Cilantro Lime Slaw | Gimme Some Oven

This Cilantro Lime Slaw recipe is easy to make in just 10 minutes, it tastes extra fresh and light, and it can work great as a zesty side dish or as a topping for tacos, burgers, sandwiches and more.

Guys, I’ve got the yummiest fish taco recipe comin’ your way tomorrow.

But first — we’ve gotta talk about this coleslaw. ♡

It’s my go-to, back-pocket, easy-breezy, fresh-and-flavorful cilantro lime slaw recipe that I’ve made for years, and it somehow magically goes with just about everything.  I make it most often just as a simple side dish when we’re grilling out in the summertime, especially anytime that BBQ sauce or Mexican food are involved.  But it’s also fantastic served as a topping on pretty much any kind of tacos — fish, shrimp, carnitas, sofritas, barbacoa, chicken, you name it.  It also works great as a topping for burgers or sandwiches, or mixed into buddah bowls or burrito bowls.  Or hey — if you want to maybe add a protein and avocado in there too — this slaw can easily be transformed into an entree just like that.

Mostly though, I just love this cilantro lime slaw because it tastes super light and healthy, and it’s a breeze to make.  Just pick up a bag of coleslaw mix at the store (or shred some cabbage and carrots and make your own from scratch).  Pop a handful of simple ingredients to the blender to make the sauce.  Toss everything together and then — voila! — the most delicious, creamy, tangy coleslaw can be ready to go in less than 10 minutes.

Let’s make some!

Cilantro Lime Slaw Ingredients:

To make this recipe, you will need the following cilantro lime coleslaw ingredients:

• Coleslaw mix: To make this recipe extra quick and easy, I recommend just picking up a bag of coleslaw mix at the store.  Or you’re welcome to just shred some cabbage and carrots and make your own homemade coleslaw mix.
• Greek yogurt: I like to make this slaw with (full-fat) plain Greek yogurt.  But you are welcome to use mayo (or a 50/50 split with mayo) if you prefer.  Or mix in some sour cream for an even tangier slaw.
• Fresh cilantro: We will add lots to the coleslaw dressing, but feel free to also stir in some (larger) chopped cilantro leaves to the finished slaw too.
• Green onions: We will just add the green parts.
• Lime juice: Freshly-squeezed, please.
• Garlic: A few cloves of fresh garlic.  Or you can sub in a teaspoon of garlic powder.
• Seasonings: Just salt, pepper and cumin.
• (Optional) Jalapeño or Serrano Pepper: I love adding in a seeded chile pepper for a little extra heat.  Or, if you would like a significantly spicier slaw, leave in the seeds. 🙂

How To Make Coleslaw:

To make this easy coleslaw recipe, simply…

1. Make the coleslaw dressing: Combine the Greek yogurt, cilantro, lime juice, cumin, salt, pepper, jalapeño (if using), green onions and garlic in a blender or food processor, and pulse briefly until the mixture is combined.  (Or alternately, if you would rather not use a blender to make the coleslaw dressing recipe, you can just finely-chop the ingredients and then stir everything together.)
2. Toss everything together.  In a large bowl, toss the coleslaw mix with the dressing until combined.
3. Serve.  Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.

Full instructions in the recipe below.

Possible Variations:

Want to mix things up with this homemade coleslaw recipe?  Feel free to:

• Use a different creamy base: If you love a good mayo-based coleslaw, feel free to use mayo in place of Greek yogurt, or do a 50/50 blend.  Or for an even tangier slaw, feel free to use sour cream in place of Greek yogurt, or do a 50/50 blend.
• Make it sweeter: For a slightly sweeter slaw, feel free to mix 1-2 tablespoons of honey into the coleslaw dressing.
• Make it smokier: For a smokier slaw, add 1 chipotle pepper in adobe sauce to the dressing.  (It’s so good!!)
• Add avocado: Adding in some avocado is always a good idea. 😉
• Add extra veggies: If you would like to gussy up the coleslaw mix with extra veggies, feel free to add in some thinly-sliced bell peppers, red onions, jicama, and/or radishes.
• Add nuts: For some extra crunch, try adding a handful of pepitas or sunflower seeds to this slaw too!

Ways To Serve This Coleslaw:

As I mentioned above, this cilantro lime slaw recipe can be served any number of ways!  Some of my favorites include…

• Easy side dish: This slaw tastes great on its own as an easy side dish, especially with Mexican or Thai food, or when served with any kind of grilled meats or veggies.
• Fish tacos: I most often make some form of this slaw to serve on fish tacos.  (Stay tuned for a new recipe tomorrow!)
• Burgers/BBQ/etc: This slaw works great as a topping for burgers, bbq sandwiches, sloppy joes, and many other kinds of sandwiches/slider.

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