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    See More:   Appetizers Comfort Food Gluten-Free Snacks Vegetarian

    Last Modified: Aug 9, 2022 by Tara Gerner 17 Comments

    Cowboy Caviar

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    Who needs caviar at your next party when you have this crowd-pleasing black bean dip? This quick and easy recipe combines black beans, black olives, cream cheese, hard-boiled eggs, and a zesty blend of spices to make a flavor and protein packed snack or appetizer. Make it ahead and store it in the fridge for an even better flavor at any party, picnic, or game day tailgate!

    a white bowl filled with cowboy caviar or cream cheese bean dip with hard boiled eggsPin

    Near the end of my master's degree program, I had the wonderful fortune to meet eight women from whom I would learn more than I had from most of my coursework.

    Our friendship began in an intensive writing workshop, where we poured our souls onto paper for eight hours a day, five days a week, for most of a summer. That exhausting and glorious workshop led into three semester-long courses on writing and teaching writing where a brilliant professor pushed us to the limits of our aptitudes and attention spans.

    In those two short years, several among us got married, had babies, got teaching jobs, quit teaching jobs, and ferried grown children off to college.

    At one point, we all got together at the professor's house to celebrate the impending birth of a classmate's baby boy. We each brought along a covered dish and a book for baby Noah's brand new library.

    The food was amazing (of course!), so we all exchanged recipes. Sara's Cowboy Caviar recipe was different than all the other Cowboy Caviar recipes I'd ever seen. It contained only black beans (as opposed to black-eyed peas), and there were no other vegetables save black olives.

    Because I'm not a fan of raw peppers or tomatoes, I hadn't previously enjoyed Cowboy Caviar, but I loved Sara's at the time, and I've made it often since.

    Why this is the best Cowboy Caviar

    This recipe makes an awesome appetizer for any picnic, party, potluck, or game day tailgate, and it's also an awesome snack for after school or work.

    You can throw this dip together in less than 5 minutes. The flavor gets better if you can let it sit in the fridge for an hour, but it's good right away too.

    Some other Texas Caviar recipes use black-eyed peas, chopped fresh vegetables, and store-bought Italian salad dressing. This is a very different recipe even though it has the same name. I like this one better because of the creamy base that you mix with the black beans, and also because of the combination of lime juice, fresh garlic, and cumin. It is rich, flavorful, and delicious!

    What you'll need to make Cowboy Caviar

    Equipment

    This is a very easy recipe, and you'll only need a garlic press (or very sharp knife), a mixing bowl, measuring spoons, a spatula, and a serving dish. I use an 8-inch round dish or shallow bowl. It's not absolutely necessary, but I also used an egg slicer to make it easier to dice the hard boiled egg.

    Ingredients

    Cowboy Caviar ingredients
    • Softened cream cheese - I use neufchâtel, the lower fat cream cheese that tastes pretty much the same. It needs to be pretty soft so that you can whip it into a smooth paste.
    • Spices - cumin, crushed red pepper, salt, black pepper
    • Lime juice - This gives the dip a nice zing that brings all the flavors together.
    • Olive oil - This helps the cream cheese to be a little more fluid.
    • Fresh garlic, pressed or finely minced - I prefer to press my garlic using a garlic press. It's really simple, and it releases the pungent oils in the garlic in a way that adds incredible flavor to foods. If you don't have a garlic press, you can finely mince the cloves with a very sharp knife, but you'll never be able to achieve the tiny pieces that you'll get with a garlic press.
    • Black beans, rinsed and drained - Black beans are the star of this dip, but if you're in a pinch, you could use any type of beans. I prefer canned beans because they're easy, but if you'd like, you could soak and cook dried beans.
    • Black olives, drained and chopped - I adore black olives, the cheap kind that come in a can. They are amazing. I don't care for the pre-chopped ones though. I prefer to buy a big can and chop them myself. The pre-chopped olives are cut into microscopic pieces that you can't really taste in the finished dip.
    • 1 green onion, white and green parts - This is for garnish. I know some people don't like the white part of the green onion because they have a more pungent flavor. You can leave out the whites and just use the greens if you prefer. Or replace the green onions with chopped chives or chopped fresh parsley. If you are feeling adventurous, you could even use chopped fresh cilantro.
    • 2 hard cooked eggs, chopped - These are a garnish on top of the dip.

