Simple recipes look at Texas caviar and contemplate why they’re so complex. After all, Texas caviar is simply a mishmash of nine ingredients, chopped, and stirred together. But oh how good it is.
🌶️ Quick recipe snapshot
| Flavor profile | Sweet corn and earthy black beans underneath, tomato and lime over the top, with onion, cilantro and jalapeño sharpening it up |
| Primary heat source | One seeded jalapeño across ten servings |
| Heat level | Mild. Jalapeños run 2,500 to 8,000 SHU and this one is seeded, so most people will call it warm at most |
| Texture | Chopped, never blended. Chunky enough to eat with a spoon, which is why it works as a side as well as a dip |
| Best uses | Tortilla chips, pita or crispbreads, and a side dish for anything off the grill |
| Before you serve | Two to three hours in the fridge. And note it carries only 5 mg of sodium a serving |
Flavor notes
There’s that zip of jalapeño, that earthiness of black beans, and that sweetness of corn. And that’s only phase one of flavor. Add in tangy tomato, fresh cilantro, and pungent white onion and you have a taste explosion!
Texas caviar is a dip in only the loosest of terms since the ingredients are all simply chopped – think more chunky salsa without the liquid. There’s just a little olive oil to provide a very light olive-y taste (a perfect foil to the big flavor of cilantro) and a cohesive shine. Plus that lime juice (optional here) to give it a citrusy undertone.
That lime juice is marked optional, and it’s the one thing here you shouldn’t treat as optional. There’s a chopped avocado in the bowl and the recipe asks you to leave it in the fridge for two or three hours before serving. Acid is what keeps cut avocado from browning in that time. Squeeze it in unless you’re eating the whole thing straight away.
Look at the sodium on this one. Five milligrams a serving, because no salt goes in anywhere. Everything savory comes from the onion, the cilantro and the jalapeño. If you’re working from cans, rinse the beans and the corn and you’ll keep it that way. Want it saltier? Salt your own bowl at the table.
One thing about the name. Texas caviar started life as a black-eyed pea salad, and plenty of versions still lead with those. Ours goes with black beans and corn, which is how most people make it now, though the swap is there if you want the older version.
Adaptation ideas
For party situations and game days, the recipe easily doubles (or triples) to make enough for the whole crowd. It’s perfect with tortilla chips, pita, or crispbreads. If you want a little more spiciness, consider using a serrano pepper instead of the jalapeño. The serrano peppers have the same bright grassy flavor, but with typically triple the heat (and sometimes far more.)
- Go traditional: Black-eyed peas in place of the black beans, one for one. Firmer, a little less sweet, and closer to the original.
- Leave the seeds in: The jalapeño gets seeded here. Leave the seeds and the pale pith they sit on and you’ll feel it, without changing anything else.
- No avocado: Leave it out and the bowl keeps for days. Or chop it in right before it goes on the table and get both.
- Make it a meal: A cup of cooked quinoa or rice stirred through turns it into lunch. The beans and the fat are already there.
- Double it: It scales cleanly, as the recipe says. Just add the avocado last either way.
Serving ideas
Chips are the obvious move here, and far from the only one.
- On tacos or in a burrito: It works as a filling as much as a dip, since nothing in it is wet enough to run.
- Over grilled chicken or fish: Spoon it straight over. The lime and tomato do what a salsa would.
- On a baked potato: With a spoonful of sour cream. Sounds odd, tastes right.
- Straight out of the fridge with a fork: The honest answer for most of the bowl.
Storage notes
Airtight in the fridge, and it’s better on day two than day one for everything except the avocado. Three or four days if you left the avocado out, one day if it went in.
It’ll release liquid as it sits, mostly from the tomato. Pour a little off or give it a stir before serving. Leave some, though. A lot of the lime ended up in there.
Don’t freeze it. Tomato, onion and avocado all collapse on thawing, and there’s nothing cooked here holding the texture together.
Like this recipe? You’ll love these too:
- Cowboy Candy: Also known as candied jalapeños. These sweet and fiery jewels are delicious on sandwiches, pizzas, and even desserts.
- Peach Habanero Salsa: Peaches and habs are an incredible pairing. This is a favorite for serving with salty tortilla chips or as a side with pork.
- Quick Taco Salsa: Want an easy salsa that’s perfect for taco night? This is it.
50 easy ways to put jalapeños to work — appetizers, meals, salsas and dips, snacks, even fiery drinks. Perfect for a garden glut or a fridge full of extras.
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Texas Caviar
Ingredients
- 2 cups black beans
- 2 cups yellow corn
- 2 tomatoes chopped
- 1 jalapeño pepper seeded and chopped
- 1 avocado chopped
- 1 white onion chopped
- 1 bunch cilantro leaves chopped
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lime juice optional, adds a citrusy depth
Instructions
- In a large bowl mix all ingredients until fully combined.
- For best flavor, place in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours prior to serving.
