This Spicy Jalapeno Cilantro Slaw has an awesome kick and is great as a side, or on top of your favorite pulled pork sandwiches or fish tacos! It’s vegetarian (vegan optional), low-carb, and paleo/whole30 compliant (see recipe notes below).
Usually, I make a mayo-free cole slaw that I call “Bar Harbor Coleslaw” (since the recipe came from a restaurant in Bar Harbor, Maine). It’s delicious, but it uses TONS of sugar. This recipe only uses 2 tablespoons of honey, which can easily be omitted for a completely sugar-free recipe.
I love how colorful this cole slaw recipe is. The light green cabbage, dark green jalapeno peppers and cilantro, red onions, and orange carrots are soooo pretty together. Next time I make this, I think I’ll add some purple cabbage as well to add even more color.
We had this for dinner last night on top of pulled pork sandwiches. I finally got around to using my instant pot to cook pork shoulder- I was NOT disappointed. It came out tender and juicy and fall-apart wonderful. And it only took an hour to cook! My father-in-law came over to help us plant a few trees in our yard (thanks, Harold!) and… we got kind of carried away. Why does this always happen with yard work? Zach ended up mowing the entire back yard, I ended up planting seeds in my vegetable garden… it took way longer than we thought. I just used the “keep warm” setting on the instant pot, and since I’d already made the cole slaw in advance, dinner was completely ready when we realized we were STARVING when we were done with all the work.
In addition to pulled pork sandwiches, this would be excellent on top of blackened fish tacos, or on the side of oven BBQ chicken. As the weather gets warmer and warmer, this is the perfect thing to make next time you grill out, or to take to a potluck or picnic, since it’s easy to make ahead of time!
I used the slicer blade and grating blade attachments on my food processor to cut the cabbage and carrots very quickly. If you don’t have a high quality food processor with attachments like these, they can be a lifesaver when you need to chop a bunch of things. I have this Cuisinart food processor, and I love it!
Recipe for Spicy Jalapeno Cilantro Slaw below :-)
Spicy Jalapeno Cilantro Slaw
Ingredients
For the Slaw:
- 1/2 head cabbage cut julienne
- 3 carrots grated
- 1/2 red onion halved and thinly sliced
- 2-3 jalapeno peppers seeded and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
For the Dressing:
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- juice of 2 limes about 3 tablespoons
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons honey
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients.
- Add the cole slaw ingredients to the bowl with the dressing.
- Stir together.
- Serve immediately or after refrigerating for up to two days.
- Serving suggestion: on top of pulled pork sandwiches or fish tacos, or on the side of oven BBQ chicken.
Notes
- Time Saving Tip: You can make easy work of the prep by using an attachment on your food processor for cutting the cabbage and carrots.
- Money Saving Tip: use sugar instead of honey as a cheaper option.
- For a vegan version, use your favorite vegan mayonnaise and substitute the honey with agave or sugar.
- For a whole30 compliant version, omit the honey (and make sure to use homemade or compliant mayonnaise for both paleo and whole30 versions).
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Kristy G
I love this slaw! I made it as the recipe states and it is delicious. Definitely a favorite for my household and I got the neighbors hooked on it too.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Katie
I used green and red cabbage, and I substituted with sliced jalapeno’s in a jar (all that I had). This was SUPER tasty! I felt like it made more dressing than what was needed for the recipe, but the extra sauce was perfect with the pulled pork that I smoked. I think this will be my forever mayo slaw recipe. Thanks for sharing it!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
John Robert Small
It’s the only slaw I make now (and I make it often – I’m a one man soup kitchen for the old and poor). This scales nicely too- I often do 4x. Any thoughts on how far I can make – ahead? Thanks for a GREAT recipe ❤️
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! Coleslaw holds up well when you make it ahead, but I probably wouldn’t do it more than 24 hours in advance, since it will start to get pretty soggy. You can also just prep everything and mix with the dressing like an hour or so before serving – that way, you can prep for a few days in advance. Hope that helps, and thank you for doing the important work you do!
Michael
I’ve had success making this recipe and freezing it immediately. Once you thaw it will not be soggy, but it won’t stand up to being frozen a second time.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Good to know, thanks for sharing!
Diane
So colorful and delicious! The kick of jalapeño combined with the sweet-tangy dressing is a refreshing change of pace from a standard mayo-based slaw. I made with light mayo to be a bit healthier and the entire family was pleased with the results. Slaw is one of my favorite side dishes and this is now added to my list “go to” slaw recipes.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Sue
This slaw is soooo good. I have another recipe that’s been my go to forever but ever since I tried this one, I go back to it. Pure deliciousness!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Bonnie
I used purple cabbage and white onion- it was delicious and so beautifully colorful too, with the peppers and carrots (I bought pre- cut matchstick carrots to save time chopping). Will definitely come back to this one!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Amber Musee
Love this recipe, it gets better every time we make it. The crisp crunch with a slight sweetness. Delicious!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you like it!
B
This recipe looks delicious! My sister shared it with me, and said it was good. I’m going to try it out. :-). But because one of the ingredients is Honey, it is not Whole30 compliant. Still, I will use it and omit the honey!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Hope you like it, and glad you caught the note about leaving honey out for whole30! I think it will still be delicious without it. If you really want a bit of a sweet flavor, you may consider adding some kind of fruit- dried raisins, or julienne-sliced apples, or even some pineapple chunks (think pineapple salsa!) added in at the end might be a nice addition!
Michelle
Can you say YUMMY?!?! This will definitely make the rotation list. We like things spicy and this recipe won’t disappoint. I stayed pretty true to the recipe other than probably threw in a bit more red onion and cilantro than called for. Highly recommend! Thanks for sharing Elizabeth!
Elizabeth Lindemann
SO happy you liked it!
Christina
This coleslaw is great! My whole family loved it and I will definitely be making it again!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Thanks! So glad you and your family liked it!
Cassie McG
I love spicy food and this slaw had a great kick. If you’re bringing this to a pot luck or you’re so-so with spicy food, scale back the jalapeños to just one.
Elizabeth
Glad you liked it, and thanks for the suggestions!
Adrienne
This sounds amazing! One question for you…if I were to buy the bagged already shredded slaw with carrots and such in it what size bag and how many would equal this recipe?
Thanks so much!
Elizabeth
Hm, good question! I’d say you probably want about 4-6 cups total of the coleslaw mixture. Hope that helps!
Megan
I just want to let you know how much I LOVE this slaw! It has been a hit at every BBQ I’ve attended so far this summer. I’m taking it to a work potluck tomorrow and serving it at a 4th of July party this weekend! I’m on Weight Watchers and I love that with light mayo this is super point friendly. Thank you so much for sharing!
Elizabeth
Thank you so much for the nice comment- I’m SO glad you like it!
Tracee
You could leave out mayo and make a vinegar based “sauce”. So much healthier! I also shred either bell peppers or poblano peppers into mine.
Elizabeth
Good idea! Or sub Greek yogurt for the mayo! Love the poblano pepper/bell pepper idea- more “peppery” flavor without the heat :)
Tracee
I’m from Austin too. Born and raised. 17 years ago I married and moved to PA. Have y’all ever been to The Catfish Parlor?
I replicate my coleslaw to theirs! I miss fried catfish! Can get any up here…most people think they aren’t real. HA!