By now you’ll know I love a good jalapeño. I also love a dish that comes together quickly, meaning I’m not standing over a cutting board for half an hour just prepping the ingredients to assemble and cook for dinner that night. Luckily, this Spicy Cabbage Slaw should take you 5 minutes to assemble, from start to finish.
A classic go-to side
Spicy Cabbage Slaw is one of those recipes that never gets old. It’s our go-to when we are looking for a quick, healthy side dish that requires minimal chopping, no cooking, and few ingredients. It’s not uncommon for me to make this dish nearly every week, regardless of the season, though it is a superb side dish to make for a summer bbq and will beat anything you can find at the deli.
It also makes a great alternative to a salad as the only thing you need to chop is the jalapeños. This is assuming, of course, that you are lazy like me and buy your cabbage mix pre-shredded. Unless I have both cabbage and carrots lying in my produce drawer that need to be used immediately, I just use a pre-shredded mix.
It’s all in the sauce
Let’s talk about what really makes a good slaw: the sauce. This recipe calls for a traditional mayo base, but it’s kicked up a notch with a few things you likely already have at home: sriracha, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, and honey. The tanginess of the apple cider vinegar and lime combined with the sweetness of the honey balances out the heat in the jalapeños and sriracha, and the mayo makes everything creamy and smooth.
I prefer to use Glory Bee Raw Organic Clover Honey, as it’s undergone less processing than traditional honey, and Bragg Organic Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar with the “Mother.” If you are strictly paleo or grain-free, PaleoChef Sriracha is a good alternative to traditional sriracha. I find that it is not quite as spicy as many traditional srirachas you may be used to but it does give a good kick of flavor. I generally like to make my own mayo so I can control what goes in it, but if you’d rather buy it my favorite is Sir Kensington’s Avocado Oil Mayo. It’s not strictly paleo, but it much lower in sugar than traditional blends.
A note for special diets
This Spicy Cabbage Slaw is grain-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and friendly for Paleo, SIBO, and Keto diets. The net carb count per serving on this recipe is only 4g, however, if you choose to omit the honey it drops to 3g per serving.
Spicy Cabbage Slaw
Prep
Total
Yield 6 portions
Ingredients
- 14 - 17.5oz coleslaw mix (white cabbage, red cabbage, carrots)
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
- 1/2 cup mayo (adjust to your preference)
- 2 tsp sriracha (PaleoChef makes a Paleo version)
- 4 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp lime juice
- 1 1/2 tsp raw honey
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine mayo, sriracha, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, and honey until smooth.
- Add the chopped jalapenos and coleslaw mix to the bowl and combine.
- This is a good time to adjust the sauce, if needed, as you will be able to see how saturated the coleslaw mix is.
- Season with salt and pepper to your liking.
Notes
Feel free to adjust the amount of mayo and sriracha to your liking. We like ours a little bit saucier, so we often add a bit more mayo. This is also useful to keep in mind when you are working with different sizes of coleslaw mix. I've seen bags vary from 14-17.5oz, depending on brand.
Too spicy? The acidity of the lime juice and sweetness of the honey will tone down the burn from the jalapenos and sriracha so keep this in mind when adjusting the heat to your preference.
Courses Sides, Salads & Dressings
Cuisine American
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 portion
Amount Per Serving | ||
|---|---|---|
Calories 142 | ||
% Daily Value | ||
Total Fat 15 g | 23% | |
Saturated Fat 2 g | 10% | |
Cholesterol 20 mg | 7% | |
Sodium 225 mg | 9% | |
Total Carbohydrates 6 g | 2% | |
Dietary Fiber 2 g | 8% | |
Sugars 4 g | ||
Protein 1 g | 2% | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
I am a huge fan of cabbage, so this looks super yummy! I will have to try it for lunch one day. Thanks for sharing!
I love a good slaw – will definitely be giving this spicy one a try!
Your dressing does sound amazing. I’ve never come across a recipe using honey before. It sounds fabulous.
This looks so yummy! I will try and make this soon.
Huge fan of cabbage here and this coleslaw is a winner… Spicy? Sign me up, please… A perfect pair for my crispy chicken.
I could eat slaw every day…2 kinds of heat…YAAASSSS!
I’m always on the lookout for a good colesaw recipe and have never thought to spice it up with a bit of Sriracha. It sounds perfect!
This looks so tasty! Love a bit of spice
This looks delicious. I can’t handle too much heat but cabbage slaw is one of my favorite things. 🙂
What a fun twist on a classic dish!
This is making my mouth water! It looks so good. Pinning for later
I love the combo of sweet and spicy you used in the dressing with the sriracha and honey! We love a great slaw around here and I can think of so many things to serve with this. Saving to make soon!
