Cowboy Caviar is one of my favorite appetizers! It is loaded with avocado, black beans, and veggies all tossed in a zesty dressing. It is such an easy dip to make and has the perfect blend of flavors. Perfect for your next BBQ or game day get-together.
I have to admit that cowboy caviar is one of my go recipes for a party or just a lazy night watching TV on the couch. It’s so hearty that it eats like a meal. I love all the flavors and the bright colors. If you have never had it before it is similar to Pico De Gallo with a few more veggies.
I like to serve it with tortilla chips, but honestly, I put it on lots of my favorite foods like Chicken Enchiladas or Instant Pot Chicken Tacos. I also love to make a big batch of Sheet Pan Chicken Nachos and cover the top of them.
Cowboy Caviar Ingredients
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Make sure not to use the organic brand. The taste is way too strong for this recipe.
- Olive Oil: Extra virgin olive oil works best.
- Salt & Pepper: You can adjust to your liking.
- Garlic: Make sure to use fresh garlic for the most flavor.
- Avocado: Use an avocado that is still a little firm, so that it does not get mash up when preparing the dip.
- Black Beans: I prefer to use canned beans, but you can cook dry black beans then run under cold water to cool.
- Corn: I prefer to use canned corn, but you can use fresh cooked corn or frozen corn.
- Red Onion: I love the flavor a red onion adds to the dip, but a yellow or green onions can be substituted.
- Tomatoes: Roma or cherry tomatoes work best. They have amazing flavor and a lower water content.
- Cilantro: This adds so much flavor and I would not skip it.
- Lime: Fresh squeezed lime juice has so much more flavor than the bottle stuff.
- Honey: A natural sweetener that enhanced the flavor of all the vegetables and seasonings.
How To Make Cowboy Caviar
Only four easy steps to make this easy bean dip recipe. It is perfect for a part of 8 people. It works out to about 1/2 cup for each person.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, lime juice, honey, salt, pepper, and garlic. Set aside.
- Dices all the veggies, then drain and rinse the black beans.
- Add the avocado, black beans, corn, red onion, tomatoes, and cilantro and mix.
- Pour prepared dressing over the bean and vegetable mixture. Then, gently toss with a spoon until everything is well coated in the dressing.
- Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.
Variations
Cowboy caviar is one of my favorite dips for a potluck or summer BBQ. One of the reasons that I love it so much is that it can be customized in so many different ways. Here are some of my favorites ways to change it up.
- Make It Spicy: Add 2 teaspoons of your favorite hot sauce. You can also dice up a jalapeño and add it in to really spice things up.
- Add Some Protein: Cook up some bacon and chop it up right before serving. I like to use 1/3 to 1/2 cup of chopped bacon. I also sometimes like to add 2 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken and make it more of a meal.
- Change Up The Beans: My favorite beans to use in this dip are black beans. But, you can substitute them with black-eyed peas, kidney beans, garbanzo beans or any other of your favorite beans.
- Grill It: For extra flavor grill some corn on the barbecue without the husk. It will add a ton of flavor and char marks will make the dip look amazing.
How Long Will It Keep?
This recipe always looks the best right after you make it. So if you are serving it at a party I would make it a couple of hours ahead of time. That being said, this recipe will stay good in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. You don’t have to worry about the avocados turning brown. The vinegar in the dressing will help prevent this.
What To Serve With Cowboy Caviar
- Easy BBQ Chicken Tostadas
- Ground Beef Tacos
- Southwest Chicken Wrap
- Grilled Chicken Street Tacos
- Crockpot Pork Carnitas
Cowboy Caviar Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1½ tsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ lime (fresh squeezed)
- 2 tbsp honey
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 avocado (diced)
- 15 oz canned black beans (drained and rinsed)
- 15 oz canned whole kernel corn (drained)
- ⅓ cup red onion (diced)
- 2 Roma tomatoes (diced)
- ½ cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, lime juice, honey, salt, pepper, and garlic. Set aside.
- Dices all the veggies, then drain and rinse the black beans.
- Add the avocado, black beans, corn, red onion, tomatoes, and cilantro and mix.
- Pour prepared dressing over the bean and vegetable mixture. Then, gently toss with a spoon until everything is well coated in the dressing.
- Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.
Notes
Nutrition
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