Made by Hand · Appetizers
Cowboy Caviar
Cowboy caviar with black beans, pinto beans, corn, colorful peppers and zesty Italian dressing. Ready in 20 minutes and even better chilled overnight.
By Stephanie
Tested in my home kitchen · Updated Oct 2026
Prep
20 min
Cook
0 min
Makes
22
Difficulty
Easy
A note from my kitchen
Why this recipe stays in rotation
Black beans, pinto beans, corn and three colors of bell pepper make this a colorful dip or side. Onion, cilantro and jalapeño add fresh flavor, and your choice of store-bought or homemade zesty Italian dressing brings it together. Enjoy it as soon as it is mixed, or refrigerate overnight to let the flavors develop.
The recipe
Cowboy Caviar
Cowboy caviar with black beans, pinto beans, corn, colorful peppers and zesty Italian dressing. Ready in 20 minutes and even better chilled overnight.
Ingredients
1× batch · Quantities change; cooking time and temperature do not. Use suitable cookware for larger batches.
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1 orange bell pepper
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1/2 medium onion
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1 jalapeño, seeds removed
- 1 can black beans (standard grocery-store can)
- 1 can pinto beans (standard grocery-store can)
- 1 can corn (standard grocery-store can)
- Approximately 1 cup zesty Italian dressing, or more or less to taste, store-bought or homemade (or 1 full batch of the Five Heart Home dressing linked in the notes)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Fresh lime juice, to taste (optional)
Method
- 1
Wash the peppers, onion, cilantro and jalapeño. Remove the bell pepper stems and seeds, and deseed the jalapeño.
- 2
Finely dice the peppers and onion, mince the jalapeño, and chop the cilantro.
- 3
Rinse and thoroughly drain the black beans, pinto beans and corn.
- 4
Combine the beans, corn, peppers, onion, cilantro and jalapeño in a large bowl.
- 5
Add your preferred zesty Italian dressing, store-bought or homemade, and toss until evenly coated. The original batch uses one full batch of the linked Five Heart Home dressing (approximately 1 cup), but use less or more to suit your taste. Taste before serving; if it tastes bland, add salt, freshly ground black pepper and more fresh lime juice to taste, a little at a time.
- 6
Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate overnight for improved flavor.
Stephanie’s notes
Makes 11 cups, or 22 half-cup servings as a dip or side. Prep time is 20 minutes; no cooking is required. Serve immediately, or refrigerate overnight for improved flavor. Use one standard grocery-store can each of black beans, pinto beans and corn. Rinse and thoroughly drain all three. Use approximately 1 cup of your preferred zesty Italian dressing, store-bought or homemade. For the homemade version used here, use the entire batch of Five Heart Home’s Homemade Italian Dressing (approximately 1 cup). Dressing recipe by Samantha Skaggs at Five Heart Home: https://www.fivehearthome.com/homemade-italian-salad-dressing-better-than-olive-garden-copycat-recipe/#recipe The linked dressing contains Parmesan cheese; consider this when serving guests with a milk allergy. Adjust the dressing to your taste: use less for a lighter coating or more if you prefer. If the mixture tastes bland, add salt, pepper and more fresh lime juice a little at a time, tossing and tasting as you go.
Use it well
Make it yours, store it well
Variations
This is a highly customizable recipe. Switch up the beans, swap in your favorite vegetables, or try a different dressing to change the flavor profile. You can even add cooked, cooled pasta to turn it into a pasta salad. Use what you enjoy and make it your own—the possibilities are endless. If you add more ingredients, adjust the dressing to taste; the final yield will change.
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