This easy Mexican coleslaw is a super simple no mayo slaw. It’s a light and fresh side dish that’s a different take on traditional coleslaw. It’s perfectly flavored with lime juice, honey, and cumin. Plus, it’s made in next to no time thanks to bagged coleslaw mix. Mexican style coleslaw is the best quick and easy summer side dish for meal prep, picnics, or BBQ’s.
Mexican Coleslaw
This simple Mexican coleslaw is light and refreshing. It’s perfect for taco night, your next barbecue, or even alongside some grilled chicken or fish tacos.
The Mexican coleslaw dressing is a delicious oil-based dressing, made with olive oil, freshly squeezed lime juice, honey, apple cider vinegar, and a few spices and herbs. It’s the perfect balance of sweet, fresh, and tangy, and is so much lighter than your traditional mayonnaise-based coleslaw.
Since we’re making this Mexican cabbage salad recipe with store bought coleslaw mix, the prep time is less than 10 minutes. That makes it a super quick and easy side dish to throw together for summer barbecues, potlucks, and get-togethers.
This easy Mexican coleslaw is super versatile. You can enjoy this as a side dish with Mexican rice, used as a filling for fish tacos, or eat it with some chicken wraps.
Ingredients
Tri-Color Coleslaw Mix: Using ready to go coleslaw mix is such a time-saver in this recipe. It’s a mixture of shredded green cabbage, shredded red cabbage, and grated carrots.
If you’d rather shred your own cabbage, you can substitute it with 4 cups of shredded green cabbage, 1 cup of shredded red cabbage, and 1/4 cup grated carrots. To easily shred cabbage, cut the head into quarters and remove the core. Then thinly slice each quarter.
Red Onion: Red onion adds a beautiful color, slightly sweet taste, a little sharpness, and a bit of crunch. I prefer using red onions when I’m going to be eating them raw because they have a milder flavor than other onions.
Cilantro: Cilantro is such a popular herb in Mexican food. It adds a bright, fresh flavor that complements the other ingredients so well.
Olive Oil: This is the fat that makes up the base of our dressing, adding richness to pair with the other flavors.
Lime Juice: Using lime juice as one of the acidic components of the dressing makes it feel fresher and lighter than it would if we just used vinegar.
Honey: This is the sweetener we’re using to balance out the rich and tangy flavors. Feel free to swap it for agave nectar or granulated sugar, you just may need to adjust the amounts slightly.
Apple Cider Vinegar: This adds an acidic and tangy flavor that helps balance out the other flavors in the dressing.
Cumin, Oregano, and Garlic Powder: This combination of spices and herbs adds layers of depth and flavor to the dressing.
Salt and Pepper: Salt enhances all of the other flavors, and the spice in the pepper balances out the richness of the oil and the sweetness of the honey.
How To Make Mexican Coleslaw
Mix: In a large bowl, combine the shredded tri-color coleslaw mix, diced fresh cilantro, and thinly sliced red onion. (See the recipe card below for the full printable instructions.)
Whisk: In a separate smaller bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the olive oil, freshly squeezed lime juice, honey, apple cider vinegar, ground cumin, dried oregano leaves, garlic powder, fine sea salt, and ground black pepper until well combined.
Toss: Pour the freshly made dressing over the coleslaw mix and gently toss until everything is evenly coated.
Chill: Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator, allowing the flavors to meld together.
Serve: Before serving, stir the coleslaw again. Transfer it to a serving dish, leaving any extra dressing behind in the bowl. Garnish with additional cilantro if desired, and enjoy! See the recipe card below for the full written instructions, including ingredient amounts, cooking times, and helpful tips, etc.
Pro Tips:
- Resting Time: Don’t skip the resting time, this coleslaw needs just 30 minutes for the flavors to fully meld together and taste its best.
- Serving: When you’re ready to serve it, make sure to transfer it to a serving dish and leave the extra dressing behind in the mixing bowl. This coleslaw can become soggy if you let it rest in the excess liquid for too long.
What Is Mexican Slaw Made Of?
