Cowboy Caviar Salad

This healthy spin turns “Texas Caviar” into Cowboy Caviar Salad. It is a delicious brown rice, black bean, and corn salad featuring ingredients like creamy avocado, fresh cilantro, and a sweet and spicy chili maple dressing.

Are you ready for this cowboy salad recipe in your life?

In the warmer months, I serve these hearty, healthy rice salad bowls alongside grilled chicken, shrimp, or burgers off the grill. 

This Lemon Basil Chicken Salad and this Vegan Trail Mix Salad are other delicious examples of using up leftover rice in a cold salad. They are great for summer side dishes and light lunches that can easily be packed up for school, work, hikes, etc.

What I like about this dish

This particular recipe is for brown rice salad served cold. I find the chewiness of brown rice is the perfect texture to stand up in a salad, especially one like this with a TON of stuff going on. We’ve got crisp veggies, sweet tomatoes, creamy avocado, fresh cilantro, summer corn, whew! 

I’m spinning off of a cowboy caviar recipe for this salad.

Why is it called cowboy caviar?

It was created by a Texas woman who was a director of food services at a hotel. Does being from Texas automatically make one a cowboy? I wonder. It’s possible I might move if so. 😉

I believe it was first dubbed “Texas Caviar” which makes more sense. I suppose cowboys do the eating though!

This dish started as a dip served alongside tortilla chips at a New Year’s Eve function. The name was a riff on actual caviar typically served at high-class events. Now it’s become my Texas caviar salad.

Ingredients needed for this salad:

First, what will you need to pull off this rice and bean salad? 

• cooked and cooled brown rice
• black beans
• tomatoes (I typically use a can of Rotel or Herdez salsa)
• bell pepper (any color you like – red, yellow, green – they all work)
• corn kernels (If there is no fresh, I use frozen non-GMO kernels. They thaw super quick. Simply take them out before starting everything else.)
• red onion
• freshly chopped cilantro
• avocado

Next, the sweet and spicy dressing is key for cowboy caviar recipes. For that you will need:

• oil (extra virgin olive oil is my preferred oil for salads)
• fresh lime juice (roll those babies on the counter before squeezing to loosen up all that juice!)
• maple syrup (honey works too but it will not be vegan)
• chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper

How long will this cowboy salad keep?

• Once it is prepared, keep your brown rice salad with avocado sealed in the fridge for up to four days. The lime juice will oxidize the avocado so it won’t turn brown. 
• This is a great rice salad for a bbq as a little goes a long way and you can really feed a crowd with it.
• Or portion it out for meal prep and keep it in your refrigerator for four days worth of lunches.

TIP – When enjoying leftovers, use a slotted spoon to scoop out your portions! There will be a lot of water/juice released from the veggies that will pool at the bottom. Give it a good stir before having it and use that slotted spoon.

**This recipe was originally posted on May 19, 2020. Updated June 9, 2021, with recipe notes, writing, and photos.**

If you’ve tried my Cowboy Caviar Salad, please rate the recipe and let me know how it turned out by leaving me a comment below. I’m always interested in feedback!

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