Shop
My
Custom
FREE 5-Ingredient Recipe EBook
GET IT NOWThere is so much I love about this Mexican taco slaw recipe! It’s not just about the vibrant flavors and crunchy texture. It’s not just how versatile it is for everything from toppings to side dishes with your Mexican meals. What I love most is how effortlessly it comes together. In just 5 minutes, you’ll have a flavorful cilantro lime cabbage slaw for tacos — and for so much more!
Why You’ll Love My Taco Slaw Recipe
- The dressing makes the dish – The flavors in this Mexican coleslaw are similar to my cilantro lime cauliflower rice, but with a crunchy texture and a creamy component (a.k.a. the best part!).
- Bright, crunchy, and creamy – I’m obsessed with the contrast of crisp cabbage and fresh herbs with tangy, creamy dressing. It just keeps you coming back for more.
- Quick and easy – I love a good slaw, but some of my recipes (like broccoli slaw) take a bit longer due to all the chopping. I take a shortcut with this taco slaw, so you can whip it up in just 5 minutes. Perfect for busy weeknights or spontaneous gatherings!
- Use it in many ways – Sure, I make this cabbage slaw for tacos, but it’s so much more than that! See my other ways to serve it below.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my Mexican slaw recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Shredded Coleslaw Mix – This is the time-saving shortcut I take whenever I need shredded cabbage and carrots together, especially for coleslaw recipes. (I also use it for my egg roll in a bowl and cabbage stir fry.) It works perfectly for taco slaw and is the main ingredient in it, but you can also shred your own red and/or green cabbage if you prefer.
- Mayonnaise – This is the base of the creamy cilantro lime dressing! You can whip up my homemade mayonnaise in just a few minutes using common kitchen staples, or use your favorite store-bought brand. Greek yogurt or sour cream would also work, but the flavor will be different.
- Lime juice – Using fresh squeezed lime juice will give you the best flavor, but you can also use bottled lime juice (like I sometimes do) for a time-saver.
- Spices – While my Mexican coleslaw recipe may not be entirely traditional, I used a combination of cumin, garlic powder, sea salt, and cayenne pepper to give it that Mexican flavor we all know and love.
- Green Onions – For a contrasting bite. If you prefer more crunch, red onions would also work nicely with the flavors I have going here.
- Fresh Cilantro – You know I can’t resist adding some fresh herbs! Feel free to leave them out if you’re not a fan of cilantro, but I can’t really recommend another herb that would work well.
VARIATION: Add some heat!
Though I do include a dash of cayenne pepper, my taco slaw recipe is pretty mild. If you want it more spicy, throw in a tablespoon of finely diced jalapeño, or just increase the amount of cayenne.
How To Make Cabbage Slaw For Tacos
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Mix the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, lime juice, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne.
- Mix the taco slaw. Place the coleslaw mix, green onions, and cilantro into a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the slaw and toss to coat. I like to top mine with more green onions and a fresh squeeze of lime for serving.
TIP: If you have time, refrigerate the mixture for an hour to let flavors develop.
This is not required, but this step makes it taste even better! Just give it a good stir before serving.
Storage Instructions
I’ve had no problem making my cabbage slaw for fish tacos ahead of time. You can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you keep the dressing and other ingredients separately, they’ll last for up to 1 week.
Serving Suggestions
The best part about this slaw is that you’ll find so many ways to eat it! Here are a few ways I use it:
- Tacos – Obviously, you can use this cabbage slaw for tacos! Sometimes I choose corn tortillas, other times it’s lighter options like crunchy cheese taco shells or jicama tortillas. My all-time favorite filling is copycat Chipotle barbacoa, but you can also stuff yours with classic taco meat, chicken fajitas, seasoned flaky fish, or make my steak tacos or even Crock Pot chicken tacos. For a low carb option, use this slaw for fish tacos from my first low carb cookbook.