    How to make Cowboy Caviar

    1. Whisk the softened cream cheese in a large bowl until it's smooth. Add cumin, crushed red pepper, salt, and black pepper and mix well. Add lime juice, olive oil, and pressed garlic and mix until well combined.
      mix the ingredients together in a bowlPin
    2. Add black beans and black olives to the cream cheese mixture, reserving a handful of beans for garnish. Mix well. Let bean mixture refrigerate at least one hour, up to overnight.
      refrigerate the bean mixture for at least an hourPin
    3. Spread bean mixture evenly on bottom of a 9-inch round dish. Top with reserved black beans. Arrange chopped egg in a circle around the edge of the dish. Sprinkle all over with green onion.
      Cowboy Caviar in a white bowlPin
    4. Serve with tortilla chips, corn chips, or scoops.

    Variations on Texas Caviar

    You can replace the diced egg with diced avocado.

    You can add diced red bell pepper, diced fresh red onion, or fresh corn kernels cut off the cob to the bean mixture.

    For a heartier dip, add a can of shredded chicken to the bean mixture.

    You can add ¼ teaspoon of dark red chili powder with the other spices.

    More delicious dip & salad recipes

    • Asian Ramen Noodle Salad
    • Mexican Black Bean, Corn, & Avocado Salsa
    • Italian Hoagie Dip
    • The Best Taco Dip
    • Quick & Easy Pizza Dip
    • The Best Buffalo Cheese Ball
    • The Best Cucumber Salsa

    Recipe

    a white bowl filled with cowboy caviar or cream cheese bean dip with hard boiled eggs

    Cowboy Caviar

    Who needs caviar at your next party when you have this crowd-pleasing black bean dip? This quick and easy recipe combines black beans, black olives, cream cheese, hard-boiled eggs, and a zesty blend of spices to make a flavor and protein packed snack or appetizer. Make it ahead and store it in the fridge for an even better flavor at any party, picnic, or game day tailgate!
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 5 minutes mins
    Chilling time 1 hour hr
    Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
    Course Appetizer, Snack
    Cuisine American
    Servings 10 people
    Calories 227 kcal

    Equipment

    • Garlic press
    • Egg slicer

    Ingredients
      

    • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
    • ¼ teaspoon cumin
    • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
    • 2 tablespoons lime juice
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 2 cloves garlic pressed or finely minced
    • 2 cups black beans rinsed and drained
    • 15 ounces black olives drained and chopped
    • 1 green onion white and green parts
    • 2 hard cooked eggs chopped

    Instructions
     

    • Whisk softened cream cheese until it's smooth. Add cumin, crushed red pepper, salt, and black pepper and mix well. Add lime juice, olive oil, and pressed garlic and mix until well combined.
    • Add black beans and black olives to the cream cheese mixture, reserving a handful of beans for garnish. Mix well. Let bean mixture refrigerate at least one hour or overnight.
    • Spread bean mixture evenly on bottom of a 9-inch round dish. Top with reserved black beans. Arrange chopped egg in a circle around the edge of the dish. Sprinkle all over with green onion.
    • Serve with tortilla chips, corn chips, or scoops.

    Notes

    I like the flavor of this dish with the spicy cream cheese mixed with the beans. If you prefer a layered dip, follow these instructions instead:
    1. Mix the cream cheese and spices as directed in step 1.
    2. Spread the cream cheese mixture in the bottom of your serving dish.
    3. Mix the black beans and chopped black olives together in a bowl.
    4. Spread the black bean mixture over the top of the cream cheese mixture.
    5. Sprinkle the chopped eggs around the edge of the black beans.
    6. Sprinkle chopped green onions overtop of everything.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 227kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 807mg | Potassium: 195mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 555IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 1mg
    Keyword beans, black bean, cream cheese, eggs
    Tried this recipe? Pin it for later!Follow @FeelsLikeHome or tag #FeelsLikeHomeBlog!

