This TikTok cowboy caviar is the perfect mix of colors and flavors. Eat it with a sturdy chip—or a spoon.
How to Make TikTok’s Viral Cowboy Caviar Recipe
Updated on Oct. 07, 2024
Look, none of us can deny our love for southern comfort food. But when summer comes around, we’re looking to avoid the heavy stuff and turning to summer salads instead. Luckily, we’ve found a way to combine the two in the form of TikTok’s latest recipe find: cowboy caviar.
Also known as Texas caviar, this dish was created by Helen Corbitt around 1940 in Houston, Texas. Originally made with black-eyed peas, the name riffs on the fancier dish because the peas resembled caviar. TikTok has upgraded the classic cowboy caviar to make it our new go-to recipe.
How to Make Cowboy Caviar
This recipe comes from TikTok user @brialem. You can omit any of the ingredients below or add whatever’s fresh from the garden.
Ingredients
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 orange bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1 green bell pepper
- 2 jalapenos
- 3/4 red onion
- 2 cups sweet corn
- 1 container feta cheese
- 1 can sliced black olives
- 2 cans black beans, rinsed
- 1 can pinto beans, rinsed
- 2 avocados
Dressing:
- Juice of 3 limes
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 3-4 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 2-4 tablespoons spicy honey
- 3 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: Taco seasoning
Directions
Step 1: Mix your ingredients
Finely dice your bell peppers, jalapenos and onion. Add to a large bowl. Stir in the corn and sliced olives. Drain and rinse your beans and add them to the large bowl. Top with feta cheese. Combine everything well.
Step 2: Add the dressing
Whisk together your homemade dressing. Pour it gently over the cowboy caviar and stir well. The entire bowl should be mixed thoroughly. All the bright colors should be shining through!
Step 3: Add the avocado
Dice the fresh avocado and add shortly before you plan to serve the dip. Once everything is combined, serve with chips, on burritos or however else you see fit. It should keep in the fridge for up to three days.
Find the best tortilla chips for a hefty dip like this.
What Can I Add to Cowboy Caviar?
The beauty of cowboy caviar is that you can add whatever your heart desires. @brialem has created TikTok videos with several renditions of the stuff, so here are a few more ingredients to try:
- Diced peaches (adds sweetness like the mango)
- Cilantro
- Black-eyed peas
- Queso fresco
- Tomatoes
- Peas
- Garlic salt
- Peach juice
- Jalapeno juice
- Canned jalapenos
There’s no wrong answer when it comes to making your own cowboy caviar. Make this recipe your own! Add what you like and leave what you don’t—either way, we know it’s going to be an absolute masterpiece. If you’re looking for more viral recipes, then try TikTok ramen.
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Also try this cowboy chicken has the spicy, smoky flavors of the Old West. It's a quick, one-skillet dinner for ranchers—or a hungry family.
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