Mexican Coleslaw in 5 Minutes

This 5-minute Mexican Coleslaw is just the quick side dish recipe you’ve been looking for it. Perfect for Taco Tuesdays or any other night of the week!

I often serve Mexican food like enchiladas or tostadas with shredded cabbage instead of lettuce because I like the crunch and extra vitamins.  Sometimes, we’re having something that is hard to balance lettuce on top of like taquitos or nachos. Of course we should still eat some sort of vegetable on those occasions, so I came up with this SUPER EASY Mexican coleslaw recipe.  Seriously, this took 5 minutes to make and was really tasty.  This light, crispy, tangy, and slightly spicy side dish is a perfect match with any Mexican fare. It also works great on top of tacos or inside burritos.

If you need a quick recipe, you can make this and eat it five minutes later, but it’s even better if you have time to make it ahead. It’s fresh and crispy immediately, but the flavors come together more after a few hours. When I made it to enjoy with our Salmon Taquitos last week, I made it a full 24 hours ahead of time. It tasted so good after the flavors marinated for a day! (Just be sure to store it in your refrigerator of course.)

Even if you aren’t usually a coleslaw fan, you might like this recipe. I’ve never really liked coleslaw that much. I think I mostly tried it as a kid at church potlucks and Captain D’s. (Is that place still around?) It was always overly mayonnaise-y, watery, sweet, and just kind of yuck. This version is not any of those things. The lime adds tartness, and there’s not enough mayonnaise to make it too creamy. I personally think this is way better than traditional coleslaw. I hope you’ll give it a try and let me know what you think!

Mexican Coleslaw in 5 Minutes

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This delicious and easy coleslaw recipe is crispy, tangy, and slightly spicy.

• Total Time: 5 minutes
• Yield: 3 1x

Ingredients

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• 2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• hot sauce to taste
• 8–10 ounces finely shredded cabbage I use angel hair shredded cabbage from produce department
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro stems removed

 

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Instructions

1. In a large bowl, add mayonnaise, olive oil, lime juice, cumin, salt, and hot sauce. Whisk together until smooth.
2. Add shredded cabbage and cilantro, and toss to coat. Serve immediately, or store in refrigerator for a few hours before enjoying.

 

• Author: Andi
• Prep Time: 5
• Category: Side Dish
• Cuisine: Mexican

How to make your Mexican Coleslaw even better

One thing I always appreciate about coleslaw is how easily you can add to it to make it more colorful and flavorful. Here are some additional things you can do to really make your coleslaw shine.

• substitute 1/3 of the green cabbage for red cabbage to add more color
• add 1/4 or 1/2 a cup of shredded radish for a little more pepper flavor
• add 1/4 or 1/2 a cup of shredded carrot to give the coleslaw a slight sweetness
• substitute the olive oil for sesame oil which gives the coleslaw a really great flavor but will not overpower it
• substitute the mayonnaise with sour cream or plain greek yogurt

You can do any one or all of these modifications and substitutions and have a great coleslaw! I always think the best recipes are ones that allow you to easily substitute or modify. Just like this Mexican coleslaw recipe.

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