The best taco slaw is made with a mix of fresh green and red cabbage, red onion, cilantro, carrots, and tossed in refreshing cilantro lime dressing. Serve this taco coleslaw not only for tacos but in a variety of dishes such as wraps, burgers and as a tasty side dish on its own.
Make this salad even faster by using prepackaged and cut cabbage mix. I prefer making it from scratch, as this way I feel it’s more fresh, cabbage juicy and I can get a lot more servings when making everything homemade.
Coleslaws are our go to staple side dish recipes. It’s fast, cheap, and goes well with simple chicken tacos.
Jump To
Cabbages is highly nutritious. The red cabbage is especially high in vitamin C and K (more than green cabbage). Both cabbages help to promote a healthy gut and fihgt inflammation. It may also help lower your “bad” (LDL) cholesterol and control your blood sugar. All the good stuff your body needs.
Ingredients
- Vinegar - most of the mild vinegar are good to use here. It adds sharp flavor and freshness. And it’s very good for your gut health and digestion. Personally, I love the red vinegar flavor with cabbage.
- Lime - to add more tangy deliciousness and refreshing notes to the dressing. Lemon can be used instead too.
- Coleslaw - 3-4 cups of coleslaw mix either store-bought or homemade. To quickly prep your cabbage and carrots, I highly recommend investing in a good mandoline, which saves you a ton of time, and money.
- Sweetener - honey, or maple syrup are best here but both have a unique aroma and flavor that isn’t suitable for everyone. Artificial sweeteners are not good and stevia is not the healthiest to use either. Agave syrup has a more neutral taste you could add this instead.
- Cilantro - this ingredient is what completes the Mexican slaw. Without this fresh, pungent citrusy flavor it would be just a cabbage salad. However, many folks don’t like cilantro and I totally get it. I haven’t made this salad with other herbs but you can experiment with other fresh herbs such as oregano or parsley. Use way less than we are adding cilantro here.
- Cilantro Lime Dressing - refreshing and flavorful. Use fresh limes if possible, makes a ton of difference. Although you could also get away with only basic salad dressing such as olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
👩🍳 You'll find the complete list of ingredients below the recipe card.
Instructions
Make the dressing by whisking together honey, salt, pepper, lime juice, fresh garlic, olive oil, and red wine vinegar. Mix until all combined. Set aside.
In a large bowl add coleslaw and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Massage gently with your hands until the cabbage is softened.
Let sit for 5-10 minutes to soften even more and soak up the flavors.
Add in red onion, coleslaw mix, 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!
Tips
- It's healthy - because we are not adding sugars and skipping the mayo here. Keep it simple because lime juice, sweetener, and vinegar are all you need for dressing here. Honey can be substituted with agave or maple syrup.
- This salad is Low carb, paleo, gluten-free and vegan.
- Add in some chopped nuts or pepitas to boost this slaw’s nutritional value even more. And you get the additional crunch, oh yes!
- No pre-packaged coleslaw mix? Then a good mandoline is the way to go because you need very thin strips here. It will shred anything into uniform sizes in minutes.
- Depending on what dishes this Mexican slaw will be served with, you can throw in some smoky and spicy hot peppers in the mix. Jalapeno peppers, green chilies, and serrano or habanero peppers are a great way to start. Make sure to remove the seeds and chop them very finely. You only need a little. A pinch of chili powder or ground chipotle powder will add a similar flavor too.
I usually like to add more red cabbage. I love the flavor and that it has more health than other ingredients. More the good stuff! One negative aspect is that thanks to the pretty purple hue of the fresh red cabbage other ingredients will turn purple too. Which is totally fine if you consume the salad as soon as it's made. The longer it sits, the more it will dye the ingredients.
Variations
This salad is easily customizable. The cabbage pairs well with many other ingredients which don't have to be Mexican. Just use what you want or have in your kitchen at the moment.
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
Freezing and Storing Instructions
Coleslaw mixed with the dressing is best to serve and consume right away. However, you can refrigerate salad and dressing separately in airtight containers for up to 4-5 days.
This salad comes together in literally minutes, 5-10 minutes to be precise. Especially if you’re using pre-cut veggies. So make as much as you’d consume.
Craving more cabbage recipes? Try our Colcannon, Lazy Cabbage Rolls or Cabbage Pie next time.
Serving Suggestions
Mexican food and all the foods that you'd serve on an epic taco night! Just kidding, you can serve literally anything with this wonderful Taco slaw!
It's a perfect side dish, paired with almost anything from grilled meats, seafood, tex-mex style dishes, tacos, fajitas, and many more.
These are my top recommendations on what to serve with coleslaw.
- Stuffed Peppers - serve the taco slaw on the side.
- Enchiladas of any kind!
- Fish Tacos - classic combination!
- Fajita Pasta or Cheesy Ground Beef Taco Pasta
- Ground Beef Taco Salad
- Lettuce Wraps - serve the slaw inside the wraps or on the side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Essentially these are the same things, But if you want to be picky, then coleslaw is more often referred to a thinly sliced cabbage salad whereas slaw is just thinly chopped veggies, of any kind, not only cabbage.
Yes, Mexican tacos are usually served with thinly sliced cabbage on top or on the side of tacos. But mostly inside tacos.
The easiest and fastest way to shred the cabbage is to use a mandolin or a box grater.
Easy Salad Recipes
For more recipes please take a look at my ALL SALAD recipe collection.
📖Recipe
Taco Slaw With Cilantro Lime Dressing
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
Instructions
- 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 and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Massage gently with your hands until the cabbage is softened. Let sit for 5-10 minutes to soften even more and soak up the flavors.
- Add in red onion, coleslaw mix, 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!
Notes
- Honey can be substituted with agave or maple syrup.
- Add in some chopped nuts or pepitas to boost this slaw’s nutritional value even more. And you get the additional crunch, oh yes!
- Coleslaw mixed with the dressing is best to serve and consume right away. However, you can refrigerate salad and dressing separately in airtight containers for up to 4-5 days.
- This salad comes together in literally minutes, 5-10 minutes to be precise. Especially if you’re using pre-cut veggies. So make as much as you’d consume.
The ultimate taco slaw (cabbage salad) for anything!