Looking for an easy coleslaw recipe that pairs perfectly with Mexican food? This easy cilantro lime slaw recipe is the one!

I love BIG flavors when I make Mexican food at home! My family loves taco night, and this Cilantro Lime Slaw is a staple at our house. It’s a great side dish for tacos, burritos or enchiladas!

an overhead photo of cilantro slaw in a white bowl

As a bonus, this Cilantro Lime Slaw recipe is super easy to make! Just grab a bag of coleslaw mix, a bunch of cilantro and some limes and you are on your way to a tangy coleslaw in just about 5 minutes.

“I’ve made this many times and love it. It also makes a great bed for fish tacos.”

Linda S, Yummly User
ingredients for cilantro lime cole slaw in a clear bowl

Serving Suggestions:

If you’re looking for a super sweet, vinegar slaw to serve with BBQ, try my Southern Coleslaw recipe.

a close up photo of cilantro lime slaw

Substitutions:

If you do not have lime juice, you can substitute white vinegar, red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.

Use any type of cabbage. You’ll need roughly 3 cups.

“This was great for my pulled pork tacos. I added 1/2 cup of diced fresh pineapple and increased the sugar to two tablespoons. Shame on us but we like sweet.”

Johnson, Yummly User

Recipe Additions:

  • Spicy Coleslaw Recipe: Add 1/2 of a fresh jalapeno (diced) to the dressing ingredients, and let it sit for 5 minutes before combining with the coleslaw mix.
  • Garlic Cilantro Lime Slaw: Add 1 teaspoon of garlic powder to the dressing for garlicky flavor.
  • Creamy Cilantro Lime Slaw: To make a creamy dressing, add 1/2 cup of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt to the dressing and whisk vigorously.
  • Zesty Cilantro Lime Slaw: Add a teaspoon of taco seasoning to the slaw dressing.
  • Other ideas: Diced red bell pepper, fresh corn kernels, fresh chopped pineapple.
a photo of cilantro slaw in a bowl

Storing Leftover Cilantro Lime Slaw:

Store leftover coleslaw in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.

an overhead photo of cilantro lime cole slaw in a bowl
an overhead photo of cilantro lime cole slaw

Cilantro Lime Coleslaw

Yield: Serves 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Additional Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Looking for an easy coleslaw recipe that pairs perfectly with Mexican food? This easy slaw recipe is the one!

Ingredients

For the Cilantro Lime Dressing:

  • ¼ red onion or yellow onion, sliced into very fine strips
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons sugar or Splenda
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper

For the cabbage slaw mix:

  • 8 ounces coleslaw mix (green cabbage with carrots)
  • 4 ounces shredded red cabbage
  • 1⁄3 cup chopped green onion
  • 1⁄3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, add coleslaw mix, purple cabbage, onion, cilantro and green onions. toss to combine.
  2. In a small bowl, prepare the coleslaw dressing. Add onions, lime juice, olive oil, sugar/splenda, salt and pepper. Whisk vigorously and allow it to rest for 2-3 minutes to allow the lime juice to mellow out the onions.
  3. Pour dressing onto slaw mix, stir and cover. allow to rest in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Stir again, and serve.

Notes

For this recipe, I used coleslaw mix that had green and red cabbage as well as shredded carrots. You can absolutely shred your a head of cabbage (either color) instead using a sharp knife or grater. You'll need roughly 3 total cups of packed, shredded cabbage.

For extra lime flavor, add a bit of lime zest to the mix.

Make it spicy with a few shakes of hot sauce, a pinch of red pepper flakes or ½ of a diced jalapeno pepper.

Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 4
Amount Per Serving Calories 186Total Fat 14gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 5mgSodium 200mgCarbohydrates 16gFiber 3gSugar 10gProtein 2g

The nutrition for this recipe is calculated by an app and may be incorrect.

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