You don't need to buy this FAST and EASY crave-worthy appetizer or snack recipe made with Tex-Mex inspired ingredients including black eyed peas, tomatoes, corn, avocado, and a seasoned lime-cumin dressing! Serve it as a dip with tortilla chips at your next backyard barbecue, picnic, game day party, or for a holiday party. It's good luck to eat black eyed peas in the new year!
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Additional Time30 minutesmins
Total Time40 minutesmins
Course: Appetizers
Cuisine: American
Keyword: easy Texas caviar recipe, recipe for Texas caviar, Texas caviar, Texas caviar dip, Texas caviar dressing, what is Texas caviar
Servings: 8
Calories: 309kcal
Author: Averie Sunshine
Ingredients
Texas Caviar
one 15-ounce can black eyed peasdrained and rinsed (black beans may be substituted for part or all of the black eyed peas)
one 15-ounce can white cornFrozen, thawed, and drained corn OR fresh corn may be substituted; white or yellow ok
2cupsRoma tomatoesdiced small
2large or 3 medium ripe Hass avocadoshalved, seed removed, flesh scored, and scooped out
¼ to ⅓cupfresh cilantrofinely minced
2green onionstrimmed and sliced very thin (I use root to tip; 1/4 cup finely diced red onion may be substituted)
½ to 1teaspoonsaltor to taste
½ to 1teaspoonfreshly ground black pepperor to taste
Dressing
¼cuplime juicefreshly squeezed
1 to 2tablespoonshoneyor agave syrup
1teaspoonground cumin
1teaspoonchili powder
1teaspoonsmoked paprikaor regular
½teaspoonsalt
½teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
⅓cupolive oil
Instructions
Texas Caviar - To a large bowl, add all the ingredients, and stir well to combine. Tip - Read the blog post for the myriad of substitutions and swap you can make with the ingredients. I listed the obvious in the ingredients above in the recipe like black beans in lieu of black eyed peas, or red onions instead of green. But you can add bell peppers of any color, jalapeno pepper, serrano chile, etc.
Dressing* - To a medium bowl, add all the dressing ingredients except the olive oil, and whisk to combine.
Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking constantly to emulsify it.
Pour the dressing over the Texas caviar, stir and toss well to combine, and taste. Seasoning Tips - If it tastes at all flat, boring, or lacks oomph, it likely needs more salt, so add it, and fairly generously. The same is true for pepper. Then move on to a dash more cumin and chili powder for more flavor. While not specifically called out above, garlic powder or garlic salt is a nice addition. Add more lime juice if you like more acid, or a bit more sweetener if that's your preference, etc.
Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes (or up to 12-24 hours) in the fridge before serving. Serve with white or yellow corn chips, or your favorite dippers. Leftover Texas caviar will keep airtight in the fridge for 4-5 days, noting that the mixture will become more watery as time passes as the vegetables release their natural juices over time. And the avocado will oxidize. The taste will be fine, despite the color.
Notes
*If you don't want to make your own dressing (although it's so quick, easy, and I prefer it) you can substitute with: 1/4 to 1/3 cup store bought Italian salad dressing + 2 tablespoons lime juice + 1-2 tablespoons olive oil whisked together. Taste and tweak, as necessaryIf desired, you can also add a bit of honey/agave, and/or the seasonings such as cumin, chili powder, or smoked paprika.