You had me at spicy…I love your twist on a classic slaw!
Ooh spicy slaw sounds like a great accompaniment to fried chicken -must try-)
I love this recipe, and I’m really wanting this in a sandwich with steak. YUMMY!
I love spicy food also and it’s fun that you have a double spice added with the sriracha sauce and jalapenos. I also usually just buy preshredded stuff – I never have time to shred everything myself and it’s also really messy with the cabbage going absolutely everywhere in the kitchen.
This salad is perfect year round. It goes with so many dishes….and can be used for brunch, lunch and dinner. Perfect for parties…and to “take along” too. Love the spicy version!!
That looks awesome. I have just shared it and I can’t wait to try it. My mouth is watering.
I love a good crunchy slaw and the sriracha and honey in your dressing sounds fantastic — I love that mix of hot and sweet!
This is a great twist on the classic. Loving that spicy hit you’ve packed in with the sriracha.
This cabbage slaw looks like the perfect side for any barbecue! YUM!
I love a good cabbage slaw. It’s that perfect blend of crunchy and creamy. Yum!
Looks delicious! I love the idea of giving it a spicy kick, especially with the creaminess to balance it all out.
Oh I love cabbage slaw…and the spicier the better! Looooove anything sriracha…thanks for sharing 🙂
I’m all about the spice and love coleslaw. Sounds like a fabulous recipe that I need to try soon!
I love a good slaw, it’s so simple yet so good! I’m digging the addition of sriracha for a little kick!
I’m loving the flavors in this dressing! The sriracha, lime, honey, and mayo sound like the perfect combination for a slaw. Will definitely be adding this to my picnic menus this summer!
I love coleslaw and definitely am a fan of a little spice in my slaw! Your recipe looks delicious and you have beautiful photos! I love that you use a packaged cabbage mix. It certainly cuts down in time. I can’t wait to try your recipe!
I can never say no to slaw! I love the jalapeno and apple cider combo!
I love a tasty coleslaw recipe! I will definitely have to try this one out!
I am obsessed with slaw and I cannot tell you how badly I want to eat this one right now. The flavors are what is catching my tastebuds, can’t wait to try!
Your coleslaw dressing is almost identical to the one I make all the time, so I know this will be delicious, but I never considered adding jalapenos to my coleslaw which is pretty dumb of me since my husband loves spicy. This is a great idea. I’m already looking at the meals I have planned for the week to figure out which night would go well with this coleslaw. I’ve also printed out your recipe and added it to my “cookbook”. You’re a genius!
This slaw looks so amazing. Sriracha and the honey make for the perfect setting for the crunchy coleslaw.
This looks like a great slaw to drop on top of a nice pulled pork sandwich or some fish tacos! Thanks for sharing!
I was thinking the same as Analida – this would be SO good on top of pulled pork or a grilled fish sandwich / taco! Yum! I love spicy foods, so the jalapeño is an awesome idea. So glad you shared!
I’m intrigued by the jalapeno and the sriracha in the slaw! It looks amazing and we love a good slaw, the perfect side to so many dishes!
Spicy did it for me. We like our heat and cole slaw is so versatile. Not only can you have it as a side, but it also tastes great on top of sandwiches. Jalapeños add just the right amount of kick to a dish.
I loooove cabbage slaw, especially during summer time! Will definitely try your recipe)
gotta love a good cabbage slaw! Such a great dish to add as a side or on top of other main dishes for the summer. Yum!
Yum! It looks like the perfect side dish for our Memorial Day dinner!
This looks fantastic! I love a good crunch!
Always looking for good keto/paleo side salads! This looks great. Saved for future reference!
I love slaw salads and this one sounds delish! I love the idea of a creamy dressing!
What a yummy dish! I need to try making this, I never have before!!
Oh my gosh, this looks so good! Love anything with a spicy twist!
I love anything spicy and I love slaw so I will try this one. Yum!!
This looks so delicious. I have a bag of slaw in the fridge, and now I know exactly what to do with it!!!
Ooo, the perfect summer grilling side dish! Looks delish! I’ll need to give this a try. thanks!
I will definitely be trying this recipe, my husband and I love spicy stuff! Sounds like a delish salad!!
This would be a perfect side for a lot of our summer dishes and entertaining. I think this would be nice even in a wrap, too. Sounds delicious and refreshing!
I’m not huge into cole slaw but this one looks so flavorful! I’ve gotta try it!
Wow this looks so delicious, I am not usually a fan of cabbage, but this reciep wants me to definitely give it a try
This would be really great on a sandwich! I love how crunchy and spicy this looks!