Cowboy salad is loaded with goodies and flavor. It is hearty and delicious and will become the star of the dinner plate. This is no boring lettuce salad!
Cowboy salad is perfect for BBQs and potlucks. It is full of corn, black beans, jalapenos, cheese, and more. The simple dressing ties it all together and adds more layers of flavor.
It goes perfectly with grilled meat. We had this batch with BBQ pork chops and a tasty onion casserole.
But I enjoyed the leftovers with some tamale casserole. So it really is quite versatile.
If you like cowboy caviar, you are going to love this green salad twist on that theme. It’s just a hearty and loaded with flavor, but it is a little less dense thanks to the romaine lettuce, and the dressing adds a nice touch.
What’s in a cowboy salad?
Like most salads, this one starts off on a bed of greens. A couple of good-sized heads of Romaine act as the base.
I like to cut the lettuce in small pieces, chopped salad style. It makes the salad easy to eat and gives plenty of room for the goodies to distribute themselves.
Adding corn adds a bit of sweetness and color to the mix. I used some defrosted frozen corn, but you could drain a can of corn or even use fresh.
Black beans add great fiber and texture to the mix. Just rinse and drain a can of beans and toss them in.
Cherry tomatoes add more great color and that little bit of acidity. Of course, you could use chopped romas or whatever you have.
A little cheese makes almost anything better, and this salad is no exception. We used shredded cheddar, but queso fresco, pepper jack, or your favorite cheese would work.
Adding fresh cilantro to the mix is a great way to really add a flavorful punch. Of course, if you are one of the people who think cilantro tastes like soap, you can leave it out.
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Jalapeno adds a nice bit of heat to the mix. You can use fresh, pickled, or use cowboy candy like I did. That way, they add both a bit of sweet and a bit of heat.
Avocado adds a bit of creamy richness to the mix. I like to wait until the last minute to add it in so it doesn’t oxidize, but you can leave it out if you are worried about it turning brown.
Save Some For Later
If you don’t think you will eat the whole salad in one sitting, only put dressing on the part you will eat now. Put the rest in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last longer without the dressing.
Other Great Add Ins:
There are so many tasty things you could add to this salad if you wanted to. Here are a few suggestions:
- Cucumber
- Bell pepper
- Red onion
- Black olives
- Bacon
- Grilled chicken
- Browned ground beef
- Sliced steak
The Dressing
Of course, you need a great salad dressing to tie this whole thing together. I decided to keep this one super simple with just mayonnaise, BBQ sauce, and a little bit of lime juice.
The mayonnaise adds a great creamy texture and helps to bring everything together. You can use Miracle Whip or something similar if you prefer.
BBQ sauce adds a big depth of flavor with almost no effort. Use your favorite sauce to add that sweet and savory flare.
A little bit of lime juice helps to cut through the richness of the mayo and BBQ sauce. It adds a little bit of acidity to help wake your taste buds up.
Of course you can use another dressing if you would like. An Italian dressing would work in a pinch. So would a green goddess style dressing or fiesta ranch.
Storage
Without dressing, salad will keep for about 3 days in the refrigerator. It helps if you put a paper towel on top of the salad to absorb any extra liquid then put the lid on the container or wrap it with plastic wrap. Dressed salads usually wilt much faster.
Cowboy Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
- ¼ cup BBQ sauce
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice
- 2 heads romaine lettuce
- 1 cup corn
- 15.25 oz. black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ bunch cilantro chopped
- ¼ cup chopped pickled jalapenos
- 1 avocado diced
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together the ½ cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip, ¼ cup BBQ sauce, and 1 Tablespoon lime juice. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Clean and dry 2 heads romaine lettuce. Chop into small bite sized pieces. Place in a large bowl.
- Prepare 1 cup corn, 15.25 oz. black beans, 1 pint cherry tomatoes, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, ½ bunch cilantro, and ¼ cup chopped pickled jalapenos, and add to the lettuce. If serving now, go ahead and add the avocado and dressing. Otherwise cover and chill until ready to serve.
- Toss the salad with dressing and 1 avocado when you are ready to enjoy.
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Well, DUH. If I’d looked at the pictures and recipe good enough, I would have seen the corn. And corn is also listed in the ingredients. I guess these old eyes aren’t what they used to be. Can you forgive this old lady, please.
Of course, and yes there is corn. It adds a pop of fresh flavor and little bit of sweetness to the mix.
I hate to be a dummy, but do I see some corn kernels in the salad? It looks really good, and I love corn, so that would not be a problem. Love all your recipes.
There is! Thank you so much!
Add a little bit of fajita steak or any steak..I prefer ribeye straps, and it gives it a whole new taste. It’s delicious with or without the meat
That is a great idea!
Made this today. Yummy!! So good. We left the jalepeno out. This would be so good with grilled chicken on top as a meal! The dressing was so good! Can’t wait to make this again!
I agree, grilled chicken on top would make a perfect summer dinner. I am so glad you liked it!
Looks delicious. I think I would especially like to try the dressing!
It’s such an easy dressing, but still has big flavor.
I love a hearty salad! And that dressing sounds soooo good (and easy peasy)!
It is both! This is a new favorite at our house.