This Texas Caviar is full of fresh veggies, beans, corn, and topped with a tangy red wine vinegar and lime dressing and comes together in a matter of minutes! Ready for the easiest Cinco de Mayo recipe ever?
This Texas caviar recipe is a favorite of mine. It’s fresh, full of flavor, and a perfect contribution to your Cinco de Mayo party—or any party for that matter!
This recipe makes a ton so there’s always plenty to go around. What better snack for a hot afternoon than fresh, crunchy peppers, black beans, and corn all smothered in a tangy, bright, fresh dressing?
What is texas caviar?
Texas caviar is a dip typically made up of black-eyed peas, fresh veggies, and a vinaigrette dressing. It originated in…yep, you guessed it…Texas!
There are SO many ways you can customize your Texas Caviar. In this case, I added more beans, some of my own flavors and spices, and jalapeños for some extra heat!
Let me know in the comments below what you add to your Texas Caviar 🙂
Ingredients
This dip is made up of the freshest ingredients and is SO yummy! Feel free to play around a bit, this is a very forgiving recipe.
- Red Onion, Green Bell Pepper, and Red Bell Pepper – add crunch, color, a little bite, and a bit of sweetness.
- Jalapeño Pepper – offsets the sweetness of the other veggies with some serious spice.
- Garlic – gives the caviar a nice bite and is a great flavor addition.
- Cherry Tomatoes – I use a blend of yellow and red cherry tomatoes to add more color.
- Cilantro – fresh herbs add a nice, bright note to the flavor of the caviar.
- Black Beans – I like adding black beans for a pop of color and to bulk up the recipe. Feel free to use pinto beans or even more black eyed peas instead!
- Black-Eyed Peas – a classic Texas Caviar ingredient!
- Corn – adds a nice burst of sweetness with each bite.
- Olive Oil – rounds out the acidity of the lime juice and vinegar.
- Lime Juice – gives a nice tangy flavor.
- Red Wine Vinegar – adds a bright flavor and compliments the lime juice nicely. If you don’t have red wine vinegar, replace with more lime juice.
- Cumin – a great earthy, spicy, nutty flavor.
- Salt and Pepper – brings out the flavor of the other ingredients and adds a little extra spice.
I personally don’t find this recipe spicy, but if sensitive to heat you have two options:
1. Omit the jalapeño entirely.
2. De-seed and remove the membrane from the jalapeño.
If you’re going the latter route, you’ll start by cutting the jalapeño in half lengthwise. This exposes the membranes that keep the seeds in place. Then take a spoon and scrape out the membrane and seeds. Discard the membrane and seeds, then proceed with dicing the jalapeño per the recipe instructions.
Also, keep in mind that each jalapeno pepper is different. Some are MUCH spicier than others. You can usually tell by the smell of them once you’ve sliced it in half.
How to make Texas caviar
Texas caviar is one of the easiest dips to make. All you need is your ingredients, a bowl, and five minutes and you’re good to go!
- Chop the veggies and place in a large bowl.
- Stir in remaining ingredients and toss until the dressing is well-distributed.
- Devour!
Just three super simple steps and you’ve created the best dip EVER! Because it’s so quick and easy this is a perfect last minute dish. This is also great made a couple of days in advance. The vegetables remain relatively crunchy and the beans have a chance to soak up the yummy vinaigrette.
What to serve with texas caviar?
I LOVE using this caviar as a dip with chips. It’s also SUPER delicious served plain as a side dish (just gimme a spoon) or as a topping for other recipes. Here’s what I love serving with my texas caviar:
- Chips – use store-bought tortilla chips, or if you’re feeling ambitious, try my air fryer tortilla chips!
- Guacamole
- Cream cheese salsa dip
- Baked fish tacos
- Loaded chicken nachos
How to store
Texas caviar can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
I don’t recommend freezing it because it will lose a lot of its flavor and texture when thawed.
This Texas Caviar is so easy, so good, so colorful, so crunchy, and SO outta this world delicious.
– Jennifer
Texas Caviar Recipe
Equipment for this recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup red onion diced
- 1/2 cup green bell pepper diced
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper diced
- 1/2 - 1 jalapeño peppers diced, seeded/deveined for a less spicy dip
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes quartered (I used half red, half yellow tomatoes)
- 1/2 cup Cilantro minced
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 oz) can black-eyed peas drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 oz) can corn drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt + more to taste
Instructions
- Stir all ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Cover and store in fridge until ready to serve.
- Serve with chips!
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Nutrition Information
*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.
This post was originally published April 18, 2016 and has been updated to provide more detailed content.
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