Easy Mexican Coleslaw Recipe (Dairy-Free Dressing)
Give your tacos a fresh and zesty upgrade with Mexican Coleslaw! This crunchy mix of cabbage, carrots, onion, cilantro, and jalapeños is tossed in a creamy, tangy lime dressing for the perfect balance of spice and flavor.
What is Mexican Coleslaw?
Mexican Coleslaw is a vibrant, zesty twist on traditional coleslaw, featuring crisp cabbage, carrots, onion, and spicy jalapeños, all tossed in a creamy, tangy lime dressing.
Mexican coleslaw is somewhat like the American one but with more bold flavors typical to Mexican food. In my opinion, the Mexican one is more flavorful.
Unlike classic American coleslaw, which often has a sweeter, mayonnaise-based sauce, Mexican cabbage slaw brings a bold, fresh flavor with a hint of heat, making it the perfect topping for tacos or a refreshing side dish for your favorite Mexican-inspired meals.
This simple coleslaw recipe has become one of my go-to recipes to use up a head of cabbage as well as my favorite topping for tofu tacos and side dish to “carne asada” tacos!
Why You’ll Love Mexican Coleslaw
• Perfect Topping: This Mexican slaw recipe is perfect for topping tacos (like traditional fish tacos).
• Super Versatile: It also makes the perfect side dish or can be used to make a main dish by adding extras like avocado and black beans!
• Won’t Brake The Budget: The ingredients are all budget friendly and easy to find.
• Allergy-Friendly: This dairy-free recipe is perfect for those with lactose intolerance and it’s also a gluten-free recipe.
• Light & Refreshing: This coleslaw is crisp, fresh, and full of zesty flavor without feeling heavy.
Slaw Ingredients
As I mentioned previously, all of the ingredients in this delicious Mexican coleslaw recipe are all budget friendly and easy to find. Below is what I use and as always feel free to adjust to your taste is necessary.
Cabbage: You can use either just green cabbage or red cabbage or a mixture of green and red cabbage. I use whatever I have on hand.
Carrot: This adds a vibrant color plus a touch of sweetness to the mixture.
Jalapeño: The chile adds a touch of heat that’s a perfect balance to the other creamy and slightly sweet flavors.
Onion: You can use white or red onion or my personal favorite is using small green onions for a milder and fresher taste.
Fresh Lime Juice: This gives a touch of tartness and a Mexican touch.
Egg-Free Mayonnaise: Mayo is naturally dairy-free and for this recipe you’ll need egg-free, my favorite brand to use is Hellman’s.
Dairy-Free Crema: Crema is what we in Mexico call sour cream. You can use store-bought or my dairy-free crema recipe.
Fresh Cilantro: This gives the crunchy coleslaw a fresh, citrusy, and slightly earthy flavor. Plus it’s a typical Mexican herb.
Seasoning: I personally only use a bit of salt but you could also use some ground black pepper if you’d like.
Mexican Coleslaw Hacks!
If you don’t have the time to chop the fresh veggies you could simply buy a bag of coleslaw mix. Typically it comes with a mix of both white cabbage and purple cabbage, and shredded carrots. You can quickly chop up the remaining ingredients to cut down on the prep time.
To give the coleslaw a completely different flavor you could mix in some taco seasoning.
To make a non-spicy version swap out the jalapeños for green bell peppers or red bell pepper – but it you want to make it spicier you can use either Serrano peppers or red chili powder, or some chipotle powder or chipotle in adobo.
How to Make Mexican Coleslaw
This is one of the easiest recipes you’ll find here on Mexican Made Meatless. It’s really just a matter of chopping and mixing. Let’s get started.
Step 1 Prep The Veggies
Make sure you have all the ingredients shredded, chopped, measured out and ready to go.
Step 2 Mix
Add the shredded cabbage to a large bowl then add the shredded carrots, chile pepper, and onion and mix until well combined. Season with salt and mix again.
Step 3 Add The Dressing
You can mix the dressing ingredients in a small jar or separate bowl if you’d like, or don’t dirty up an extra dish and mix in right in the bowl.
Squeeze the lime juice over the veggies. Then To the mix veggies add the mayonnaise and crema and mix until well combined.
Step 4 Rest
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap then place in the refrigerator to rest for at least 30 minutes or until ready to serve. Taste for seasoning before serving.
Taste
Mexican coleslaw is crisp, zesty, and full of bold flavors. The crunchy cabbage and carrots provide a fresh, slightly sweet base, while onions and jalapeños add a punch of spice and savoriness.
The creamy dressing, infused with tangy lime juice, ties everything together with a refreshing citrusy kick. It’s a perfect balance of crunchy, creamy, spicy, and tangy—making every bite exciting and flavorful!
How to Serve
My favorite way to serve Mexican coleslaw is on top of tacos. It goes perfect on vegan fish tacos, shredded tofu tacos, my carne asada tacos, and even my crispy potato tacos too!
My second favorite is as a side dish to many of my favorite Mexican meals (like enchiladas) – it goes well with just about everything!
It’s also delicious with corn chips or on top of tostadas that have some smashed avocado on them – both these options would be a great appetizer.
It’s also a great addition in burritos, in rice and burrito bowls, and it’s also great on BBQ sandwiches, where it adds a nice crunchy texture.
The fresh flavors also make it perfect for potlucks or summer cookouts.
How to Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Make sure to eat within 3 to 4 days to maintain a crunchy cabbage texture.
Gracias
I’m so happy you stopped by. If you have any questions or want to let me know how you liked this recipe, do leave a comment. Muchas gracias, I appreciate you!
More Mexican Sides to Try
- Mexican Rice or Whole Grain Arroz
- Refried Beans
- Mexican Pickled Carrots Recipe
- Taqueria Style Salsa Roja
- Mexican Pickled Onions
Easy Mexican Coleslaw Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups red cabbage shredded (or green cabbage or a mix of both)
- 1 extra large carrot shredded (about 1 ½ to 1 ¾ cups)
- 2 small green onions sliced
- 2 whole fresh jalapeños or Serranos finely chopped
- ½ cup cilantro finely chopped
- 1 large limes juiced
- ¾ cup dairy-free mayonnaise adjust to taste
- ½ cup dairy-free crema adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
Instructions
- Add the shredded cabbage to a large bowl then add the shredded carrots, chile pepper, and onion and mix until well combined. Season with salt and mix again.
- Squeeze the lime juice over the veggies. Then To the mix veggies add the mayonnaise and crema and mix until well combined.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap then place in the refrigerator to rest for at least 30 minutes or until ready to serve. Taste for seasoning before serving.
Recipe Notes & Pro Tips
Nutrition
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Looking for a Barro Plate Like Mine
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Nancy Lopez is a Mexican-born food writer and author of Mexican Tamales Made Meatless. Raised in the U.S. and now living in Southern Mexico, she creates authentic vegan and vegetarian Mexican recipes rooted in tradition and tested for real home kitchens.Read more…