     

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Sarah @ Mum In Bloom says

      September 14, 2009 at 10:38 am

      So glad to have this recipe! My hubby tried some at work one day and has raved about it ever since. I'll have to surprise him and make it this week. I love The Pioneer Woman blog too!
      .-= Sarah @ Mum In Bloom´s last blog ..Charity: Locks of Love =-.

      Reply
    2. Sarah @ Mum In Bloom says

      September 14, 2009 at 5:38 am

      So glad to have this recipe! My hubby tried some at work one day and has raved about it ever since. I'll have to surprise him and make it this week. I love The Pioneer Woman blog too!
      .-= Sarah @ Mum In Bloom´s last blog ..Charity: Locks of Love =-.

      Reply
    3. Geri@heartnsolcooking says

      September 14, 2009 at 4:49 pm

      Sounds YUMMY!!! THANKS!!! Geri
      .-= Geri@heartnsolcooking´s last blog .."MOM'S BEST APPLE PIE" =-.

      Reply
    4. Geri@heartnsolcooking says

      September 14, 2009 at 11:49 am

      Sounds YUMMY!!! THANKS!!! Geri
      .-= Geri@heartnsolcooking´s last blog .."MOM'S BEST APPLE PIE" =-.

      Reply
    5. Amanda says

      September 14, 2009 at 8:11 pm

      Great recipe! My husband loves for me to make hot and spicy stuff and I need to make this for him.

      Reply
    6. Amanda says

      September 14, 2009 at 3:11 pm

      Great recipe! My husband loves for me to make hot and spicy stuff and I need to make this for him.

      Reply
    7. Lisa@Blessedwithgrace says

      September 14, 2009 at 9:21 pm

      I love this stuff. Grace eats it too. Happy TMTT.
      .-= Lisa@Blessedwithgrace´s last blog ..Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.... =-.

      Reply
    8. amy2boys says

      September 15, 2009 at 2:30 am

      This sounds so good! And I'm incredibly jealous that you saw Marlboro Man. I read her blog 85% to see pictures of him and 15% because I think she's a neat person. Love me some Marlboro Man!
      .-= amy2boys´s last blog ..French Onion Casserole =-.

      Reply
    9. amy2boys says

      September 14, 2009 at 9:30 pm

      This sounds so good! And I'm incredibly jealous that you saw Marlboro Man. I read her blog 85% to see pictures of him and 15% because I think she's a neat person. Love me some Marlboro Man!
      .-= amy2boys´s last blog ..French Onion Casserole =-.

      Reply
    10. angi says

      September 15, 2009 at 2:52 am

      that sounds delicious

      Reply
    11. angi says

      September 14, 2009 at 9:52 pm

      that sounds delicious

      Reply
    12. Lisa@Blessedwithgrace says

      September 15, 2009 at 2:21 am

      I love this stuff. Grace eats it too. Happy TMTT.
      .-= Lisa@Blessedwithgrace´s last blog ..Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.... =-.

      Reply
    13. Cheryl B. says

      September 15, 2009 at 3:40 pm

      A spicy cavier - interesting. I stopped by from Jen's homemaking Monday's

      Reply
    14. Cheryl B. says

      September 15, 2009 at 10:40 am

      A spicy cavier - interesting. I stopped by from Jen's homemaking Monday's

      Reply
    15. Brenda says

      September 15, 2009 at 9:27 pm

      Wow, this looks really yummy and reasonably healthy as well.
      .-= Brenda´s last blog ..Tri-tip Pasta Salad/TMTT =-.

      Reply
    16. Brenda says

      September 16, 2009 at 2:27 am

      Wow, this looks really yummy and reasonably healthy as well.
      .-= Brenda´s last blog ..Tri-tip Pasta Salad/TMTT =-.

      Reply

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