Cowboy Caviar For One

This small batch of Cowboy Caviar is a wonderfully fresh, healthy, and flavorful dip that combines beans, fresh vegetables, and a tangy lime dressing. It can be ready in minutes!

Cowboy caviar is considered to be the perfect potluck party food and is a dish that I've brought to many high school and college tailgating parties when we lived in Texas.

I've taken my easy cowboy caviar recipe that I've used for years and scaled down the ingredients so that it serves one or two people. This small batch bean-filled dip is seriously addicting and I know you'll love it as much as so many others do.

What Is Cowboy Caviar?

Cowboy caviar is also called Texas Caviar, Dixie Caviar, and Cowboy Salsa. This dish takes a typical black bean salsa to an entirely new level. It's filled with two different types of beans, tomatoes, and vegetables that are tossed in a tangy lime vinaigrette.

In the 1940s, Helen Corbitt, a chef from New York who at the time was living in Texas was asked to create a dish using only Texas-grown products. The result was Cowboy Caviar which was served for the first time on New Year's Eve at the Houston Country Club.

Why This Recipe Works

• Fresh and filled with flavor: This is a healthy Texas caviar recipe. It's filled with protein and packed with iron, Vitamins C and E, and fiber.
• Cowboy caviar is both a salad and a dip: Enjoy as a dip to eat with tortilla chips or eat it out of the bowl with a spoon. Both ways are absolutely delicious!
• Healthy and delicious: This single serving bean dip is gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, and low in calories and sodium.
• Doubles well: If you'd like to make a larger batch, just double the ingredients to make more.
• Customizable: This single serving cowboy caviar is absolutely customizable. Leave out ingredients you don't like and feel free to use different beans like garbanzo or pinto beans.

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes

What you need to make a small batch of cowboy caviar:

For the salad

• Black beans and black-eyed peas: These ingredients serve as the base of this hearty dip. For convenience, I use canned beans that have been rinsed and drained. I recommend rinsing canned vegetables to remove the excess salt and starch which also improves their flavor.
• Corn: I use canned corn because it's convenient. You can also make Texas caviar with frozen corn too. Again, if using canned corn, be sure to rinse the corn before using it. This washes away the excess salt from the liquid in the can. If you'd like to grill corn on the cob, 1 small ear of corn will typically yield approximately ½ - ¾ cup of corn. To grill the corn, shuck the cob, brush the corn with olive oil and then place it over very hot coals or over high heat. Cook the corn for about 2-3 minutes on each side until all sides are lightly charred, about 8-10 minutes.
• Red pepper: Truly, any color bell pepper will work in this recipe. Use red, yellow, orange, or green bell peppers.
• Tomato: Use 1 small ripe tomato in this salsa recipe. I typically use a Roma or a Plum tomato because they're a perfect size. You can use a handful of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half instead.
• Avocado: Use ½ of an avocado. Be sure to see below for ways to use up leftover ingredients, including the other half of the avocado.
• Jalapeño pepper: Use 2 tablespoons of chopped jalapeños in this dip recipe. I love using fresh but jarred will do well too. If you are sensitive to spice you can certainly leave it out or simply use less.
• Red onions: Red onions provide a sweet and peppery flavor to the cowboy caviar.
• Cilantro: Cilantro adds a final burst of freshness. Feel free to leave it out if you prefer.

For the Texas caviar dressing

• Olive oil: I use extra virgin olive oil in this cowboy caviar recipe as well as in every other recipe on One Dish Kitchen that calls for olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil is the least processed form of olive oil. It is an unrefined oil and the highest-quality olive oil you can buy. Because of the way extra virgin olive oil is made, it retains a more true olive taste. It also contains more of the vitamins and minerals found in olives. It's my favorite type of olive oil, but you may use light olive oil instead.
• Lime juice and lime zest: Fresh lime juice is recommended but use bottled if that is what you have on hand.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic is not only good for you but adds a wonderful flavor to the dressing.
• Salt and black pepper: I use ⅛ of a teaspoon of each but feel free to use less or use more if preferred.

Pro Tip: Many cowboy caviar recipes call for using plenty of sugar in the dressing. I think sugar is completely unnecessary in this recipe. Instead, I use the dressing found in our fabulous Guacamole Salad recipe which allows the vegetables and beans to really shine. This is a sugar-free cowboy caviar recipe and you absolutely won't miss the sugar.

See below for ways to use leftover ingredients.

Expert Tips

• This dip is a great one to use to bring "good luck" on New Year's Day. Consider enjoying it along with Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls and Cornbread for the perfect New Year's meal.
• If using canned beans and corn, be sure to drain the liquid from the can and rinse the beans and corn with cool running water.
• Feel free to leave out the cilantro if you are not a fan.
• If you like a lot of spice, add more chopped jalapeños. If you don't want the heat, omit or use less of the jalapeños.
• Consider mixing cowboy caviar with cooked quinoa for a hearty meal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Serving Suggestions

• As a salad: To be honest, I love eating Texas caviar by the spoonful right out of the bowl. It's great cold or at room temperature.
• As a dip: If you want to enjoy it as a dip, I love using tortilla chips for scooping.
• As a topping for meats: You can use this bean and corn dip as a salsa to top chicken, steak, or salmon. It's also great used in wraps, in omelettes, or over lettuce as a topping for a salad.

Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients

If you have any ingredients leftover from this small batch cowboy caviar recipe, you might like to consider using them in any of our single serving and small batch recipes:

• Tomatoes: Crustless Quiche With Tomatoes And Pesto, Tomato Salad, Bruschetta, Cobb Salad, Chicken Caprese
• Avocado: Shrimp Tacos With Avocado Sauce, Guacamole, Pico de Gallo, Avocado Toast, Avocado Salad With Berries
• Red onions: Pickled Onions, Mediterranean Chicken, Cucumber Salsa, Spinach and Orzo Salad, Steak Fajitas
• Black beans: Black Bean Soup, Vegetarian Enchiladas, Black Bean Hummus, Guacamole, Taco Soup
• Black-eyed peas: Black-eyed Peas With Bacon, Black-Eyed Peas Hummus
• Corn: Mexican Corn Dip, Corn Muffins, Fried Rice, Vegetable Soup, Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Red pepper: Ratatouille, Italian Pasta Salad, Spinach Turkey Wrap, Sausage and Peppers Sheet Pan Meal, Vegetable Casserole
• Jalapeños: Saag Paneer, Carne Asada, Guacamole Salad, Cucumber Salsa, Mexican Corn Dip
• Cilantro: Curried Carrot Soup, Chicken Enchiladas Verde, Chicken Tagine, Taco Salad, Vegetarian Chili
• Olive oil: Mini Eggplant Parmesan, Shepherd's Pie, Chicken Stew, Tortellini Soup, Chicken and Rice Casserole
• Lime juice: Ranch Water, Key Lime Pie, Fish Tacos, Broiled Chicken, Skinny Margarita
• Garlic: Hot Spinach Dip, Shrimp Fettuccine, Risotto, Pork Stir Fry, Stuffed Bell Peppers

More Single Serving Dip Recipes

• Mexican Corn Dip (Esquites)
• Hot Spinach Dip
• Baba Ganoush (Roasted Eggplant Dip)
• Guacamole
• Queso
• Hummus
• Black Bean Hummus

If you’ve tried this single serving recipe for cowboy caviar or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.

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