Mexican coleslaw is a fresh, crunchy, slightly spicy take on standard slaw.
We love Mexican-inspired food. Tacos, enchiladas, and fajitas are on steady rotation. Taco Tuesday is alive and well at our house! This coleslaw is a light, crunchy side dish that goes well alongside tacos or enchiladas.
Ingredients
Cabbage: Use either a head of green cabbage or a bag of shredded cabbage. The bagged variety may contain carrots or purple cabbage. They do add a little more color and texture.
Red Onion: You could use white or yellow onion, but red is my absolute favorite for Mexican and Tex-Mex recipes.
Cilantro: Cilantro adds a great fresh flavor.
Jalapeño Pepper: Adds spicy flavor. You can use a little or a lot depending upon how spicy you want your coleslaw to be.
Lime Juice: The acidity of lime juice adds a nice brightness to the coleslaw.
Olive Oil: The oil helps meld all the ingredients together.
Sugar: Just a bit to balance out the spicy and acidic flavors.
Light Mayonnaise: Gives the slaw a little creaminess, if desired.
Instructions
The mayo is optional. When I serve this slaw with saucy, cheesy enchiladas, I elect to leave out the mayo. This results in a crispy, crunchy coleslaw. When I served it with shrimp tacos, as pictured below, I added the mayo to give it just a touch of creaminess. It’s all a matter of personal preference.
Once combined, the dish is ready to serve immediately. You can also make it ahead and let it sit for 15-30 minutes and let the flavors meld. I love a make-ahead side for nights when we grill. This chipotle marinated chicken would be excellent with this coleslaw.
Mexican coleslaw is a great addition to your next Mexican-inspired dinner. If you are looking for other great sides check out these roasted veggies, corn, and rice dishes.
Mexican Coleslaw
Ingredients
- 2 cups green cabbage thinly sliced (you can also used the bagged shredded cabbage)
- 1 Tbsp red onion chopped
- 1 Tbsp cilantro chopped
- 1 Tbsp jalapeño pepper chopped
- 2 tsp lime juice
- 1 tsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp light mayonnaise optional
Instructions
- Combine the cabbage, onion, cilantro and jalapeño pepper in a medium bowl.
- Combine the lime juice, olive oil, sea salt, sugar, and mayo if using, and stir to combine. Add to the cabbage mixture and stir to thoroughly combine.