Texas Caviar is one of my all-time favorite side dishes and party dips! It’s light, fresh, and bursting with flavor—perfect for everything from summer cookouts to holiday potlucks. This is my personal twist on the classic, and I’ve been making it this way for years. In fact, my family always requests it for gatherings! While I enjoy it year-round, it truly shines in the summer when the veggies are at their peak. The full recipe makes a generous batch, so I often cut it in half for smaller crowds (even a family of 20). It’s easy, colorful, and totally addicting—give it a try and let me know what you think!
This recipe is great year round. I actually take it to summer parties and Christmas Eve gatherings! It is always a hit!
If you are looking for a quick dip with just 2 main ingredients, try my Creamy Salsa!
Ingredients
- canned black eyed peas
- frozen corn
- red and green bell peppers
- red onion
- jalapeno
- roma tomatoes
- chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- garlic
- salt/pepper
- sugar
- olive oil
- red wine vinegar
- cilantro
See exact quantities in recipe card below.
Instructions
Chop, Chop, Chop! Chop all these amazing fresh veggies and add everything to a bowl. Mix together the dressing and toss until well coated. Now, place in the fridge and let everything hang out together and allow those flavors to meld together. OH MY! You will be in heaven. This dip/side dish is a delight! Watch this recipe in action below!
Serving
This dish is absolutely delicious with tortilla chips, but if you’re looking for something a little lighter, pita chips are a great option too. Honestly, it’s so good you can even enjoy it by the spoonful as a fresh side dish—especially alongside grilled chicken. Either way, it’s a flavorful and versatile favorite!
Equipment
ok, I am not going to lie to you. There is a lot of chopping, dicing and slicing with this recipe. Do yourself a favor and use a chopper like THIS. It took me years to convert and once I did I make this more often!
Substitutions
This recipe is pretty versatile...
- Bell Peppers-use any colors you like!
- Jalapeños-use more if you would like more spice or exchange for a milder pepper you like if you want less spice.
- Corn-canned can be subbed. Make sure to drain well.
Storage
This is perfect made early in the day or the night before a gathering. Just stop in fridge in an airtight container. It will hast 3-5 days. The tomatoes do start to look a little mushy but it all tastes great 5 days later. You can also freeze! WHAT? I put small servings in a silicone cupcake mold and freeze, then pop out and put in freeze bags. When I know I want a serving I pull it out and let it come to room temp. SO EASY!
Dips
Need more party dip ideas? Here are a few to try!
Texas Caviar
Ingredients
- 2 cans black eyed peas 16 ounces each
- 2 cups corn, frozen or fresh
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 1 large red onion chopped
- 1-2 jalapeños seeded and chopped
- 6 roma tomatoes seeded and diced
- 1 tbsp. chipotle pepper, minced canned in adobo sauce (I usually use 2-3 and deseed them first and I usually scoop about a teaspoon or so of the sauce into the bowl too.)
- 2 large clove garlic crushed
- 2 tsp. salt or to taste
- 1 tsp. pepper
- ½ tsp. sugar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Drain and rinse black-eyed peas. Combine in a large bowl with corn, chopped peppers, onions, and tomatoes. Mix chipotle pepper, oil, vinegar, sugar, garlic, salt and pepper. Pour over salad and stir gently to coat. Refrigerate for several hours to overnight before serving. (I usually can’t wait to long!) Serve as a dip with tortilla chips or as a salad. Beware this makes a ton! Easily Halved!
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