This Mexican coleslaw is a combination of shredded cabbage, black beans, corn, red peppers, jalapeno and avocado, all tossed in a creamy dressing. A great side dish for a barbecue or picnic!
Coleslaw is a summer time classic and can be found at almost every party or gathering. This southwestern version includes a zesty dressing and plenty of Mexican inspired add-ins for a unique and satisfying salad.
Coleslaw is a common side dish in most areas of the United States. However, have you ever tried Mexican coleslaw?? I bet you haven’t and I think you should mosey into the kitchen and whip it up for your next get together. This creamy side dish will definitely win over your guests or family.
HOW DO YOU MAKE MEXICAN COLESLAW?
Southwestern coleslaw is one of the easiest and quickest side dishes that you can make. For the dressing, whisk together the sour cream, lime juice, taco seasoning, and mayonnaise in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine all your veggies before pouring the dressing over the top and tossing to mix well. Just a few minutes of work and you’ve got a unique and delicious side dish that pairs well with grilled chicken, steak or fish and is perfect for a potluck.
This recipe calls for fresh diced jalapenos. You can turn the heat factor way down if you remove the seeds and ribs from the jalapenos. If you’re trying to go a little healthier, you can use light mayonnaise and light sour cream instead of the regular and it will taste just as great. Also, if you are one of those people who thinks cilantro tastes like soap, you can try green onions in its place instead.
If you don’t have the time or the means to shred your own cabbage, grab some pre-shredded cabbage at the store – it shaves a ton of time off the prep of this dish! If you want to shred your own cabbage, it’s easiest with a mandolin. There are a lot of great additions or substitutions for this side dish so feel free to customize it to your preferences.
Great add ins for this Mexican coleslaw include:
- Olives
- Tortilla Strips
- Shredded Cheese
- Roasted Green Chiles
- Tomatoes
IS COLESLAW A HEALTHY DISH?
Most people prepare coleslaw with mayonnaise which can be quite fattening. Coleslaw isn’t a terrible dish for you when it comes to health benefits – there are far worse dishes. However, the fat content often found in coleslaw doesn’t make it the healthiest or best choice. If coleslaw is prepared with a fat free or light mayonnaise, then it becomes quite a bit healthier for you.
WHAT ARE THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF CABBAGE?
Cabbage is great at helping with inflammation in the digestive system. Outside of that, cabbage helps lower cholesterol, and is packed with vitamin C, loaded with vitamin K, and can help lower blood pressure. It’s amazing that one little side dish filled with cabbage can provide so many nutrients for your body.
This Mexican coleslaw can be made in advance if desired, just keep the avocado out and add it in before serving for best results. I love taking traditional dishes and mixing them up like I did with this Southwestern coleslaw. These types of dishes are so easy and quick that I have no doubt we will be trying some more renditions very soon.
MORE SIDE DISHES YOU’LL LOVE
- Ramen Noodle Salad
- Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Black Bean and Corn Salad
- Chickpea Salad with Avocado
- Grilled Asparagus in Foil
Mexican Coleslaw
Ingredients
- 14 ounce bag shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix
- 1 cup black beans
- 2/3 cup corn kernels fresh, thawed from frozen, or canned
- 1 red bell pepper cored, seeded and diced
- 1 jalapeno seeds and ribs removed, then minced
- 1 avocado peeled, seed removed and diced
- 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- additional beans, corn, peppers, avocado and cilantro for garnish optional
Instructions
- Place the cabbage, black beans, corn, red bell pepper, jalapeno, avocado and cilantro in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice and taco seasoning.
- Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss until well combined.
- Serve, garnished with additional beans, corn, peppers, avocado and cilantro if desired.
Loved it! A little piece of freshness on a heavier main course of enchiladas! Only change I made was that I left out the avocado as I had guacamole on the side already! Used Trader Joes frozen corn (thawed 3 min in microwave on defrost) and it was a ready to eat side in 15 min! Thank you!
Love the combination of flavors and textures…perfect with pulled pork
I loved it. So simple. It’s a meal by itself, well, with some crackers. I crumbled some wonton strips on top.
Tried it and loved it!!! Added a little more taco seasoning since I left out the jalapeño. Can’t really go wrong with this recipe ❤️
Sometimes the simplest ideas are simply the best! I don’t think I ever would have thought of a southwestern version of coleslaw on my own, but it’s just a grand idea!
Such a creative salad and perfect to compliment taco Tuesdays!
A mexican cole slaw sounds fantastic for summer!!
This mexican coleslaw is so pretty and will be perfect for any BBQ this summer.
We made this coleslaw with our tacos last night and it was delicoius! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
Coleslaw is a favorite of ours as even with the dressing it stay fresh for days. Love the Mexican twist!
I am book marking this to make I love the addition of all the Mexican veg. Its a great idea. I often make mine with Greek yoghurt too .
I instantly pinned this! I just came from Mexico I never had Mexican coleslaw but willing to try this unique combo!
This looks so delicious! I’m Mexican and I had never seen a dish like this, at least not in the part of Mexico where I’m from (central Mexico), it looks like a side dish or salad you would find in Northern Mexico. Definitely, it looks amazing!
I’m so not creative when it comes to salads. I love this idea and it looks so delicious and healthy too!
I think I would take out the avocado (I just don’t care for it). Then it would be the perfect salad for me!! Pinning it to try before summer is over.
I’ve never heard of Mexican Coleslaw before, but this sounds like a delicious recipe! I would love to try making this sometime.