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Review RecipeMexican Coleslaw
This spicy taco coleslaw has so much flavor and is just the thing to serve as a side dish or even in a tortilla with your favorite taco fillings.
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Bright, crisp, and unapologetically bold—this Mexican coleslaw is what happens when a classic BB side dish gets a proper flavor upgrade. It’s fresh but punchy. Crunchy but juicy. And thanks to a few of our tips (that nobody else tells you), it actually holds up in the fridge without going limp or soggy.
You’re going to want to pile this on everything: tacos, pulled pork, burgers, grilled chicken, even breakfast burritos. Or just eat it out of the bowl like we do.
What Goes Into Taco Coleslaw
Ingredients You’ll Need
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 (10-ounce) bags pre-shredded coleslaw mix
- 1 cup diced red bell pepper
- 1 (15.25-ounce) can black beans
- 1 (14.75-ounce) can fire-roasted corn
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh jalapeno pepper, veins and seeds removed
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro,
Substitutions And Additions
Coleslaw: For ease of use, buy bags of pre-shredded cabbage and carrots (labeled as coleslaw mix) in the produce section. If you prefer to shred your own cabbage and carrots, then you will need about six cups total.
Taco Seasoning: Store-bought works fine. Want to make your own? Here’s our taco seasoning recipe.
Tips For Making The Best Taco Coleslaw
Make sure your sour cream and mayo are at room temperature before whisking. This helps them combine smoothly without any lumps. If your taco seasoning has clumps (especially if it’s homemade), sift it in or mash with a spoon before whisking.
Use a very large bowl for tossing—this slaw has bulk, and a cramped bowl makes it hard to mix everything evenly without crushing the veggies.
Stir gently but thoroughly. The goal is to coat, not mash—especially with soft ingredients like the beans. Use a folding motion with a silicone spatula if needed.
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How To Serve This Mexican Slaw
- With fish or shrimp tacos, along with your favorite taco fillings and toppings, such as salsa or guacamole.
- On the side of pulled pork sandwiches
- As a topping for grilled chicken tostadas
Make-Ahead Tip (For Parties & Stress-Free Prep)
Mix the dressing and veg separately up to 24 hours ahead. Combine them 30 minutes before serving and let it chill. The flavors meld, and the coleslaw stays crisp.
Storage Instructions
Store Mexican coleslaw in an airtight container in the fridge (it doesn’t freeze well). It’s best eaten within one to two days while the cabbage and peppers still have their crunch. Don’t leave it out for more than two hours at room temp—this is a mayo-based slaw.
More Coleslaw Recipes
If you’re all about crunchy, creamy slaw with a twist, here are a few more favorites to keep on rotation:
- Classic Coleslaw – A crisp cabbage slaw tossed in creamy mayo dressing. It’s the go-to slaw for everything from fried chicken to grilled burgers.
- Broccoli Slaw – A fresh take that swaps cabbage for shredded broccoli, with a tangy, creamy dressing.
- KFC Copycat Coleslaw – This is the ultra-creamy, finely chopped coleslaw you know and love from the drive-thru—sweet, tangy, and totally addictive. A must-try if you’re after that nostalgic KFC flavor.
- Pineapple Coleslaw – Juicy pineapple adds a sweet tropical punch to this slaw, making it perfect for BBQs, pulled pork sandwiches, and more.
Taco Coleslaw
This spicy taco coleslaw has so much flavor and is just the thing to serve as a side dish or even in a tortilla with your favorite taco fillings.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 8
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 16 ounces fresh coleslaw, blend (shredded cabbage & shredded carrots)
- 20.16 ounces frozen southwestern style corn mix, thawed (1 to 2 tablespoons reserved for optional garnish)
- ⅓ cup green onions, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
- additional sprinkle of chopped green onions chopped cilantro, and southwest-style corn (optional garnish)
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, fresh lime juice, taco seasoning, minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the bag of fresh coleslaw mix, thawed southwestern-style corn mix, chopped green onions, and chopped fresh cilantro.
- To the large mixing bowl with the coleslaw ingredients, add the taco dressing and mix to completely coat all the coleslaw with the dressing.
- Transfer to a large serving bowl and top with the optional garnish of chopped green onions, cilantro, and southwest-style corn mix.
Notes
- You will find the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, usually in small cans, in the Latin food section of your grocery store. There are multiple peppers inside each can. You can transfer the additional chipotle peppers in the sauce that you don’t use in the Mexican slaw into a freezer-safe container and store it in the refrigerator or freezer for up to 1 month.
- If you love this taco slaw recipe and plan to make it often, you can mix up a double batch of the dressing and store the extras in a mason jar in the fridge for later.
- These chipotle peppers are very hot. I find that one pepper is plenty to add a nice amount of heat to the coleslaw without being too hot. However, if you really enjoy spice, you can feel free to add more of the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce to your dressing.
Nutrition
Calories: 480kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 1310mg | Potassium: 367mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 590IU | Vitamin C: 55mg | Calcium: 257mg | Iron: 4mg
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