us a bean primer? It seems I cook them to long. They’re good refried but not firm enough to replace the canned ones. Would love a lesson on beans😋
I totally hate cilantro. What can I use instead ?
I would just leave it out! 🙂
“COWBOY SALSA”
What kind of people put this recipe together? LOL
It called for “2 avocados , peeled, seeded and diced”. Why not just say: “”2 avocados diced”” Who in the world eats the skin & SEED of an avocado? We don’t want people dicing the skin & seed of any avocado and try eating it.!
I put this recipe together, seeing as it is my website 😉 . You’re welcome to create your own recipe website and write as many recipes as you’d like, just as you’d have them written.
I love this website and her recipes, and actually appreciate she doesn’t assume people know each detail of cooking-whether or not you think it’s obvious isn’t the point, respectfully.
Please don’t assume everyone knows everything about cooking. You know what they say about assuming anyways. I am a new,young(er?) mom and I hadn’t used an avocado ever before up until maybe 2 months ago. Call me what you may, I need instructions spelled out from a-z otherwise I would not have a clue how to do much AT ALL. (and I am sure there are others out there just starting their cooking journey!) So,thank you for writing your recipes this way. It’s very helpful! And I can not wait to try this,it looks delicious.
Can I make this ahead to bring to a party? Will the avocados hold up?
A few hours ahead would be fine. If overnight, I would cut the avocado fresh before serving. Enjoy!
I have made this three times in 1 month for family gatherings and parties. Major hit, and so flavorful. I chopped a few jalapenos for those spicy lovers to add to their own dish . I love that it’s fat free! Don’t be afraid of the cilantro; itmakes the dish. I used 2 cans of pintos, a big bunch of cilantro, and a tad bit more onion. Enjoy. Get a good tortilla chip brand because this salsa is worth it.
I’m so so happy you’ve enjoyed it–it’s one of my go-to’s for parties and potlucks. Always a hit! Thanks so much for commenting 🙂
Lots of chopping – and well worth it! Always a hit!
This looks great, but I’m actually allergic to avocado. Any substitute ideas?
Hi Jasmine, I’m honestly not sure what would be a good substitute…I would just leave it out, and maybe add some extra tomatoes. It will still be delicious!
Loving all of the vibrant colours and fresh flavours going on in this salsa.. definitely need to recreate the recipe!