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This Mexican Coleslaw combines all the Mexican flavors you love in a deliciously creamy slaw! Packed with black beans, fresh cilantro, bell peppers, and taco seasoning… it’s the perfect side dish for potlucks, picnics, or summer bbqs!
There’s no denying it. I’m a sucker for a good slaw. Whether it’s Broccoli Slaw or Hawaiian Coleslaw or our ever-popular Apple Cranberry Coleslaw… it’s definitely one of my favorite side dishes. And I love how many different variations there are!
Now, when it comes to Mexican slaw… I usually think of either Cilantro Lime Slaw or some type of Citrus Slaw like the one in these Baja Fish Tacos. But this recipe is a little different. Because this recipe is completely LOADED and flavored with taco seasoning! Almost like taco salad meets coleslaw. In the most delicious way.
Which means it’s not only delicious as a side dish, but could also be enjoyed as a main dish by adding any of your favorite proteins!
What You’ll Love About This Recipe
Easy: It’s an easy recipe that anyone can make… and guaranteed to turn out every time!
Flavorful: It’s THE most flavorful Mexican Slaw recipe ever!
Feeds a crowd: One batch is enough to feed a crowd, which makes it perfect for parties and potlucks!
what you’ll need for this easy mexican coleslaw recipe
Coleslaw mix – I used one 14 ounce bag of coleslaw mix, which is about 6-7 cups of shredded cabbage. You can use green cabbage or a combination of green and red cabbage.
Red bell pepper – I added 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper for flavor and crunch. You can use any color bell pepper you’d like.
Black beans – I used 1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed.
Corn – I added 1/2 cup sweet corn. I like using either grilled corn or skillet-charred corn, which can be made by sautéing frozen, canned, or fresh corn in olive oil over medium-high heat until it browns.
Cilantro – I used 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro.
Jalapeño – I used 1 minced jalapeño. Feel free to add more or less according to taste.
Mayonnaise – For the dressing, I used 3/4 cup mayo. I used Hellman’s, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
Sour cream – I added 1/4 cup sour cream to the mayonnaise.
Taco seasoning – I also added 1/2 package of taco seasoning, or about 1 1/2 Tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning.
Lime juice – I used 2 Tablespoons of fresh lime juice to brighten up the flavors and balance out the creaminess of the sauce.
how to make mexican coleslaw
Combine the slaw ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the coleslaw mix, red pepper, black beans, grilled corn, cilantro, and jalapeño.
Make the sauce. In a separate small bowl, combine the mayo, sour cream, taco seasoning, and lime juice.
Combine the slaw with the sauce. Add the mayo mixture to coleslaw mixture and toss to combine.
Serve. I love serving this colorful coleslaw in a brightly colored serving bowl!
Recipe Variations
- Add additional veggies, such as carrots, red onions, green onions, or avocado
- Add your favorite protein, such as chicken, beef, or shrimp
- Substitute another type of pepper, such as habanero or poblano
- Use homemade taco seasoning or homemade fajita seasoning
- Substitute your own seasonings for taco seasoning (chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt)
- Add cayenne pepper or hot sauce for a spicy kick
make-ahead & storage tips
This Mexican Cabbage Slaw can easily be prepped in advance for stress-free entertaining. To do so, combine the slaw ingredients and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Combine the sauce ingredients and store them separately in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Then simply combine them once you’re ready to serve!
Leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator and eaten within 3-4 days.
What to serve with Mexican Coleslaw
This coleslaw makes a delicious side dish for so many meals. These are some of our family’s favorites!
Mexican Coleslaw
Ingredients
- 14 ounce bag coleslaw mix
- 1/2 cup red pepper diced
- 1/2 cup black beens drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup corn I like using grilled or skillet-charred corn
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 jalapeño minced
- 3/4 cup mayo
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons taco seasoning
- 2 Tablespoons lime juice
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine coleslaw mix, red pepper, black beans, grilled corn, cilantro, and jalapeño.
- In a separate small bowl, combine mayo, sour cream, taco seasoning, and lime juice.
- Add mayo mixture to coleslaw mixture and stir to combine.
Try adding some rotisserie chicken and tortilla strips to make it a complete meal.
I just stumbled over this recipe & fell in Love. I will get the ingredients I need today & Woo hoo!!
It looks so fresh & appetizing I can hardly wait! Mexican food is cooked 4-5 times a week not to count the restaurants we attend or takeout. I will add this to my favorite recipe book & fix tonight!! Thank You for sharing!!
My Family Loved this Salad. We added broken tortilla chips, just before eating. My daughter suggested adding Pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds. This is a keeper for our family.
My Family Loved this salad. We did add broken tortilla chips on top just before eating. My daughter suggested adding sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds. This recipe is a keeper for my family.
I love those suggestions for a little bit of crunch! Thanks!
Question
Can this be made a day before serving?
Yes, absolutely!
Hi, I’m wondering if I could use canned corn and fry it in a pan instead of grilling?
yes you can, or frozen too.
I added shredded cheese, tortilla strips, and some catalina salad dressing. It was delicious!
Can you make this. Night before and refrigerate until next day.
Yes you can 🙂
Too much mayo and too much cilantro. I really like cilantro but this was too much. it was way too creamy because of the mayo. I even added some chili powder to counteract the mayo and added some
Lime juice, but it didn’t help. It may be good with some others adjustments but my hubby and I agree that this is NOT a keeper.
