I used to really hate coleslaw until I made my own homemade coleslaw. It’s so fresh, crunchy, and creamy, and not at all gloppy or heavy like the storebought stuff. AND you can make it different flavors to suit your meal! This Cumin Lime Coleslaw has a bright and sunny dressing made with fresh lime juice, earthy cumin (which has always smelled kind of lemony to me), and a small pinch of cayenne. Green onions and shredded carrots add color and flavor to the crunchy cabbage and round out this easy, breezy coleslaw.
This post contains some affiliate links, which means that we make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
How to Serve Cumin Lime Coleslaw
As with any coleslaw, this one makes a great side dish for things like Cilantro Lime Chicken, Hearty Black Bean Quesadillas, or Turkey Taco Skillet. But you can also pile it onto a sandwich, use it to top tacos, or even use it as a base for a bowl meal! And last week, I served it as a side to some tacos made with my Chili Rubbed Pulled Pork and Pickled Red Onions. That combo was to die for!
Take a Short Cut
If you’re short on time, you can skip shredding your own cabbage and carrots and use a bag of coleslaw mix (pre-shredded cabbage and carrots). You’ll want one bag (14-16oz.) for this recipe.
How Long Does it Stay Fresh?
This cumin lime coleslaw stays good in the fridge for about 2-3 days. It does soften a bit as it refrigerates, but it’s still quite tasty. You’ll want to give it a good stir before serving each time to redistribute the dressing.
Cumin Lime Coleslaw
Servings 6 3/4 cup eachIngredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise ($0.80)
- 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice (about 1/2 lime) ($0.50)
- 1 tsp ground cumin ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.01)
- 1 tsp sugar ($0.02)
- 1/2 head green cabbage (about 6 cups shredded) ($0.68)
- 2 carrots ($0.16)
- 4 green onions ($0.22)
Instructions
- Prepare the coleslaw dressing by stirring together the mayonnaise, lime juice, cumin, salt, sugar, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Refrigerate the dressing until ready to use.
- Remove the core from the cabbage and then finely shred. Peel the carrots, then use a large holed cheese grater to shred the carrots. Thinly slice the green onions.
- Combine the shredded cabbage, carrots, and green onions in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over top, then stir until everything is well coated in dressing. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. After refrigerating, make sure to stir the slaw well before serving.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!
How to Make Cumin Lime Coleslaw – Step by Step Photos
Begin by making the dressing so the flavors have a little time to blend. Combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
Finely shred 1/2 of a head of cabbage (about 6 cups), shred two carrots using a cheese grater, and slice four green onions. Add the cabbage, carrot, and onions to a large bowl.
Pour the dressing over the vegetables and then stir until everything is well coated. Serve the Cumin Lime Coleslaw immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. As will all slaws, the salt in the dressing will cause the cabbage to slowly soften and let off a little water, so be sure to stir the slaw before serving to redistribute the dressing.
But if you need to prepare it ahead of time, go ahead and make the dressing and prep the vegetables, but combine the two just before serving for the crunchiest coleslaw possible.
I don’t even like coleslaw, but I am crazy about this coleslaw recipe. I would never think to put a Mexican twist on coleslaw of all things, but believe me, it’s magical. I added way more of each spice than the recipe called for, plus garlic powder, plus a lot more lime juice, and just salted it until all the flavors popped. Then I used in on the Budget Bytes taco recipe. A standing ovation for this recipe. So good.
The slaw was delicious. We had fish stick tacos with this slaw, the only difference is I used the whole lime. Thanks again for a good recipe!
can I make this the day before serving?
This one is definitely better the day you make it, but I still ate my leftovers (they’re just softer and more wet).
Do you ever salt your cabbage before making a slaw? I’ve found that technique has really helped reduce the amount of water you get collecting at the bottom of the sale bowl. Either way, this sounds great and I’ll be making it soon. I gotta say, I’ve been cooking for years and just learned about BB a few months ago. Everything has turned out great. Even some things I’ve gone purely off your recipe and it’s worked just right, which is rare. So thank you for all the great food
This coleslaw is delicious! It has a unique flavor from your average coleslaw and it’s just plain tasty. And the recipe makes just the right amount of dressing so the slaw isn’t drowning in it.
