Trader Joe’s Cowboy Caviar
My family has a dish called cowboy caviar that is a staple. Whenever there’s a family gathering for holidays or a neighborhood block party, it’s one of the first things we think to bring. Pair it with a bag of Frito Scoops, and everyone is happy. It has a unique flavor with a blend of Ro-tel, corn, cheese, green onions, and a mayo and sour cream base.
But not everyone makes cowboy caviar the same. While the cowboy caviar recipe we use has a sour cream and mayo base, other people make it with a vinaigrette-style dressing. So, store-bought versions of homemade favorites can be an interesting experiment. I recently found cowboy caviar at Trader Joe’s, which is a cousin to Aldi.
Trader Joe’s Cowboy Caviar was featured in the 2024 Summer Fearless Flyer, so it might be a seasonal item, but I’m not completely sure about that. When it’s in stock, you’ll find it in the store’s shelf-stable section. You should refrigerate it after opening.
It’s $3.49 for a13-ounce jar at the time of writing. It’s a Trader Joe’s exclusive and is described on the label as a corn, black bean and pepper salsa.
There are 11 servings per container, with each serving being 2 tablespoons. In each serving, there are 25 calories, 0g of total fat or saturated fat, 125 mg of sodium, 6g of total carbs, 1g of fiber, 2g of total sugars, 1g of added sugar, and 1g of protein.
As a store-bought item, it’s to be expected that it’s not as healthy as homemade, but it’s not the worst thing for you. There is cane sugar in it, along with some processed guar gum and vague “spices,” but otherwise it’s a pretty standard cowboy caviar with whole, recognizable ingredients.
When testing this dip, we paired it with Trader Joe’s Organic Corn Chip Dippers because the Fearless Flyer recommended them, but any other tortilla chips or even crackers could work fine. The first thing we noticed just opening the dip was that the ratio of corn to the rest of the mixture was quite high. None of us were too bothered by it, but decreasing the amount of corn would have helped the other flavors come through more.
After a few bites, the spice level also became apparent. Our homemade dip doesn’t have any spice at all, but there was significant kick to the Trader Joe’s dip. I would say it might be a little bit more than a mild salsa. If spice bothers you, either look for other dips or have a glass of water handy.
Aside from those two small complaints — and spiciness is not even a complaint for everyone — we all enjoyed this, and it was gone in two or three days. It has a tomato salsa taste lingering in the background, and the corn and beans contribute to the texture. There isn’t much in each jar, so if you’re bringing this to a party or other larger event, getting two or possibly three jars might do you good.
The Verdict:
Trader Joe’s Cowboy Caviar is a Trader Joe’s exclusive, and we were very happy with it. The flavors were nice, and the slight kick made it different from other cowboy caviars we’ve had. Does it top homemade? No. Did it still stand its ground when we tested it? Most definitely. So if you want to change up your snacks, or if you want something different for a gathering, this might be the thing you’re looking for.
