5 Ingredient Cowboy Caviar Recipe

Cowboy caviar is a dip traditionally made with black-eyed peas in a light zesty dressing. In keeping with the belief that black-eyed peas are a lucky thing to eat on New Year's Eve, the dip is often served at parties and celebrations at the turning of the year in place of its more expensive namesake. However, cowboy caviar is so tasty, versatile, and simple to whip up that it's perfect for game day, movie night, pool time, book club, or Sunday night dinner. As well as being delicious, it's also packed with protein and fiber, and it's easy to add fresh veggies for extra crunch and nutrition. 

Not all recipes have to be ingredient-heavy, and this 5-ingredient cowboy caviar is proof that sometimes a pared-down version is just perfect. You'll love the balance of flavors and textures in the hearty black beans and black-eyed peas, the smoky flavor of fire-roasted corn, the juicy fresh tomatoes, and the zippy lime juice in this dish. This dip only takes a few minutes to throw together and then ample time to chill to let the flavors blend, and before you know it, you'll be scooping up the mixture with your chip of choice. 

Wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe and says, "Over the years, I have made several versions of cowboy caviar, and this one is my go-to. I have it memorized and love that I always tend to have the ingredients on hand."

To make this recipe, we're betting you don't even need to leave the house. Check your kitchen for black-eyed peas, black beans, grape tomatoes, fire-roasted corn, and limes.

Rinse the black beans and black-eyed peas well with water and drain them.

Add the fire-roasted corn to a pot and cover it with water.

Cook the corn for 3 minutes on medium heat and drain it in a colander

Cut the grape tomatoes into quarters.

Add the black beans and black-eyed peas to a large bowl.

Add the drained corn and tomatoes.

Zest the limes right over the bowl.

Juice the limes over the bowl.

Add salt and pepper to taste and toss.

Cover and chill in the fridge at least 30 minutes before serving.

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The cowboy caviar lends itself to many additions and substitutions if you want to expand beyond the 5 that we've used. You can add diced red onion to give the dip an added bite and an element of sharpness. You could also use scallions or shallots for a slightly different allium taste. Diced bell peppers in red, green, or yellow will add some crunch and color to the mix, as well as more nutrition. To add a kick of heat, dice up some chile peppers like fresh jalapeños or serrano peppers. Along those same lines, you can add a can of diced green chiles for a milder addition with some smokiness. 

Creamy avocado is an excellent addition to the dip. For the best effect, add one or two chopped avocados that are ripe but still firm. Fresh cilantro works wonderfully in the dip, and you can add up to a full cup for added freshness. Feta or cotija cheese will give you a salty contrast, and for a sweet addition, try adding chopped mango or diced pineapple. Instead of just using lime juice for the dressing, you can mix up something a little more elaborate. Shake up 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, the juice of one lime, 1 teaspoon of maple syrup, and ½ teaspoon of both cumin and salt.

If you can't find frozen fire-roasted corn or just prefer to make your own, you can easily do this at home. To use your grill, preheat it to medium-high and place full shucked cobs of corn on the grill that have been brushed with avocado oil or another high-smoke-point oil. You'll want to turn it with tongs every few minutes to char all sides. This should take about 15 minutes. When it's done, let it cool for about 10 minutes before cutting the kernels off the cob.

To make the fire-roasted corn on the stove top, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a cast iron skillet or another heavy-bottomed pan on medium-high heat. Add either corn on the cob or just loose kernels in a single layer and cook undisturbed for about 4-5 minutes. If using cobs, use tongs to rotate them often, and if using loose corn, stir after the first 4-5 minutes so that all sides of the corn get roasted. You can also use your broiler to fire-roast the corn. Place the cobs or loose corn directly on a sheet pan under the broiler. Broil for about 3-5 minutes until charring is in full form.

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