I doubled the recipe and ended up with a little too much to fit into my serving bowl so my husband and I have been snacking on the extra slaw :)
I made this for a family get-together last night, and I kept hearing “Wow, this is delicious! I don’t even like coleslaw!” A rousing success! Thanks for the great recipe.
This receipt was amazing! My only complaint is that I didn’t make enough of it. I also added like a 1/2 cup of frozen corn kernels which added a little sweetness. Otherwise followed the directions completely. Was so good on my spicy shrimp tacos and I will not lie when I say I ate a good helping of it while I was making it. Good on ya’ Beth this was a straight up win.
This is SOOO good!
I love BB and use it all the time – this time I was desperate for a new slaw and searched the site for slaw. This was one of the only one’s you had so I went for it. It was GREAT and the party I fed all absolutely loved it and kept complimenting it. The cumin and lime gave an interesting and new twist to the old school cole slaw and it went great with all of our grill food.
I don’t usually use lime juice. Can I sub with lemon juice?
The lime juice definitely has a distinct flavor that works with the other ingredients. Lemon juice will give you the right acidity, but it will change the overall harmony of the ingredients. Not that it would be bad, but lime juice is just much better in this case.
I don’t use mayo so I subbed plain greek yogurt. It needed something, so I did add some rice wine vinegar. I really liked it, my husband asked for seconds! We had a some leftover & it’s even better the next day. Served it alongside the honey sriracha chicken & jasmine rice.
So flavorful and delicious!
Hi Beth! This looks like it would be really yummy in the fish tacos, or on top of a burger, like another commenter suggested. For that reason, I might like to try making a big batch, then freezing half for another use later. Do you think that would work?
Also, a more general question: you often give tips on whether something would freeze well or not. Is there a general rule of thumb? Or is it all just based on your experience? Thanks!!!
Generally, fresh vegetables don’t freeze well unless they are going to be cooked later. This is because the plant cells that make the vegetable crunchy burst when the water inside them freezes and expands. That leaves the vegetables limp, soft, and seeping water once thawed. So, dishes like this actually won’t freeze well because you’ll be left with a bunch of watery, limp cabbage. :( Vegetables get soft when you cook them anyway, so it’s okay to freeze vegetables that are going to be cooked after being thawed. I hope that made sense. :)
That’s a great tip…and with a science lesson! Thanks!
Speaking of which…is there also a rule of thumb when it comes to freezing cooked rice or pasta? I once froze a salsa chicken casserole that did NOT reheat well, but I can’t figure out which element made it not work. I’d love to know, since I’m freezing leftovers more and more these days!
Oh, and by the way, my roommate is throwing a big crawfish boil shindig this Saturday at our house. I’ll be making your cumin lime coleslaw…I think it sounds like the perfect side! :c)
Hmm, I tend to find that rice and pasta freeze pretty well with no special care taken (I just pop them into a freezer bag). Cooling dishes down in the fridge completely before freezing usually helps preserve their texture and quality. What were the unpleasant side effects with the salsa chicken casserole? Maybe I can help trouble shoot that. It seems like that one should freeze pretty weel.
The rice was really mushy, and the casserole overall was watery. I can’t remember if I defrosted it first…that could’ve been the problem…
Hmm. Yeah, I’m not sure what the issue might have been. I tend to freeze in smaller portions, too, instead of entire casseroles, so that might make a difference.
This was a great addition to the fish tacos!! Will use this often!
This coleslaw was AMAZING. I added chopped cilantro to mine and substituted a tsp of honey for the sugar. I used a bag of coleslaw mix to make it a little easier. I don’t think that I will ever make “regular” coleslaw again!!! (it was even better the next day)
Thanks, again, for all of your wonderful recipes!!!