Cowboy Caviar – This colorful Cowboy Caviar will spice up any party or tailgate! Serve with tortilla chips for a fresh, healthy alternative to bean dip.
Well, it’s finally football season so that means our weekends revolve around tailgates and watch parties. Austin and I are big fans of college and pro football so we’re typically batting a double-header each weekend. For us, and so many other people in the South, football is a way of life. And the heart of any good tailgate (or watch party) is the food.
The heart of any good tailgate is the food.
Over the next couple of weeks, I am going to post some of my favorite tailgate recipes and tips to guide you through the best season yet! I have a handful of my best recipes already on deck. Today, we are going to ease into things with this simple Cowboy Caviar. If you have never heard of Cowboy Caviar, think of it as a cross between black bean salsa and pico de gallo with a sweet southern twist.
I’ve prepared Cowboy Caviar about ten different ways, but I have to say this recipe is the easiest… and I like easy. The key to a good black bean salsa or “caviar” is consistency. Every ingredient should be diced to about the same size so the flavors are evenly distributed. When preparing ingredients like the cheese, onion, pepper, aim for the size of Chiclets® or kernels of corn. If you’re a 90’s baby you know what I’m talking about with the Chiclets. 😉
What’s great about Cowboy Caviar is that you can throw in any kind of peppers, beans or vegetables that you would like. The recipe makes a ton of caviar and serves between 6-8 people. Sometimes, if I am making this for a larger crowd, I will add a can of spicy chili beans, a green bell pepper and double the cheese.
Pro tip: If you’re headed out early to a tailgate party, this Cowboy Caviar can be prepared the night before. Prepare the recipe as directed but hold the cheese and the dressing. Stir both into the caviar in the morning before you leave the house. That will prevent the ingredients from getting soggy.
Go Team!
Kelsey Renee
Cowboy Caviar
Ingredients
- 1 can black eyed peas (drained and rinsed)
- 1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 can sweet corn (drained and rinsed)
- 1 large red bell pepper (diced)
- ¼ cup red onion (diced)
- ½ pint cherry tomatoes (quartered)
- 2 Jalapeños (finely diced)
- Cilantro to taste (finely chopped)
- 4 ounces Colby jack cheese (diced into small cubes)
For the dressing:
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- 1. Start by preparing all of the ingredients. Drain and rinse all of the canned ingredients. Dice all of the vegetables and cheese.
- 2. In a large bowl, combine peas, corn, beans, peppers, tomatoes, onion, cilantro and cheese.
- 3. In a smaller bowl, prepare the dressing. Combine oil, vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Whisk with a fork until sugar dissolves.
- 4. Pour the dressing into the larger bowl and toss to combine.
- 5. Serve immediately or cover and store in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
- 6. Serve with tortilla chips.
