Texas Caviar

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

This easy Texas Caviar recipe is made from fresh ingredients and is the perfect easy-to-make cold side. Since cooked black-eyed peas are softer in texture, you will want something with a little crunch, like corn, peppers, and onions. Fat and acid are also essential ingredients. We chose olive oil and avocado for our fat and lime and tomatoes for acid. These are our favorite ingredients, but you can easily adjust any ingredients, so get creative.

The complete ingredient list and measurements are listed in the printable recipe below.

Salad Ingredients

• Black-eyed peas are a must-have legume for this recipe. Dried beans are great, but you can make this recipe with canned black-eyed peas.
• Black beans are some of our favorite legumes, but you can easily substitute them with other beans, such as pinto or red beans. Again, you can use canned beans to save some time.
• Corn can be fresh, canned, or frozen, adding a hint of sweetness.
• Avocado is not only heart-healthy but adds a delicious creaminess.
• Red onion has a milder flavor than other onions and adds color and crunch. For a milder flavor and a little extra hint of acid, you can substitute fresh red onion with pickled red onions.
• Cilantro is a bit spicy with citrus hints. It’s the perfect garnish, but parsley can be substituted.
• Scallions add another layer of onion flavor as well as a pop of freshness.
• Tomatoes are a classic summer flavor and will add a little sweet, sour, and savory bitterness to the dish. We prefer to use locally-grown grape or cherry tomatoes since they tend to be a little sweeter.
• Peppers add color, sweetness, and crunch. Green bell peppers are the go-to for most recipes; if you want a little heat, you can use jalapeno or poblano. We chose mini-peppers, which are a sweeter option.

Texas Caviar Dressing

Traditional Texas Caviar is made with Italian dressing. We make our own dressing for this salad, which includes lime juice for a little acid, along with olive oil, sugar, garlic powder, and salt. The dressing can also be made from apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar), sugar, salt, lime juice, and a combination of spices like chili powder, garlic powder, oregano, or cumin.

How to Make Texas Caviar

Here are the quick step-by-step instructions with visuals; you can find the full instructions with the exact ingredients in the recipe card below.
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Pro-tip: Use canned beans and corn to save time without sacrificing taste.

1. Make the dressing: Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, sugar, garlic powder, and lime zest. Set aside.

2. Prep the ingredients: Drain and rinse the black-eyed peas, black beans, and corn. Dice the red onions and the dulce Mediterraneo peppers. Chop the avocado, scallions, and cilantro. Slice the tomatoes.

3. Assemble: Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, drizzle with the dressing, and mix gently.

Serving Options

There are various ways to serve Texas Caviar, but our favorite is as an easy appetizer with homemade tortilla chips. Here are a few other ways to serve it.

• Use it as a topping: Top it on your favorite baked or grilled fish, like our seared tuna steak. It’s also a fresh salsa alternative on our cola marinated beef fajitas tacos or loaded nachos. It’s also fantastic on our chicken salad tostadas.
• Serve it as a side dish: This protein-packed side dish goes well with our grilled marinated flank steak and baked BBQ boneless chicken thighs, or try it alongside some jerk chicken wings for a flavor-packed meal.

Recipe Tips and Notes

• Let it chill. Although this is delicious when served immediately, letting it chill helps the flavors marry.
• Give it a toss. Some of the veggies will release water as they sit, so toss the salad before serving.
• Save the avocado for last. As they sit, avocados will begin to brown, so add them right before serving. Our dressing does include lime juice, which will slow down the browning process of avocados but not completely eliminate it.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: The salad (minus the avocado) and dressing can be made in advance and refrigerated. When ready to serve, add the cut-up avocado to the salad, then add the dressing and toss well to combine.

How to Store: Leftovers can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. We do not recommend freezing leftovers.

Frequently Asked Questions