This easy Mexican Coleslaw is all of your favourite Mexican flavours mixed into a healthier and lighter coleslaw. Shredded cabbage, carrots and onion in a creamy yogurt based dressing with cumin, chilli and paprika. Add it to tacos, burgers, salads and sandwiches. Coleslaw just got even better!
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Coleslaw is a must at any BBQ or picnic, but the same classic coleslaw can get a little boring. Why not mix it up with this spicy and zesty Mexican inspired version that will be sure to wow your guests.
A delicious side dish that can be thrown together in under 5 minutes and it has even been given a healthy twist.
If you are looking for more slaw recipes, take a look at our Greek Yogurt Coleslaw, Best Homemade Coleslaw, Broccoli Slaw or Vegan Coleslaw.
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Why You Will Love It
- Ready in 5 minutes
- Easy to adapt
- Much healthier than regular coleslaw
- Goes with lots of different meals
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Cabbage - We used white cabbage in this recipe, but there is no reason why you couldn't use red cabbage for a pop of colour, or use a mixture of the two.
- Carrot - We used standard orange carrots, which makes this a budget friendly side dish. However, you could use purple or yellow carrots to mix things up a little.
- Spring onion - This adds some extra crunch and flavour to the slaw. You could swap it for diced shallots or even slices or red onion if you prefer.
- Oil - Try to use the best quality that you can, as you really will be able to taste the difference. You could leave it out to save some calories, but we find that it loosens the whole slaw up a little and adds some extra flavour.
- Vinegar - We used apple cider vinegar, but you could use a red wine vinegar instead. We love coleslaw that has a vinegar bite to it. If you don't you can always leave it out.
- Cumin - This is a key ingredient in so many Mexican dishes, that we couldn't leave it out of this Mexican Coleslaw.
- Paprika - Another popular spice in Mexican cuisine, we use smoked paprika as it adds lots of flavour.
- Garlic - Fresh is always best, however you can save yourself some time by using a teaspoon of ready chopped lazy garlic.
- Coriander - I know some people don't love it and think it tastes "soapy", but it's a key ingredient in Mexican dishes, and really lightens the dish up.
- Lime - This adds so much freshness to the slaw. Try to always use freshly squeezed.
- Greek yogurt - We lightened up this Mexican Coleslaw by using yoghurt instead of mayonnaise to make it creamy. You can always use mayo though.
More ingredient substitutions and variations can be found in the recipe card.
Step by Step Instructions
One: Shred the carrot and white cabbage and place in a large bowl.
Two: Put all the dressing ingredients in a separate bowl.
Three: Add the spring onions (scallions) to the carrot and cabbage and mix the dressing well.
Four: Pour the dressing over the slaw.
Five: Mix well.
Six: Serve with sliced chillies (optional).
Mexican Seasoning
What makes it Mexican? We mixed all our favourite Mexican flavours, like chilli, cumin, lime, paprika and coriander into some yogurt and then mixed that through the crunch vegetables.
I ate something very similar with some fish tacos in San Diego once, and I have been making this at home ever since.
What to Serve it With
The beauty of this is there are so many different things you can serve it with. Burgers, Mexican dishes, salmon - the options are endless. Here are some of our favourite dishes to serve it with:
Dannii's Top Tips
- Make this a more filling side dish by adding some black beans or grilled corn.
- If you don't like the tartness of Greek yogurt, you could swap it for mayo in the dressing, but it would change the nutritional value considerably.
- Add some extra crunch on top with a sprinkle of sunflower seeds.
- Make it less spicy by taking the seeds out of the chillies.
- Add a little honey for a hint of sweetness.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are making this for a BBQ, then you can make it the night before and keep it in the fridge. The flavours will really intensify, which is definitely not a bad thing. This coleslaw will keep in the fridge in an air tight container for up to 3 days.
We like things spicy, so this version does have a fair amount of heat to it. But, if you want to cool things down, you could either use less chilli or remove the seeds from the chilli first. You could always serve the chillies up separately and let everyone top their own coleslaw with them if they want some fiery hot coleslaw.
Yes, if you want to save yourself some time, then buy a bag of shredded coleslaw vegetables and then add the dressing yourself. It won't be as fresh of course, but it's okay if you are short on time. Be aware that leftovers won't last as long in the fridge.
More Side Dish Recipes
If you've tried this spicy coleslaw recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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Recipe
Mexican Coleslaw
Ingredients
For the slaw:
- 2 Carrots - peeled
- 400 g (14 oz) White cabbage
- 4 Spring onion (Scallion) - finely sliced
For the dressing:
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 2 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar
- 0.5 teaspoon Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- 2 tablespoon Fresh coriander (cilantro) - chopped
- 1 Garlic clove - crushed
- 1 pinch Sea salt and ground black pepper
- 1 Lime - juice only
- 2 tablespoon Greek yogurt
To serve:
- 1 Red chilli - Finely sliced
Instructions
- Shred 2 Carrots, 400 g White cabbage and put in a large bowl with 4 Spring onion (Scallion).
- In a separate bowl, combine 1 tablespoon Olive oil, 2 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar, 0.5 teaspoon Cumin, 1 teaspoon Paprika, 2 tablespoon Fresh coriander (cilantro), 1 Garlic clove, 1 pinch Sea salt and ground black pepper, juice of 1 Lime and 2 tablespoon Greek yogurt.
- Add the dressing to the salw mixture and mix well.
- Serve 1 Red chilli (sliced; optional).
Recipe Tips
- Make this a more filling side dish by adding some black beans or grilled corn.
- If you don't like the tartness of Greek yogurt, you could swap it for mayo in the dressing, but it would change the nutritional value considerably.
- Add some extra crunch on top with a sprinkle of sunflower seeds.
- Make it less spicy by taking the seeds out of the chillies.
- Add a little honey for a hint of sweetness.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Rebecca | Let's Eat Cake says
This crunchy Mexican-inspired coleslaw looks like a coleslaw I would actually enjoy! Can't wait to try it!
Sharon says
Crunchy coleslaw with Mexican flavors is just what taco night has been missing!
Diana says
Mexican coleslaw sounds like a really good idea. A great twist on the classic coleslaw!
Natasha Mairs says
This colesaw looks really nice and I know my husband would love this too. The spicy the better he would say
Northern Crumble says
A spicy twist on a traditional coleslaw. I can imagine this with some fiery chicken and wedges would go down a treat
Melanie Edjourian says
I love Mexican coleslaw it's so tasty and you can always tweek the recipe if you like ;-)
Life as Mum says
I think I will be making this soon! Looks and sounds really tasty - my kind of food
Sally Akins says
This coleslaw looks amazing, and I totally agree with you about not liking it to be too creamy.
Kacie says
I love Mexican food and jalapenos add a nice kick to most dishes; I bet I'd love this spicy coleslaw!
Kira says
I do love anything that's Mexican, reminds me of my holidays!
Tandy | Lavender and Lime says
I could easily eat a bowl of this sans the chilli as I cannot handle the heat
Nayna Kanabar says
The mexican slaw looks so colourful and taxty.
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
This is such a pretty dish, Dannii! And I normally don't say that about coleslaw lol. But I love the flavors in here. This just screams summer!
Claudia | Gourmet Project says
lovely & spicy, my style :-). coleslaw night tbd soooon!
Amanda | Chew Town says
I'm not usually a fan of coleslaw... and its usually because I really don't like Mayo. But, this version I could definitely get behind! Bookmarking now.