We love this easy cilantro lime slaw with its fresh lime dressing and a little spice from minced chili peppers! Perfect for tacos, sandwiches, picnics, and more!
We’ve been making this simple slaw for the longest time. It’s crispy, fresh, bright, and goes with almost anything. It makes an epic taco slaw and goes just as well with pulled pork, on sandwiches, burgers, or on the side to your favorite summer mains.
As written, we keep this cilantro lime slaw mayo-free, but I’ve included tips below the recipe for turning this into a creamy slaw! For more, see my classic creamy coleslaw or this incredible broccoli slaw!
Key Ingredients
- Cabbage: I love white or red cabbage for this slaw. You can use one or the other or combine them for color. Whatever you do, you want to salt it for 30 minutes, guaranteeing amazing flavor for this slaw.
- Celery, Green Onion, and Cilantro: I know there are many celery skeptics out there (especially when it is raw), but trust me. Celery adds the best crunch and fresh flavor to this slaw! If you can’t do it, leave it out (just don’t tell me). The green onion and cilantro add color and flavor; I highly recommend them!
- Chile Peppers: Use a jalapeño or serrano chile pepper and remove all the seeds and white membrane before mincing it and adding to the slaw. For spicy slaw (perfect for tacos), leave the seeds and membrane intact!
- Lime Dressing: We keep this dressing really light and whisk together fresh lime juice, olive oil, salt, and a bit of honey, which balances the tart lime. You want to make this dressing to taste and look for a lip-smacking flavor before tossing it with the cabbage.
The trick to making the tastiest slaw is salt. We mix salt into the shredded cabbage and let it sit for about 30 minutes. During this time, the salt draws out excess moisture, which would have eventually diluted our dressing. By getting rid of that moisture, it also keeps the cabbage crunchy. We use the same trick to make our cucumber salad, and our readers love it!
You can use this method for any coleslaw recipe, but it’s really important for this one since the dressing is so simple. After 30 minutes, we rinse the cabbage with cold water and spin it dry. From there, you’ll toss everything together and serve! Remember, this slaw is perfect for topping tacos (see our favorite taco recipes)!!
Easy Cilantro Lime Slaw
- PREP
- TOTAL
Salting the cabbage before adding the dressing keeps this cilantro lime slaw crunchy and brings out so much more flavor than without. The dressing is simple — lime, honey, and olive oil. This slaw goes with just about anything, but it is especially good with tacos (especially fish tacos).
You Will Need
1 medium cabbage, about 2 pounds
4 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 jalapeño pepper, finely minced, use half for very mild
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
1 lime
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
Salt
Directions
1Prepare cabbage: Quarter the cabbage through the core and then cut out the core. Cut each quarter crosswise in half and finely shred. Place the shredded cabbage in a colander (you will have 6 to 8 cups). Toss with 2 ½ teaspoons of salt and set aside for about 30 minutes, tossing occasionally.
2Rinse the salted and wilted cabbage thoroughly under cold running water. Then, transfer to a salad spinner and spin dry (or squeeze and pat dry).
3Make the dressing: Whisk two tablespoons of freshly squeezed lime juice with the honey and olive oil.
4Make the slaw: Add the cabbage, celery, scallions, minced pepper, and cilantro to a large bowl. Pour over the dressing and toss well. Taste for seasoning, then adjust with more salt or fresh lime juice.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: This slaw keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Past that, the cabbage becomes floppy and less crunchy.
- Make the slaw creamy: Whisk 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon of sour cream to the dressing.
- Use a salad spinner: If you have one, use the colander from a large salad spinner when salting the cabbage. This makes it easy to rinse and spin dry the cabbage after salting.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
Nice but celery ruined it. Better without it.
Hi there, I love the celery, but totally understand! You can always leave it out next time. Thanks for your feedback!
I agree, Best site EVER
Please include the phosphorus and potassium My husband has type2 diabetes and ckd. Sounds yummy but I need to be careful. Thankyou
Hi Brenda, Thanks for reaching out. Unfortunately, we do not have the ability to provide this as the nutritional data we provide is more of an overview.
My entire family loved this Cole slaw at the 4th of July picnic. It got rave reviews
That’s amazing. Thank you so much for coming back and letting us know.
Delicious but needed more tartness. Will probably double the lime or add a bit of vinegar. Otherwise a hit dish!
What an amazingly refreshing side dish!!! I made this today to go with baby back ribs and will definitely be making again! Hubby couldn’t stop raving about it either. Thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you
I am a Slaw Snob and this was delicious and easy to make! It’s fresh, light and not weighed down with mayo. I had a small head of cabbage, so I adjusted the amount of the other ingredients to suit my tastes. It is key to allow the cabbage to be salted and drained before using – yes, it does keep it crunchy. I served it with some BBQ boneless short ribs. Would pair well with fish tacos or pulled pork tacos.
Best site ever!!
Can I make this a day ahead of time or will it get too soggy?
Hi Lori, Making this a day in advance should be fine.
Thanks for the recipe that is mayo free. What can I substitute for cilantro? I do not like its taste.
Parsley works, too. Or leave it out completely.
This was a hit! Really fresh & delicius! My Husband asked if I could make it again tomorrow.
This looks fabulous and I am going to the market tomorrow for the cilantro. Always looking for an alternative to mayo during these hot days so this is def going into my rotation.
This sounds delicious! I can’t wait to try it. I love that’s mayo free!