- Taco-Inspired Recipes – Try it as a topping for other dishes that have taco flavors, like my taco skillet, taco stuffed peppers, or taco casserole. I’ve even enjoyed it over my easy taco salad and plopped a dollop into my taco bowl!
- Burgers – Add this cilantro lime slaw to take your burger to the next level! You can serve it on the side, or stuff it right inside the bun (or my go-to, a lettuce wrap) along with a slice of melty cheese, avocado, and fresh salsa. Sometimes I even season the burgers with taco seasoning.
- Sandwiches – This slaw pairs particularly well with pulled pork in a sandwich, but you can also add some Mexican seasonings to my chicken salad recipe to go with it.
- Serve As A Side Dish – Who says you can only use this Mexican coleslaw for tacos or toppings? It also makes an easy side with Mexican-inspired meals. Try it with my carne asada, or cheesy stuffed poblano peppers or chicken stuffed peppers.
More Toppers For Mexican Recipes
The fresh, vibrant toppings are my favorite part about this cuisine! Try my other Mexican-inspired recipes to complete your meals:
Taco Slaw (5-Minute Recipe)
Make cabbage slaw for tacos in just 5 minutes! This easy taco slaw with creamy cilantro lime dressing is the perfect Mexican topping or side.
Remove Ads
Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
-
In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lime juice, cumin, garlic powder, salt and cayenne.
-
Place the shredded coleslaw mix, green onions, and cilantro into a large bowl. Pour the dressing over evenly and toss to coat.
-
If you have time, refrigerate the cilantro lime slaw for an hour to let the flavors develop. Stir again before serving. Serve chilled.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Healthy Ebook Bundle!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
Add Your Notes Your Notes
Try More Of My Recipes
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.
Mexican Taco Slaw Recipe
95 Comments
Wayne Pieroni
0Made Crock Pot Chicken Tacos and topped with this Mexican Slaw. Absolutely delicious! My wife flipped it by putting her slaw in a bowl and topping it with the chicken, which was equally as good.
Wholesome Yum D
0That sounds like such a tasty combo, Wayne! Love how your wife flipped it, both versions sound like total winners. Thanks for sharing how you served it!
sheboco
0I made this the day before we had tacos. I added it to my tacos for the first time. It was a game changer! I highly recommend you try it!
Wholesome Yum D
0Love hearing that! So glad it took your tacos to the next level. Thanks for sharing, it sounds like such a delicious combo!
Candice L Ragsdale
0Easy, sooooo tasty with crispy corn tortilla tacos! The whole family truly enjoyed the slaw as a part of their tacos.
Wholesome Yum D
0That sounds amazing, Candice! I’m so glad your whole family enjoyed it and I love the idea of serving the slaw in crispy tacos!
Sheri
0Made this for dinner tonight, it turned out fabulous!! Great flavour, easy prep and leftovers are so versatile they’ll be easy to pair with something else. I highly recommend and I’ll be making it again for sure.
Wholesome Yum D
0That’s so good to hear, Sheri! I love that you’re already thinking about how to use the leftovers, so many options. I’m thrilled it was a hit for you!
Sandy
0Easy and yummy.
Wholesome Yum D
0Thanks, Sandy! So glad you liked it!
TReilly
0So delicious! I also added a tbsp of agave syrup.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m glad you liked it! Thank you for sharing your variation.
Ellen Rinaldi
0Tasty and colorful!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thanks, Ellen!
Bria Gray
0This recipe is so good. I love it on steak street tacos. I have made it many times and all my friends love it.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Bria! I’m so glad you and your friends love this slaw.
Jimmy
0Easy and went great with my brisket tacos
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Jimmy! It sounds perfect with brisket tacos.
Rebekah
0Oh… yum! I make this regularly. I don’t usually have fresh cilantro so I mix the appropriate amount of dried cilantro in with the dressing mix.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m glad you like this slaw, Rebekah! Good to know that dried still works well.
Dale
0Easy to make and very delicious I used it on my Beef Barbacoa
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Dale! What a perfect combo with barbacoa.
