Cowboy Caviar Recipe Pioneer Woman

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This Cowboy Caviar recipe from Pioneer Woman is very fresh, healthy, simple, and loaded with flavor. It’s a lot of fun to prepare and is an excellent appetizer for potlucks or parties.

Pioneer Woman Cowboy Caviar is a fresh and flavorful dip that’s perfect with tortilla chips. For a larger crowd, consider serving garlic knots or beer brat bites.

What is Pioneer Woman Cowboy Caviar?

Pioneer Woman Cowboy Caviar, also known as “Texas caviar,” is a salsa appetizer that’s similar to Pico De Gallo, but with beans, avocados, and corn added in.

A unique feature of this dip/salsa is its vinaigrette-style dressing (we use Italian dressing to keep it simple).

Why this recipe works:

The best combination of ingredients: Even though Pioneer Woman Cowboy Caviar recipe uses the same idea of smothering black-eyed peas in a vinaigrette, I add a few other things to give more texture and color to the dish, and it really does have the best flavor of any recipe that I’ve tried for Cowboy Caviar.
Consistency makes a difference: Cowboy caviar is largely dependent on how good your choppers are. For real. I try to make every little piece of food as small as a single bean. You want to be able to put a spoonful into your mouth and get a little bit of each ingredient.

Ingredients That You’ll Need:

Tomatoes – Although fresh tomatoes are best in season, this salsa is delicious all year round.
Beans – Whether you choose home-cooked beans or canned black beans or black-eyed peas, make sure they are rinsed and well-drained. We often interchange these two beans based on what we have available, and either one is excellent.
Corn – During the winter, we use canned or frozen corn, and in the summer, we add freshly cooked Corn on the Cob.
Avocado – Avocado gives it an irresistible creaminess, and I’ve been known to sneak in extras.
Bell Pepper – Any type of pepper will work, whether red, orange, yellow, or green.
Jalapenos – Don’t be intimidated by the jalapenos – the Italian dressing mellows them out and even the kids like it!
Italian Dressing – With this unique ingredient, every bite is bursting with flavor. Feel free to use your favorite brand or make your own.
Limes, garlic, and salt – For the best flavor, use fresh lime juice and garlic

Recipe Variations & Substitutions:

Dried beans: Beans are an extremely economical and low sodium food option. Cook each bean variety separately, since the cooking time will vary depending on the size and age of the bean.
Vinegar: You can use apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar if you have it. A splash of lime juice is good too.
Onions: A white, yellow, or sweet onion or a bunch of green onions can be substituted for the red onion.

How To Make Pioneer Woman Cowboy Caviar?

Combine diced tomatoes, chopped onion, bell pepper, seeds, and diced jalapenos, sliced avocados, drained corn, rinsed and drained black beans, and chopped cilantro in a large bowl.
Then, add 4 pressed garlic cloves and 1 tsp of salt or season to taste. Stir in 3-4 Tbsp of lime juice, 1/2 cup of Italian dressing, and 3-4 Tbsp of lime juice.
Mix everything together and serve with tortilla chips.

How To Make Pioneer Woman Cowboy Caviar Ahead?

To make the Pioneer Woman Cowboy Caviar recipe ahead of time, simply mix together all of the ingredients except for the avocado and mix the dressing separately. When you’re ready to serve, slice up the avocado and then toss everything together.

Pioneer Woman Cowboy Caviar Serving Suggestions

This Pioneer Woman Cowboy Caviar dip is an addictive appetizer that can be served with corn chips. It’s perfect for a picnic, party, or game day!

However, Cowboy Caviar can be enjoyed in many more ways. Pioneer Woman offers some additional serving suggestions, including these:

Eat it as a salad: Salads made with beans are my favorite recipes to meal prep for lunch, since they hold up well when they’re dressed ahead of time. I loved eating the leftovers for lunch all week, and it tasted even better on days 2 and 3.
Toss it with your favorite greens: The recipe makes a tasty salad on its own, but it’s also delicious with fresh greens. Use a cilantro lime dressing or vegan ranch dressing to amp up the flavor.
Make lettuce wraps by piling the Cowboy Caviar on top of Bibb lettuce leaves and drizzling chipotle sauce on top.
Stuff it into tacos or burritos: You can use it in place of the black beans, avocado, and pico de gallo in my breakfast burrito recipe, or create your own burrito with the Cowboy Caviar, cilantro-lime rice, fajita veggies, and cashew sour cream.

Recipe Tips

This dish can be made up to 8 hours in advance. If you are making it in advance, leave out the avocado, and stir it in just before serving.
You can substitute other types of beans instead of black beans; I’ve used pinto beans before and they were delicious.
Sliced green onions would be a good substitution for cilantro if you’re not a fan.
Corn kernels are usually frozen-thawed, but canned corn or fresh corn on the cob can also be used.
You can serve Pioneer Woman Cowboy Caviar as a dip with tortilla chips or as a salad over lettuce leaves.

FAQ Section

How Long Pioneer Woman Cowboy Caviar Last?

Pioneer Woman Cowboy Caviar can be stored in the refrigerator for about 4-5 days and is still just as tasty after that time. Even though the vegetables release a little water, most of the ingredients are very sturdy. Before serving, stir the salad to redistribute the dressing. Since it contains fresh herbs and vegetables, this salad probably won’t freeze well.

How to Eat Pioneer Woman Cowboy Caviar?

There are so many ways to eat this Pioneer Woman Cowboy Caviar: a chunky dip for chips, as a taco or burrito topping, sprinkled over a green salad, stuffed into a quesadilla with some cheese, and so much more.

Can you Freeze Pioneer Woman Cowboy Caviar?

I suggest you do not freeze this Pioneer Woman Cowboy Caviar since it contains multiple delicate fresh vegetables that will become soggy and limp after freezing and reheating. You want those veggies to be fresh, crunchy, and juicy to give the salad its amazing texture!

How to Serve Pioneer Woman Cowboy Caviar?

Pioneer Woman Cowboy Caviar is always served with tortilla chips as an appetizer, but it can also be served as a topping for tacos, burritos, nachos, or salads. My husband and I often skip dinner and make a big batch of this bean salsa in the evening.

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