Fish Taco Slaw
Fish Taco Slaw is a delicious slaw made from cabbage slaw mix and a tangy mayo lime dressing. It’s an easy way to add tons of flavor to your favorite fish tacos, coming together in minutes for a quick and tasty meal. Try this simple slaw as the perfect accompaniment to your next fish taco feast!
Fish Taco Slaw is the perfect accompaniment to a variety of tacos like mahi mahi, fish taco bowls, and tilapia. Whether you prefer blackened, beer-battered, or grilled, this slaw will bring out the best in each one.
One of the best things about living in Florida is the access to incredible seafood. Each restaurant has a different spin on fish tacos with some type of crunchy cabbage slaw and house-made remoulade sauce or fish taco sauce.
This cabbage slaw for tacos is one of those restaurant recreation recipes. It’s a great all-around slaw recipe. The coleslaw dressing has a touch of sweetness, some tanginess from freshly squeezed lime juice, and there’s crunch from shredded cabbage.
It’s incredibly easy to prepare and very versatile. The best part is that it keeps well in the refrigerator for about 3 days and works well as a side dish for several recipes, not just as a slaw for fish tacos.
Tips for Success
- Use a combination of cabbage and thinly sliced onions for the slaw.
- Add freshly chopped parsley in place of cilantro if you prefer.
- For an extra kick, add jalapeno peppers or chili powder.
- Incorporate complementary flavors by adding mango, pineapple, or mandarin orange slices into your slaw mix when possible.
- Instead of purchasing packaged slaw mix, use a food processor to quickly shred cabbage and veggies instead.
- Consider mixing up different types of cabbage (red vs green) to create more visual appeal in the presentation.
- Top off individual servings with crunchy garnishes such as sesame seeds, crushed tortilla chips, etc., just before serving!
Storage
Refrigerator: Fish taco slaw can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To keep it fresher for longer, store the slaw without dressing or other wet ingredients and mix them together just before serving.
Can you substitute Greek yogurt or sour cream for the mayonnaise?
For a healthier version of fish taco slaw, replace the mayonnaise with equal parts plain Greek yogurt. Even if you want to mix in a bit of mayo for flavor, as long as it adds up to 1 cup the mixture will work.
Just keep in mind that some Greek yogurt is strong in flavor, so the dressing will taste slightly different.
Sour cream is an excellent substitute to use, however, we don’t advise only using sour cream. To get the best results, try swapping out ¼ cup of mayo or yogurt with ¼ cup of sour cream for a delicious and creamy texture!
Can you make this fish taco slaw without cilantro?
Of course! Everyone should be able to enjoy taco slaw recipe, so if someone doesn’t care for cilantro, it’s totally fine to omit it.
If you’d like something else as an alternative, fresh parsley makes for a delicious and flavorful addition.
Can you omit the sugar in this fish taco slaw?
Absolutely! If you are looking for a more tart flavor to your slaw, simply omit the sugar. We haven’t tested this recipe with any sugar substitutes; therefore, our best suggestion is to leave it out entirely.
How do you make this slaw spicy?
Actually, we have an entirely different recipe for spicy coleslaw and it is great on fish tacos! That way, we don’t have to change this recipe at all, we just use the other recipe when we want spicy coleslaw.
Other Coleslaw Recipes You May Enjoy
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice, (about 6-8 limes)
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Slaw
- 16 ounce bag pre-shredded coleslaw mix, (discard any dressing that comes with the mix)
- ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
- 2 green onions, chopped
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lime juice, sugar, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Set aside.1 cup mayonnaise¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice2 teaspoons granulated sugar½ teaspoon garlic powder¼ teaspoon salt¼ teaspoon pepper
- In a separate medium bowl, combine the cabbage slaw mix, green onions, and cilantro. Pour in the dressing, and stir to combine.16 ounce bag pre-shredded coleslaw mix¼ cup finely chopped cilantro2 green onions
- Refrigerate until ready to use. See post for tips, FAQS, and storage options.
Notes
- The calories listed are an approximation based on the ingredients in the recipe card and a serving size of 2 ounces of slaw. Actual calories will vary.