Ultimate Cowboy Caviar

5.0
(14)

Chef John's crowd-pleasing cowboy caviar "is one of the greatest party dips of all time." This version uses 3 kinds of peppers—fresh, pickled, and roasted—and an easy custom dressing to take it to the next level.

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wooden bowl of cowboy caviar on wooden platter with scoop tortilla chips
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Prep Time:
30 mins
Chill Time:
2 hrs
Total Time:
2 hrs 30 mins
Servings:
10

I’ve been to Texas a few times, and never once had Cowboy Caviar. That makes sense, since these were food blogger press trips, where one (with a certain amount of blog traffic) is wined and dined on the finest cuisine the local chefs have to offer, and something as lowbrow as Cowboy Caviar would never make the cut. Nope, to enjoy this stuff, you have to be invited to a party at someone’s house, or ranch, or both, where real people eat real food, and it’s always really good, especially if there’s a big bowl of this around.

 Everything in here is “to taste,” and at some point you’ll probably want to play around with the amounts and come up with your own “ultimate” formula, but until those experiments conclude, this, made exactly as is, should do very nicely. If you make this ahead, be sure to stir it often, so everything gets evenly soaked in the dressing. Also, make sure you have plenty of chips around, or be prepared to hand out spoons, since this is always a huge hit, and I really do hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

More recipes: Try the latest and greatest recipes from Chef John!

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Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 10 servings

Dressing

  • 1/3 cup avocado oil or other vegetable oil

  • 1/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar

  • 1 lime, juiced

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

  • 1 teaspoon white sugar

  • 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin

  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

  • 1/2 teaspoon chipotle pepper, or to taste

Caviar

  • 2/3 cup finely diced red onion

  • 1 1/2 cups diced fresh bell peppers

  • 1/3 cup diced jarred roasted red peppers

  • 1/3 cup diced pickled jalapeno peppers, or other pickled peppers

  • 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

  • 1 (15 ounce) can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed

  • 2 cups frozen corn

  • 1 cup diced fresh tomato

  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

  • scoop-style tortilla chips for serving

Directions

  1. Whisk avocado oil, rice vinegar, lime juice, garlic, garlic powder, salt, sugar, cumin, paprika, and chipotle together in a large bowl and set aside until needed.

  2. Rinse diced onion well under cold water; drain well.

  3. Add bell peppers, roasted red peppers, jalapenos, black beans, black-eyed peas, corn, and tomato to the bowl of dressing. Add red onion, stir well, cover, and refrigerate for 2 to 12 hours, tossing occasionally.

  4. Before serving, stir in cilantro. Season to taste with salt. Serve with tortilla chips.

    wooden bowl of cowboy caviar on wooden platter with scoop tortilla chips

    John Mitzewich

    Chef's Notes:

    Fresh,  roasted, or grilled corn can be used instead of frozen.

    Half parsley and half mint can be used instead of cilantro.

    Canned diced tomatoes can be used instead of fresh.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

210 Calories
9g Fat
28g Carbs
7g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 10
Calories 210
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 9g 11%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 443mg 19%
Total Carbohydrate 28g 10%
Dietary Fiber 7g 23%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 7g 14%
Vitamin C 45mg 50%
Calcium 34mg 3%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 431mg 9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.