Mexican slaw is a delicious and refreshing side dish made from tri-color coleslaw mix, red onions, cilantro, and a sweet and tangy dressing. It includes spices like cumin, oregano, and garlic powder to add more layers of flavor.
What’s The Difference Between Coleslaw And Slaw?
Though they’re often used interchangeably, they’re not quite the same thing. Basically, coleslaws are made from a base of shredded cabbage, while slaws can be made with a base of other shredded vegetables. That means that all coleslaw recipes are also slaw, but not all slaw recipes are also coleslaw.
Do You Cut Or Shred Cabbage For Coleslaw?
It’s better to shred your cabbage for coleslaw. Shredding it into finer pieces allows the dressing to coat and penetrate the cabbage more easily. Since cabbage is a hearty, tough vegetable, it needs to be thin enough to allow the acid in the dressing to soften it. You can shred it with a knife, mandolin slicer, or a food processor with a slicing disc.
Can You Use A Grater To Make Coleslaw?
You can, but it will change the texture. When I’m going to eat coleslaw as a side dish or on tacos, I prefer the texture when the cabbage is sliced into thin slices instead of grated.
How Long Does Coleslaw Last In The Fridge?
While coleslaw can technically be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, I find that this particular recipe is really best 30 minutes after it’s made and I don’t like to store leftovers for more than a day.
Can I Make Coleslaw Ahead Of Time?
Definitely! You can make this recipe ahead of time, but it will get soggy if you let it rest in the dressing for too long, so I recommend storing the coleslaw and dressing separately. Then you can just mix the dressing in 30 minutes before you plan to serve it.
What Can I Serve With Mexican Coleslaw?
The possibilities are endless! This Mexican coleslaw pairs perfectly with tacos (it tastes great on beef, chicken, or fish tacos). It’s also a great side for grilled chicken, steak, or pork. You can also serve it alongside enchiladas, fajitas, burritos, quesadillas, or even pulled pork sandwiches. It’s definitely a great dish to bring along to a potluck or BBQ that everyone will love.
Keep In Touch
I’d love to hear what you thought of this recipe in the comments or on Instagram! @KeyToMyLime #KeyToMyLime
Side Dish Recipes
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out all of our other side dish recipes. Some reader favorites are:
- Creamy Cilantro Slaw
- Vinegar Coleslaw
- Easy Pico de Gallo Salsa
- Street Corn Salad Without Cilantro
- Coleslaw for Pulled Pork
- Pineapple Coleslaw
- Kidney Bean Salad
- Ambrosia Salad
BEST Mexican Coleslaw (Easy and Simple Recipe)
Mexican coleslaw is a super simple no mayo slaw that’s flavored with lime juice and honey and made with bagged coleslaw mix.
Ingredients
Coleslaw:
- 1 (16 ounce) bag of shredded tri-color coleslaw mix
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, diced
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion (cut into 1 inch pieces)
Dressing:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (the juice of about 1 lime)
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the coleslaw mix, red onion, and cilantro.
- In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, honey, apple cider vinegar, cumin, dried oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until well blended.
- Pour the dressing over the coleslaw mix and gently toss until everything is evenly coated.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid, and refrigerate for 30 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together.
- Before serving, give the coleslaw a good stir. Transfer the coleslaw to a serving dish, leaving the extra dressing behind in the bottom of the bowl so it doesn't sit in the liquid.
- If desired, garnish with additional cilantro, and enjoy!
Notes
- If you don’t want to use coleslaw mix, you can substitute it with 4 cups of shredded green cabbage, 1 cup of shredded red cabbage, and 1/4 cup grated carrots. To easily shred cabbage, cut the head into quarters and remove the core. Thinly slice each quarter.
- Store the coleslaw in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day, though I find that this coleslaw is best when it only has a short rest time of 30 minutes because it starts to release too much liquid as it rests.
- This is a great side dish for tacos, fajitas, or grilled meats.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1/6Amount Per Serving: Calories: 201Total Fat: 18.1gCarbohydrates: 9.3gFiber: 2.1gSugar: 6.1gProtein: 1.2g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
I hope you love this Mexican coleslaw as much as I do! It’s a great, light, refreshing summer side dish that balances out the smoky flavors of grilled meats.
