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Whip & Wander

Spicy Cabbage Slaw

By 54 Comments

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close-up of spicy cabbage slaw in a white bowl on a neutral background

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.

overhead of spicy cabbage slaw in a white bowl on a neutral background

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.

close-up of coleslaw made with cabbage and carrots

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.

Spicy Cabbage Slaw

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.

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close-up of spicy cabbage slaw in a white bowl on a neutral background

Spicy Cabbage Slaw

★★★★★ 5 from 26 reviews
  • Author: Whip & Wander
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 6 portions 1x
  • Category: Sides, Salads & Dressings
  • Cuisine: American
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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

  1. In a large bowl, combine mayo, sriracha, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, and honey until smooth.
  2. Add the chopped jalapenos and coleslaw mix to the bowl and combine.
  3. This is a good time to adjust the sauce, if needed, as you will be able to see how saturated the coleslaw mix is.
  4. 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.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 portion
  • Calories: 142
  • Sugar: 4 g
  • Sodium: 225 mg
  • Fat: 15 g
  • Saturated Fat: 2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 6 g
  • Fiber: 2 g
  • Protein: 1 g
  • Cholesterol: 20 mg

Reader Interactions

Comments

  12. Amanda

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  16. Julia

    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.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  27. Amanda

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  28. Elaine @ Dishes Delish

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  32. Patti @Patty Cake's Pantry

    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!

    Reply

  35. Sara

    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!

    Reply

  50. Marysa

    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!

    Reply

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