Enjoy a simple, make-ahead side dish that mixes up in minutes with this Easy Mexican Coleslaw recipe. Make coleslaw Mexican? Yep! Coleslaw is such an easy, affordable salad, why not incorporate some of your favorite southwest flavors such as cilantro, lime, chile, and cumin?
This Mexican Coleslaw is delicious as a side dish to Huevos Rancheros or filling for Shrimp or Fish Tacos, or you can serve it as a hearty main dish salad with some grilled chicken or black beans mixed in.
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Beans and rice are a cheap easy meal for me to make. During lean times, we’ve enjoyed some kind of Mexican food or bean dish several times per week. What makes this so delicious and a welcome meal even with things are tough are the toppings!
Loading up our plates with chips, salsa, and Mexican Coleslaw, all very affordable to make homemade makes eating good cheap eats easy as well as delicious!
Why Make This
It’s super affordable. Cabbage, carrots, and radishes are some of the cheapest veggies you can find, inflation or not. Together they make a nutrient-rich Mexican Coleslaw that costs just pennies a serving.
It’s very make-ahead. It’s a beautiful thing when you can make a cabbage salad that tastes just as good the second night — if not better — as it did the first night you served it. You’re going to love this easy Mexican Coleslaw.
It’s quick and easy to make. Coleslaw mix, a bag of shredded cabbage and carrots, is a quick shortcut. You can mix up the homemade dressing in minutes and quickly toss it with the veggies.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy Mexican Coleslaw:
shredded cabbage – this is the base of most coleslaws. I like to grab a bag of coleslaw mix to make this easy, but head cabbage will be slightly cheaper per ounce.
carrots – Sliced carrots add texture to the salad. In a pinch you can buy carrot coins at the grocery store to speed up this salad.
onion – I like to use green onion, but you can use red onion if you prefer.
radishes – Radishes add texture as well as a little spice to the coleslaw. If you find watermelon radishes, they will make the dish extra pretty.
cilantro – Cilantro is ubiquitous in Mexican food, however, if you don’t have cilantro or don’t care for it, you can use chopped fresh parsley instead.
lime juice – I like to use lime juice in the homemade dressing, but you can also use apple cider vinegar as a pantry stable alternative.
garlic – Fresh garlic is a must in this dressing.
spices – Similar to taco seasoning mix, this salad calls for spices such as ground cumin, ground chile (or chile powder), salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar to round things out. Make sure your chile powder doesn’t have other things added to it.
oil – I use a neutral oil, like avocado, but you can use olive oil if you prefer. For a creamier coleslaw, add a tablespoon or two of sour cream or
Variations
If you like, you can stir in other chopped vegetables, like cucumber, red pepper, tomato, or jalapeño. Corn kernels or black beans are a nice addition as well.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s how to make Mexican Coleslaw:
- In the salad bowl, combine the lime juice, garlic, cumin, chile powder, salt, pepper, and sugar. Add the olive oil and mix well.
- Add the cabbage, carrots, scallions, radishes, and cilantro. Toss gently. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
FAQs
The word coleslaw comes from the Dutch koolsla which means “cabbage salad”. It is made of shredded cabbage and a dressing, either mayo-based or vinaigrette. Other vegetables can be added.
Mexican coleslaw is a cabbage salad featuring spices and flavors common to Mexican cuisine, such as cumin, ground chile, lime, and cilantro. It is delicious for topping fish tacos or enjoying as a side dish.
Fizzy coleslaw has started to ferment, as cabbage does in the process of making sauerkraut. It is best to discard fizzy coleslaw.
More Great Cold Salads
Mexican Coleslaw
Ingredients
- ¼ cup lime juice or apple cider vinegar
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon chile powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- pinch sugar
- ¼ cup neutral oil
- 1 lb thinly sliced green cabbage or a bag of coleslaw mix
- 2 carrots sliced into coins
- 3 green onion sliced
- 3 radishes sliced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
Instructions
- In the salad bowl, combine the lime juice, garlic, cumin, chile powder, salt, pepper, and sugar. Add the olive oil and mix well.
- Add the cabbage, carrots, scallions, radishes, and cilantro. Toss gently. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on January 30, 2013. It has been updated for content and clarity.
Alisha
I’m making this tonight. My family will be having tacos but I was planning on a taco salad and since I’ve had a head of cabbage in the fridge since January so I need to use it. I think I’ll use this as the base and add some black olives too. I don’t have any radishes.
Jessica Fisher
This is a great base for taco salad. One of my faves.
Alisha
It was really good! My new go to for taco salad. I added some black beans, black olives and crumbled goat cheese. I can’t wait to eat the left overs tomorrow.
Jessica Fisher
Great!
Donna
This salad looks amazing and I hope to make it soon, but I miss new posts! I think I got addicted to hearing from you everyday during the pantry challenge!!
Jessica
I miss new posts, too! I’ve been swamped this past week with life. Hoping to share new stuff by the weekend!
Natalie
Looks great, I am obsessed with cumin!
Lori
I was so excited I received radishes & cabbage in my co-op basket yesterday. Definitely going to be making this salad/slaw this week.
Brooke Kingston
We loved this with your Mexican Beef Tortas…had it for dinner and everyone raved! This slaw is lovely; colorful, flavorful and so crunchy!
Jessica
@Brooke Kingston, that sounds like a great combination! Now to find chuck roast on sale so I can make tortas again.
KimH
That sounds & looks amazing.. M’honey will just have to do without since he doesnt like cumin or cilantro.. but my palate will be doing a happy dance. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your great salad!
meg
yum, what a great way to use up some red cabbage I have – and might just use parsley instead of cilantro – after all we still are on the LAST day of the pantry challenge! 🙂
did cave though — gonna try again in Feb!
Julie
Thank you, Jessica for posting this. Gives me a more specific plan for the head of cabbage that I am sure will come my way with this year’s CSA share. Loving the inspiration.
And continuing in the vein of the Pantry Challenge, husband and I made a dinner of leftover Hubbard squash puree and arborio rice–the resulting risotto was good and filling. Perfect one pan dinner for a night when boy is not home to eat with us. I will either need to bake with the rest of the squash or put it in the freezer for future inspirations. Either way, we will use it. I absolutely cannot stand letting fresh produce go bad and have to be thrown out.
Jessica
@Julie, I think that’s the trick to making a CSS work — having great recipes.
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It’s SO PRETTY! And looks yummy, too! : )
Laurie
Don’tcha know I’ll be making this tomorrow! I have the same ingredients in my crisper (I need to pick up some cilantro on the way home). What a crazy week this has been for me. I haven’t cooked one night. Leftovers and Costco have provided our meals and the free pizza I scored from Target tonight (a red card reward). Four straight days of putting on workshops has left me totally blotto at the end of each day. Thank goodness my dh isn’t a demanding soul.
Laurie
@Laurie, I made this tonight and it was a hit with the family. We’ll be eating the leftovers for lunch tomorrow, yum. (I think I need to toss my cumin and buy some fresh as the taste wasn’t as prominent as I would have liked)
Jessica
@Laurie, glad you liked it!