This Mexican Coleslaw Is The Only Side I Want Right Now

A quick, easy Mexican coleslaw with fresh green and red cabbage, red onion, cilantro lime dressing, carrots, and a touch of pure honey for natural sweetness. Mayo-free and good for you!

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Quick Mexican Slaw Recipe

This fresh coleslaw is great not only for tacos but will taste great in Salmon Burgers, Stovetop Burgers and meaty Lettuce Wraps.

Cabbage is highly nutritious. Red cabbage is especially high in vitamin C and K (more than green cabbage). Both cabbages help to promote a healthy gut and fight inflammation.

Ingredients

Vinegar - Most mild vinegars are good to use here. It adds sharp flavor and freshness.
Lime - To add more tangy, deliciousness, and refreshing notes to the dressing. Lemon can be used instead too.
Coleslaw - 3-4 cups of slaw mix either store-bought or homemade. I highly recommend investing in a good mandoline slicer to prep your cabbage and carrots quickly.
Sweetener - Honey or maple syrup are best here, but both have a unique aroma and flavor that isn't suitable for everyone. Agave syrup has a more neutral taste, so you could add this instead.
Cilantro - Is the ingredient that completes the Mexican slaw. Without this fresh, pungent citrusy flavor, it would be just a cabbage salad.

📋 You can find the full ingredient list in the Recipe Card below the article.

How To Make Mexican Coleslaw

Make the dressing by whisking together honey, salt, pepper, lime juice, fresh garlic, olive oil, and vinegar. Mix until all combined. Set aside.

Season the cabbage. Add the coleslaw mix, a pinch of salt, and black pepper to a large bowl.

Massage gently with your hands until the cabbage has softened. Let sit for 5-10 minutes to soften and soak up the flavors.

Add in red onion and cilantro.

Pour in the dressing and toss to combine. Taste for seasoning.

Serve with your favorite tacos, burrito bowls, fajitas and so much more.

Flavor profile: crunchy and light. With each bite, you can taste a combination of all the veggies tossed in a tangy, sweet citrus dressing.

Mexican Coleslaw Variations

Just mix and match and use what you have in the kitchen.

We love adding:

chopped avocados
green onion or scallions
bell peppers
corn - fresh or canned. Add in leftovers from this Cajun Corn On The Cob, you will not regret this!
more fresh herbs - parsley, mint
celery
cheese - Mexican cotija cheese, feta, or crumbled fresh mozzarella
you could also use napa cabbage instead of green cabbage. It's less crunchy though.
You can swap out the tangy dressing for creamy dressing by adding a combination of mayo and Greek yogurt or sour cream mix.

Optional Sweetener

This slaw is sweetened with honey, but you can use agave syrup or maple syrup for a less sweet and neutral flavor.

The sweetener is optional, allowing you to create a completely unsweetened and sugar-free coleslaw.

Tips

I prefer adding more red cabbage for its flavor and health benefits. However, note that the vibrant purple hue may transfer to other ingredients over time, intensifying as the salad sits. Consuming it immediately avoids this color transfer.
Add in some chopped nuts or pepitas to boost this slaw's nutritional value even more. And yes, you get the additional crunch too!
No pre-packaged coleslaw mix? Then a good mandoline is the way to go because you need very thin veggie strips here. It will shred anything into uniform sizes in minutes.
For spicy kick add jalapeno peppers, green chilies, serrano, or habanero peppers. Make sure to remove the seeds and chop these very finely. You only need a little.

What To Serve With Mexican Slaw

Grilled meats, seafood, tex-mex style mains, Mexican chicken, meaty pasta, tacos, fajitas, and many more.

Storing Instructions

To Store. Coleslaw mixed with the dressing is best served and consumed right away. However, you can refrigerate the salad and dressing separately in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.
Make-Ahead. This salad comes together literally in minutes, 5-10 minutes to be precise. Especially if you're using pre-cut veggies.

More Mexican Recipes

Before You Head Out

If you gave this recipe a try, I'd be so thankful if you could leave a ★★★★★ rating and review below. It helps other readers, supports my work, and means the world to me. Thank you for being part of The Yummy Bowl family. Happy cooking! ❤️

Recipe Card

Julia

Quick Mexican Coleslaw (With Cilantro Lime Dressing!)

5 from 11 votes

The best and easy mexican slaw made with fresh green and red cabbage, red onion, cilantro, carrots, lime juice and naturally sweetened with a touch of pure honey. Its quick and simple, healthy without addition of mayo. Its perfect to serve with any main course, grilling recipes and of course with tacos.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Total Time 15

Servings: 5 servings

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Tex-Mex

Calories: 73

Ingredients Method Nutrition Video

Ingredients

3 cups coleslaw mix purple cabbage, green cabbage and carrots
2 teaspoon honey or more to taste
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
2 tablespoon lime juice
¼ teaspoon fresh garlic minced or more to taste
2 tablespoon olive oil good quality is essential
½ cup fresh cilantro finely chopped
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar or sub with apple cider vinegar
¼ cup red onion thinly sliced

Method

Make the dressing by whisking together honey, salt, pepper, lime juice, fresh garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar. Mix until all combined. Set aside.
In a large bowl add coleslaw mix, pinch of salt and black pepper. Massage gently with your hands until the cabbage has softened. Let sit for 5-10 minutes to soften even more and soak up the flavors.
Add in red onion, and cilantro. Pour in the dressing and toss to combine. Taste for seasoning.
Serve with your favorite tacos, burrito bowls, fajitas and so much more!

Nutrition

Calories: 73kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 1gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 13mgPotassium: 106mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 152IUVitamin C: 19mgCalcium: 22mgIron: 0.3mg

Video

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Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on the products used.

Full Nutrition Disclaimer can be found here.

Mexican Slaw: FAQs

Is it healthy to eat coleslaw?

Coleslaw, made with thinly chopped or shredded vegetables like cabbage and carrots, provides a nutrient boost.

For a healthier option, opt for a light olive oil salad dressing instead of the traditional high-calorie mayo and sugar dressing.

Should you wash cabbage for coleslaw?

Discard the outer leaves of the cabbage and rinse it under cold water. Cut it into thick wedges and rinse again to remove any bacteria and worms remaining inside.

Do you wash cabbage after chopping?

Wash vegetables to remove dirt, bacteria, and chemicals.

After chopping cabbage, please place it in a colander and rinse under cold water to eliminate any hidden worms.

Does cabbage need to be refrigerated?

Whole cabbage doesn't require refrigeration unless your pantry is very hot.

It can be stored safely at room temperature, preferably in a cool, dark environment. Once rinsed or chopped, store tightly sealed in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Why does my homemade coleslaw taste bitter?

Make sure to remove the core of the cabbage, it doesn't taste very pleasant!

Also, use younger and more green cabbage, as older cabbage may taste bitter.