Nancy
0Absolutely delicious 😋 The whole family loved it. I don’t tolerate spice, so I replaced the cayenne with black pepper and it was still a hit!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so glad your whole family liked it, Nancy! Thank you.
RVS
0Excellent! But, …. I think you could DOUBLE the amount of slaw, and I would like it better.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you! Feel free to double it if you like.
Kathi Govatski
0My husband and I had these tacos for dinner tonight. A definite hit! I made a taco slaw with cabbage which was a nice addition. This will be my go to recipe for chicken tacos.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Kathi! I assume you mean you made chicken tacos and made this taco slaw recipe to go with them? 🙂
Tori
0Delicious! I have a large family (and I love cabbage) so I doubled the recipe and substituted ACV for a couple tablespoons of the lime juice just for personal preference.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Tori! I’m so glad you liked it.
Tricia
0My go to ever time I make tacos!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so glad to hear that, Tricia! Thank you!
Jim
0I wonder how adding some cooked up some ground round “a la chili style” and add that as the protein would work? Never mind, I’m going to do that!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0That sounds really good, Jim! Let me know how it goes!
Pat
0I followed recipe as written. It was too bitter, maybe I won’t use as much lime juice next time. It also needs some sweetness. Thank you.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Pat, Sorry to hear the recipe wasn’t what you were expecting. It’s not usually bitter when I make it, did you use freshly squeezed lime juice? Feel free to add a sweetener of your choice if you like it sweet.
Jeannette
0What a great twist for a Slaw! I was getting a bit tired of regular Cole Slaw. Great time of year to get this recipe so I can bring it to summer parties! Thanks again Maya!
Nancy
0This was absolutely fantastic ? I had to substitute chives for the green onions, but my husband still loved it! Thank you so much!
Marie
0This is so good! My advice is to add only half the lime juice to the mixture at first and then add seasoning and the remainder of the lime juice to taste. I find that depending on the mayonnaise I’m using, I need to adjust the seasoning in order to better balance the acidity from the lime.
I had this salad as a side dish to accompany fried chicken eaten with a coriander-lime jalapeno hot sauce.
Alexis
0I made this to go on chuck roast street tacos. Of my gosh YUM. My sons 15, 6,5, and 3 all requested it on their tacos and ate their tacos better than ever. My youngest is allergic to tomatoes and he loved having something he could dip his chips in. I am making it again in less than a week. The mayo also makes an awesome black bean dip. Yum!
Katie Hoffman
0We make this recipe at least 1x week, it’s my kids and husband’s favorite and makes for excellent lunch left overs as well. Thank you!
Jennifer Spinks
0This is a great recipe I’ve made before.. I have to make extra or hubby will finish it all before I can top our tacos/enchiladas, etc!! Any thoughts on a Mayo sub if I’m trying to make it less fat/calories? I already use the bare minimum so that the spices stick. Thank you for this amazing crunchy tangy topping!! This plus pickled red onions ????
Shanna Roscom
0One of my favorite recipes at Wholesome Yum. Quick, fresh, and full of flavor. My favorite way to use this Taco Slaw is to make street tacos with either the Salsa Chicken, or the pork carnitas. They always turn out so delicious and it’s easy. My family and I love this recipe!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Shanna! Those street tacos sound amazing!
Hannah B
0It doesn’t get much easier! I made this along side our tacos and it was just perfect and delicious.
Erin
0Super easy to make!! I had all the ingredients and just had to run out for the cole slaw mix. I’ll definitely make again!
Mel
0This was so delicious and so easy to throw together!
kathy e
0Wow. Simple quick slaw. Just served it in zero carb tortillas with roastery chicken shredded and a slice of avocado. This was a terrific low carb meal.
Jonathan
0Great recipe. I added more garlic, chili flakes and more lime. It had too much mayo for my taste, but my family loved it.
Michelle
0Best taco slaw I have tried!
