Easy Mexican coleslaw is bursting with the fresh flavors of tomatoes, roasted corn, jalapeno, and cilantro. This simple cabbage salad is so quick to prepare and is the perfect side dish for burgers, chicken tacos, beef steak, and chicken burritos, making it one of my favorite salads.
This dish can be prepared either the morning of or up to 24 hours in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. The dressing will become slightly thinner as the slaw and tomatoes exude moisture. If you like this recipe, try creamy pea salad, ramen noodle salad, black bean and corn salad, and cucumber tomato salad.
What’s In This Post
Why You’ll Love It
This Easy Mexican Cabbage Slaw can be prepped in about twenty minutes, making it the perfect side dish for picnics, potlucks, summer cookouts, and pool parties. It brings all those wonderful Tex-Mex flavors together in a coleslaw bursting with tangy flavor. This slaw recipe takes full advantage of pre-shredded cabbage, giving you more free time to do what you want.
With all the complex flavors in Tex-Mex dishes, our taste buds are tantalized, and our appetites are satisfied. Because of all the wonderful flavors melding together in this Easy Mexican Coleslaw, the jalapeno and the taco seasonings are pretty mild.
Ingredients Needed
- Mayonnaise: I prefer Dukes’s mayo
- Sour cream: preferably full-fat
- Limes: for juice
- Taco seasoning: for more flavor, make it homemade
- Vegetables: coleslaw mix, red bell pepper, grape tomatoes, corn, and jalapeno
- Cilantro: fresh, of course
- Kosher salt: to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper: to taste
How to Make Mexican Coleslaw
First, stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, and taco seasoning in a small bowl. Next, add the coleslaw, red pepper, grape tomatoes, black beans, corn, jalapeno, and cilantro in a large bowl. Gently stir in the mayonnaise mixture. Finally, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to let all the delicious flavors meld together.
Recipe Tips
- Other vegetables to try in Mexican slaw include red onion, carrots, green onion, and green and red bell peppers.
- Greek yogurt can be substituted for mayonnaise.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- You can easily blacken corn by placing it in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and tossing it every couple of minutes. Do not use any oil. You can also use canned corn, but drain well.
Storage and Make Ahead
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. They will not be as crisp and crunchy, but they will still be delicious.
Prepare the dish either the morning of or up to 24 hours in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. The dressing will become slightly thinner as the slaw and tomatoes exude moisture, but you can stir in a little more mayo.
This is a dependable, delicious recipe that you can feel great about feeding your family. What are you waiting for? Put the ingredients for this recipe on your shopping list today. Your family and friends will be singing your praises.
Easy Mexican Coleslaw Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayo
- 2/3 cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 bag 16 ounce tri-color coleslaw mix
- 1 diced red bell pepper
- 1 1/2 cup grape tomatoes halved
- 1 can 15.25 ounce black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups grilled or blackened corn
- 1 jalapeno seeded and minced
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together mayo, sour cream, lime juice, and taco seasoning.
- In a large serving bowl, add coleslaw, red pepper, grape tomatoes, black beans, corn, jalapeno, and cilantro. Gently stir in the mayo/sour cream mixture. Season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.
- Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Notes
- Other vegetables to try in Mexican slaw include red onion, carrots, green onion, and green and red bell peppers.
- Greek yogurt can be substituted for mayonnaise.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- You can easily blacken corn by placing it in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and toss every couple of minutes. Do not use any oil. You can use canned corn, but drain well.
- Try my homemade taco seasoning with chili powder, cumin, kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano, red pepper flakes, ground cayenne,
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It will not be as crisp and crunchy, but it will still be delicious.
Nutrition
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Debbie
Making it for family gathering. It taste wonderful! Hope my family likes it.
Theresa Kilian
Hi there, I’m from north east Connecticut. How do you make blackened corn? Very much interested in this recipe to make.
Beth Pierce
You can easily blacken corn by placing it in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and toss every couple of minutes. Do not use any oil. You can use canned corn but drain well.
Tisha
This sounds so good! I will have to make it soon!
Sandra
This Mexican coleslaw was amazing, We love the combination of flavors. Cannot wait to make this again! So yummy!
Catherine
Oh this is something I have to try asap! What a fabulous take on coleslaw…sounds absolutely delicious! Cannot wait to make this next time.
Carrie Robinson
What a great twist on traditional coleslaw! And the perfect addition to Taco Tuesday tomorrow. 🙂
Beth Pierce
So true!
nancy
i love a good slaw ! This Mexican Coleslaw hits the spot with corn and beans!
Amy
This sounds absolutely delicious! I cannot wait to make this with my pork roast!
Beth Pierce
Thanks! Enjoy!
Sandra
Love how quick and simple this recipe is!
Catalina
Coleslaw is my favorite side dish. This one is even better than the classic one. Love all the additional flavors!
Sarah
This looks amazing! I just have different spices on hand and no taco seasoning. What should I substitute for the taco seasoning? Chili powder, onion powder, cumin, salt and cayenne pepper is my guess, but I am not sure of the ratios…and am I missing something?
Beth Pierce
Here is the link to my taco seasoning. I am sorry I thought I answered this the other day but my site is telling me that I did not.
Susan
Sounds great! Plan to make it for a women’s group lunch party. I do have a question though. Can you make it the day before? Is it better to make it the day of the party. Thanks!
Beth Pierce
I think I would make it the day of if at all possible.
Lori Hartsoe
Love the taste, but didn’t end up using all the mayo mixture, it seems like it would have been too much. Has anyone else experience this? Just made it, so I will save the extra till tomorrow to see if I need to add the rest back in.
Patricia Lonergan
The print functionality changed. The picture of the dish no longer appears. What happened?
As a visual person, I like to see the picture of the finished recipe
Mary
How would it be with Miracle Whip instead of mayo?
Krystyn
I left out the beans and corn to keep it low carb. Added shredded chicken but it was a little dry so added more mayo and seasoning. The rest of the family put it on tortillas but it was a full meal on its own!
Beth Pierce
Awesome! Chicken in it sounds wonderful!!