Texas Caviar…Or Is It? A Veggie Rehab Recipe

Now that your arteries are 80% sludge from feasting on Bacon Explosion, it’s time we whip your butt back into shape with Texas Caviar recipe.  Don’t worry, we’ve still got plenty of porkalicious recipes up our sleeves, but we need you alive to enjoy them.  Just consider this to be a quick rehab session before your next porky relapse.  And what’s better therapy than copious amounts of garlic, onions, and peppers!!!

GarlicIt’s no surprise that Texas Caviar draws it’s roots from the south, which is exactly the problem I have with it.  It’s nothing personal, but being born and raised in Kansas City has instilled within me a deep love and pride for all things Midwest.  So you can see why eating something called Texas Caviar just doesn’t settle well.  Luckily, there’s an easy solution to this problem…toss out the iconic Texas ingredient and replace it with something a little more Midwestern.  A true authentic KC barbecue meal is not complete without a side of pit beans, so we’ll be swapping out those traditional black-eyed peas in favor of a hearty dose of white beans.

Texas Kansas City Caviar

  • 1 Can Yellow Corn
  • 1 Can White Corn
  • 1 Can Black Beans
  • 1 Can White Beans
  • 2 Large Tomatoes
  • 2 Medium Green Peppers
  • 1/2 Medium White Onion
  • 6 Green Onions
  • 4 Cloves Garlic
  • 2 Jalapeno Peppers
  • 1/2 Bunch Fresh Cilantro
  • 1 Cup Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing

Texas Caviar Ingredients

  1. Thoroughly drain and rinse the corn and beans and place in a large bowl.
  2. Dice the tomatoes, white onion, green peppers, and green onions and add to the bowl. Normally I use the largest chef’s knife I can find to do any type chopping, but this time around I decided to try out our Kitchen Aid Food Processor.  I was a bit skeptical at first, but it turns out I was able to chop everything in about half the time. The only problem I had was with the tomatoes, so I’d suggest sticking with the knife for those guys.
  3. Use a garlic press to smash the cloves of garlic, then add to the bowl.
  4. Cut the jalapeno peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and vein.  Finely mince the remaining pepper flesh and add to the bowl. The white vein in the center of the pepper is where the heat is contained, so leave more of it if you want your caviar to have a kick.  Also, if you don’t want your hands smelling like peppers for a couple days, then you should use food safe gloves during this step.  The oils from the jalapenos are very potent and will quickly soak into the skin on your hands.  Even if you are wearing gloves, take extra caution during the step, especially if you are a contacts wearer…trust me!
  5. Finely mince the cilantro and add to the bowl. This is another ingredient that didn’t work well with the Kitchen Aid Food Chopper, so stick with the knife here too.  Also feel free to vary the cilantro level to fit your own personal taste.  Just make sure that you are using fresh leaf cilantro from the produce department and not the dried stuff you find in the spice aisle.
  6. Pour the Zesty Italian Dressing over the vegetable mixture and stir until the contents of the bowl are evenly distributed.
  7. You can eat the caviar immediately, but the flavors won’t fully meld together until it’s had a chance to rest.  I always prepare the caviar the day before I plan to use it and let it sit in the fridge overnight.
  8. Serve with Tostitos Scoops and enjoy!

Texas Caviar

This Texas caviar recipe is extremely simple and wins the crowd over every time.  In fact, I think I even caught one of my co-workers licking the empty bowl the last time I took it into the office.  The big bold flavors hit your palate hard.  For you Texans out there, just substitute the can of white beans for a can of black-eyed peas to restore your sense of Southern Pride.

18 comments on “Texas Caviar…Or Is It? A Veggie Rehab Recipe

  1. take extra caution during the step, especially if you are a contacts wearer

    True dat. Been there, done that, cried like a baby for twenty hours.

    Better, though, than the guy that went to the can and wiped his tuckus after chopping hot peppers. He crab-walked back to the kitchen, told his fellow chefs “I’m going home” in a strained voice, and walked funny for a day or two.

  2. And if you want to make real Pico you can just throw together some diced white onions, jalapenos (cored seeded, washed, and diced), tomatoes (cored, seeded and diced), chopped cilantro leaves. Squeeze a lime and a lemon in, add a couple dashes of Lea & Perrin’s, a dash of salt and toasted fresh ground pepper and a spoonful of cumin… For a bit of extra taste you can grill a corn (in the husk) and then add it to the mix. You can also add Habenero if you like spice. Green onions never hurt much either… But the original is the best. I suppose you can add beans if you like ruining a good recipe.

    I was blown away by the sheer awesomeness of the BBQ smoked bacon wrapped sausage bacon stick… This site had the potential for greatness. But this, my friends, is a truly weak post.

    BTW, never sub KC for Texas (all BBQ masters know that Memphis style is the unopposed King though).

  3. Since it’s not a recipe for Pico de Gallo that doesn’t make much sense. Make it however you like, this one is mighty tasty.

    And we can argue the merits of each city and their respective BBQ, but in the end it’s a useless endeavor. I’ll eat all three (and I left out NC on purpose) 🙂

  4. While all I see (as a Texas resident) is nothing more than a souped up pico, it’s a free country… My post was more aimed at the lack of focus on smoke and BBQ sauce/dust, and most of all… meat.

  5. @Spencer – All good BBQ is made even better by a strong lineup of side dishes. Plus it never hurts to have something to snack on while the meat sits in the smoker for upwards of 18 hours. Don’t worry, we’ll be turning out attention back to meat here pretty quickly!!!

  6. Hi Jaden! I actually didn’t think I would like it when Jason first posted it, but it is very good. I’m planning on making some again for the Super Bowl next week (along with a bacon explosion of course).

    Thanks for stopping by!

  7. As a died-in-the-wool Texan, your recipe was actually a complement to ours. However, no real Texan would admit to using canned beans in a caviar recipe ;D

    To add a more local flavor next time, go a head a make a pot of your locally-flavored beans the day before and use that in your caviar. You’ll see even how much better it is.

    Keep up with the artery-clogging recipes! Happy bbq’ing!

  8. @Tracy – Glad to hear that at least one person can see through my sarcasm and pick up on a compliment! 🙂

    PS. I use canned beans strictly for the convenience factor.

  9. Honey mustard!!! Honey mustard!!!

    Regardless of how Texan or non-Texan your caviar may be, it is utterly incomplete without a 3ish tablespoons of honey mustard stirred in! It binds the “caviar” together better and cuts the everything-that-barely-touches-cheap-Italian-dressing-tastes-like-it’s-coated-in-cheap-Italian-dressing taste with a little sweetness.

  10. It’s real pretty, very appetizing and I will definitely make it one day, but there is nothing like Texas Caviar made with the earthy goodness of black-eyed peas. I’m by no means a Texas fan, being from Tennessee and, later, Atlanta, but I know when I’m in the presence of greatness.

  11. ….and Tracy (graciously) got it right with the homemade beans — making your own dressing instead of store-bought makes it even better. (But, cutting corners is better than not having it at all!) No offense to any Texans on my last comment — I’ve just had some unfortunate experiences.

  12. Enough on the Veggies already!!! I like bacon and porkfat!! When I make this recipe…I throw in crumbled bacon at the very last minute. The little extra crunch really kicks up the cavier!

  13. Wow – Phil, that sounds amazing – never thought of that with TC, but it’s really perfect with the caviar – adds a little crunch & smoke. Nice.

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