WARNING: Only Make This Dish if You Want to Be the Star of the BBQ

If you've been invited to a barbeque, I promise you, this dish is going to steal the show.

Sure, barbeques have a focus on the meat being grilled and or smoked typically. However, I have a dish that I make that always becomes the star of the show. It's called Cowboy Caviar.

How to Make Cowboy Caviar

It is also known as Texas Caviar. I know, we're in Michigan, but regardless of what it's called, when I tell you that this is the most requested dish that I make, I'm not joking. In fact, this week alone, I've had a friend and a family member ask me for this recipe. So, I figured I would grace your taste buds without you having to ask, and just hook you up with the recipe.

Here's the deal with this recipe; it's super simple to put together, it just requires a bit of chopping and mixing. But I'm warning you now... if you make this once, you will be asked to make this at almost every family or friend gathering.

Shopping List:

One can each of black beans, sweet corn, and black-eyed peas (can be substituted for pinto beans). One large bell pepper, either red, orange, or yellow. One small red onion. A pint of cherry tomatoes. One jalapeno, one large avocado, a bunch of cilantro, and three limes.

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This recipe also calls for olive oil, hot sauce (whatever your preferred brand is), salt, pepper, cumin, adobo, and chili powder. Of course if you don't have any of these items, you'll have to buy them. But I figured you very well might have them in your pantry already.

After you've gathered all the ingredients, you'll want a big bowl, and I always say get bigger than you think you need so nothing spills out when you mix it together.

What to Make to Bring to the BBQ?

First, you'll drain the corn as well as draining and rinsing the beans, and add all three to the bowl. Next, you're going to chop your bell pepper, tomatoes, and avocado into pieces about the same size as the beans.

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After that, you'll fine dice the red onion and jalapeno. As far as the jalapeno seeds, keep them or ditching them will be entirely up to you and how spicy you want this to be.

Now that all the veggie are chopped and mixed with the beans, we're going to make the sauce. You need 1/3 cup of olive oil, 1/3 cup of fresh lime juice, 3 tablespoons of your preferred hot sauce, and seasonings to your liking. Salt, pepper, and cumin are a must, adobo and chili powder can be seasoned to taste. Roughly chop about 2 - 3 tablespoons of cilantro. Add all of that to a separate bowl, whisk it up, and add it to the veggie and bean concoction.

And there you have it, folks; Cowboy Caviar. The real star of the barbeque. Serve up with a bag of tortilla chips, and you're golden.

Bone Appetit!