Jennifer Spinks
0This is a great recipe I’ve made before.. I have to make extra or hubby will finish it all before I can top our tacos/enchiladas, etc!! Any thoughts on a Mayo sub if I’m trying to make it less fat/calories? I already use the bare minimum so that the spices stick. Thank you for this amazing crunchy tangy topping!! This plus pickled red onions ????
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0So glad you like it, Jennifer! The closest sub for mayo would be Greek yogurt, though the flavor would of course be different.
Marie
0I just made this coleslaw and it’s really good. I might play around with adding a bit less lime and a touch of dijon mustard next time, but it is already excellent.
Jonathan
0This is so good! The lime and the spices work together perfectly. And so easy to make! Definitely a keeper.
Canarican Paula
0WOW – Excellent recipe Maya! Thank you. Flavors are spot on: bright, tangy & a hint of heat. I’m making slow cooker pork carnitas, Mexican rice and this will bring the amazing freshness I was looking for!
John Rodgers
0This was a fantastic addition to oven fried fish tacos, definitely a keeper. Of course I ad-libbed on just slightly. Will be using this from now on.
John sanderlin
0We absolutely Love this Slaw. I make it just as you say and it’s AMAZING! I’ve made it 4 times in the past couple months. I tell everyone about and give them the recipe. Thanks
Jan
0Tried this today and it’s delicious! Definitely a keeper!
Annette Casanova
0My husband loved this recipe. He is so picky and I was shocked when he kept getting more and more. Happy to find something to go with our tacos that is delish. I am making this again soon.
Almira
0The best coleslaw recipe I ever tried. I made this salad several times, and shared the recipe with my friends and family. Everyone loved it!!
Helen Sohne
0I prefer homemade cole slaw to store bought and was about to make some for dinner when your recipe appeared in my email. The dressing is light and tangy with just enough pop from the red pepper. I didn’t have fresh cilantro which I am sure would be better. But I did have frozen chopped cilantro which worked well enough. Perfect with Mexican food or just burgers.
Cindy
0Can you make this a day ahead?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Cindy, Yes, you can store it in the refrigerator for 1-3 days.
Sarah
0Delicious recipe! I used vegan mayo and used about half the amount bc I personally like less mayo in my slaw. Was the perfect topping for cauliflower and vegan chorizo tacos.
Amber
0So tasty! We made it to top off our ocean perch tacos and the flavor was perfect! Will use time and time again.
April Blaine
0I love this recipe! I serve it to guests and at family gatherings, and I always get asked for the recipe. People who don’t like coleslaw say they love this.
Jessica
0Thanks for sharing this recipe with perfect proportions! I halved it for just my husband and added a half teaspoon of sugar.
Brooke
0Wow! What a delicious flavor combo! This is a new family favorite!
Lean Faulkenberry
0This slaw is awesome! Exactly what I wanted for my tacos!
Sue
0Great Recipe. And so easy.
Renee
0Wow! This is fantastic by itself or on tacos! So simple and delicious!
Joan
0I haven’t made this yet but I love slaw.I love spicy food so I will add jalapeño peppers.
Melanie Lodermeier
0Has anyone ever made this for a HUGE group and have tips?
I adjusted the recipe to serve 150 people for an upcoming grad party – thought I’d check for suggestions before I buy 270 oz (17 bags) of coleslaw 🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Melanie, Yes, you should be able to just scale it up for a large group. Not sure if you’ll have a bowl large enough for that many servings though, so you may need to make a few batches.
Meliodie
0Excellent recipe! No changes needed. Delicious with the perfect balance of seasonings, cilantro and lime. I’ll be keeping this one in rotation!
Almira
0The best coleslaw recipe I ever tried. I made this salad several times, and shared the recipe with my friends and family. Everyone loved it!!
KRISTIN
0This slaw was an amazing flavor bomb to my pork carnitas. My family loved it. I used 1/2 C mayo and 1/4 C full fat Greek yogurt. I substituted lemon juice for the lime and red onion for the green. Thank you for the recipe.