I’m so glad you posted this ‘ I halved the dressing and cilantro and it’s so good ! You should try it again .
This was delicious and a nice change from our “usual” coleslaw. I also like that it made plenty and budget friendly. I plan to double the recipe to go with our Labor Day brisket! Thank you!
This was so delicious. I also added fiesta colored tortilla strips on top, and served with fried fish with a cilantro dipping sauce. All my friends are asking for this recipe!! I willl be sure to mark your page to see how your other recipe’s worked out.
So happy to hear it… thanks for letting me know!
Grilled corn. Do you buy it like that or do you grill it, how?
I either grill the corn, or cut the corn off the husk and fry it up in a pan until it gets a bit “grilled”
Th0is looks perfect. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I’ll be making it tomorrow so haven’t tasted it yet. I’ m sure it will be great,
Made salad for Easter , was as big hit. Will be making this again soon.
I rarely leave comments on recipes, but I’ll make an exception. I was looking for something to side with the blackened shrimp quesadillas I was making. I had half a head of red cabbage and some mini sweet peppers that needed to be used, so I went in search of something to do with them. I stumbled upon this recipe, had everything I needed for it, and it sounded good, so I gave it a try. Wow! This is crazy good, and went perfectly with the quesadillas. Nice cool crunch to accompany the spicy blackened shrimp. The only modifications I made was using the 1/2 head of red cabbage instead of the slaw mix, and adding the whole can of black beans instead of just 1/2 cup. I might increase the corn next time, and if I think there won’t be any left, I might add some shredded cheese. But really, it’s amazing the way it is. Many thanks for posting this. It has been printed and will be used frequently.
That’s what I was thinking. I would probably use the whole can of beans and use a can of corn so if use the whole can there too and the cheese idea too
Oh oh oh…..this is AMAZING! We’re having fish tacos tonight so was looking for a Mexican slaw – found this recipe and dropped everything to give it a try since I had every ‘fixin’ on hand. My bag of coleslaw was 16 oz but I started with making everything just as the recipe calls for. When I got done, I did a little doctoring as follows: added entire can of grilled corn ( quickly grilled on the stove top), added entire can of black beans, added about 1/2 cup diced jicama for some added crunch. Lastly, added a dusting of stevia. Left all dressing proportions as written. This is AMAZING – am eating some for lunch right now and sprinkled some pepitas on top. It is really a perfect slaw. Thanks so much for sharing!
Can frozen roasted corn be used in this recipe?
Yes, you can use frozen corn.
This was amazing. I wouldn’t mind dipping some fries in the dressing alone. I used light sour cream, light Mayo and less sodium taco seasoning and it was still delicious!
Second time in a week to make this, everyone loves it.
Having just got a request for a taco night at a party, tomorrow, too. Love it.
Hi Cathy- this looks like a great side, even main, dish. How many hours ahead can I make it? I gave it four stars because it looks great but I haven’t tried it yet.
I would plan to use it the same day, but feel free to make it in advance that day.
I really enjoyed the recipe. I made one minor tweak. I added 3 tablespoons of La Costena diced chipotles. It gave it the extra kick I was looking for.
Tasted great and easy to make. I used a bag of broccoli slaw which worked well. I used pickled jalapeños rather than fresh as the store was out of fresh. Also added chopped green onions and a little bit of chilies in adobo sauce for a bit more heat. Definitely will make again!
I plan on making tomorrow as a topping for my fish tacos 🌮
5 stars
This is delish. My family isn’t crazy about coleslaw usually but everyone went back for seconds. I served this with carne asada, esquites, and Mexican cornbread. It was a great meal and I’ll make it again. Thanks for sharing this nice keeper.
Happy to hear everyone enjoyed it!
Sorry, We found it tasteless and bland.
Absolutely THE BEST!!!
I make this once a week, love it by it self or we add it to our tacos ever Tuesday is taco Tuesday at my house love it great recipe!!!!
In reading over the ingredients list to make up my grocery list, I couldn’t help but wonder what happened to the red onions? I plan on buying shredded cabbage, and my store’s cabbage blend doesn’t include that much purple cabbage. So, not only having the red onion in it for more color, but also to enhance the flavor would be necessary, I thought.
I like to buy chorizo sausages, get them slightly frozen and then slice them like you would for a thick pepperoni width, and then I cook them getting a nice crisp edge on them. I am thinking I would do that and top the salad or serve on the side and you have a complete meal.
You can definitely add red (or green) onion if you’d like!
How about adding some cotija cheese? Do you think that would work?
Yes, absolutely!
Love this combination. We added triple the lime more jalapeno and a bit more taco seasoning . I know we had some extra cabbage as I finished the head of cabbage which was extra. We are also thinking this would be perfect on tacos in place of lettuce or shredded meat sandwiches
I made this for a Mexican themed birthday party yesterday and it was delicious everyone loved it
Thanks for sharing !!
Lovely
Came across this recipe the the other day and made for dinner tonight with a piece of chicken breast, it made a wonderful side dish and had some leftover along with chicken, lunch is ready for tomorrow! It was delicious and I always have the ingredients in the pantry, so I know I will be making this again in the future.
Amazing recipe!
We omitted the sour cream and added a bit of sugar – so good!
I left out the black beans because I added the coleslaw recipe to a burrito with spanish rice, cheese and refried beans. Excellent
Sounds delicious!
This is one of those dishes I would never have thought up in a million years but it is sooo good. It feels very healthy and a good way to sneak in so many veggies! 10/10