Cilantro Lime Broccoli Slaw
Cilantro Lime Broccoli Slaw comes together in less than 15 minutes with the help of pre-packaged shredded broccoli slaw mix. Sliced red onion and bell pepper add flavor and texture, and everything gets tossed in a creamy lime dressing. Serve this slaw as a side dish or use it for topping tacos, nachos, and burrito bowls!
We Serve This Cilantro Lime Slaw with Our Favorite Mexican Foods
Growing up in Texas, we usually had tacos weekly at home for dinner. Nothing fancy, just your typical ground beef tacos with corn tortillas. And, we always had Mexican food for birthday dinners at our favorite restaurant.
Now that I have my own kids, I love cooking Mexican food for them at home (although I’m sure much of what I cook is considered Tex-Mex!).
This broccoli slaw recipe was born one night when I needed a simple side to serve with tacos. I rooted around in my produce drawer to see what I could rustle up and wound up doctoring up a pre-made broccoli slaw mix that I’d bought in the produce section earlier in the week.
This broccoli slaw is SO good, here’s why I think you’ll love it too:
✔ Quick & Easy: Using a bag of pre-packaged broccoli slaw mix minimizes the prep for this recipe, and I can usually toss everything together in 15 minutes or less.
✔ Refreshing Flavor: Between the lime juice and sour cream, the dressing is super bright, tangy, and creamy without tasting heavy.
✔ Make-Ahead Option: Once the slaw is tossed with the lime dressing it’s best enjoyed right away, but you can prep all the veggies ahead of time and store them airtight in the fridge for several days before dressing.
Enjoy!
-Katie
Ingredient Notes
Let’s quickly go over a few of the key ingredients you’ll need to make this broccoli slaw salad. For a full list of ingredients with their measurements, scroll to the bottom of this post to view the recipe card.
- Broccoli Slaw Mix — You can find this is the produce section of most major grocery stores. If you can’t find broccoli slaw where you live, you can run large pieces of fresh broccoli stems through the shred grater on your food processor. And, you’ll also want to add some carrot and red cabbage which are usually included in the prepackaged broccoli slaw mixes. You’ll need 12 ounces of veggies total.
- Fresh Cilantro — You can add more cilantro than the recipe calls for if you’re a cilantro lover!
- Jalapeño — I love the kick of spice that the jalapeño adds to the otherwise creamy and tangy slaw. You can omit it entirely if you’re sensitive to heat or remove the seeds before slicing.
- Extra Veggies — I added finely sliced red bell pepper and red onion for texture and flavor, but you can get creative here.
- Creamy Lime Dressing — I made my own by whisking together a little sour cream, lime juice, and agave, but you’re welcome to use your favorite bottled cilantro lime dressing if you’re short on time.
How to Make Mexican-Style Broccoli Slaw
- Toss the slaw. Add the pre-packaged broccoli slaw mix and veggies to a large bowl and toss well to combine.
- Whisk together the dressing. Feel free to give it a taste and add more salt, pepper, lime juice, or sour cream until it’s exactly to your liking.
- Dress, then chill. This broccoli slaw tastes best after it’s had 30 minutes to chill in the fridge. This gives the flavors time to come together.
- Garnish and serve. If you want some extra crunchy texture in this great salad, stir in some roasted pepitas, crunchy sunflower seeds, or sliced almonds. And, for a cheesy garnish, try crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese sprinkled on top or served in a bowl on the side.
The above is simply a quick summary of this recipe. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.
Make-Ahead Instructions
If you like to meal prep or just have a busy day and need to get started on dinner early, here are my time saving suggestions for this recipe:
- Prep the salad ingredients ahead of time and store them in a large bowl or zip-top bag. Keep refrigerated.
- You can also prep the dressing recipe ahead of time and store it covered in a small bow or jar in the refrigerator.
The individually prepared elements of this Mexican broccoli slaw will last for about 2 days in the refrigerator. However, the dressing may need to be re-mixed if it has separated.
Once you’ve tossed the slaw mixture with the creamy lime dressing, I recommend consuming any leftovers within about 24 hours.
Katie’s Tips for Making This Recipe
- Having trouble squeezing fresh limes? Try using these three simple steps. You’ll get so much more juice out of your limes and have plenty of juice for your creamy lime dressing recipe.
- For a vegan version of this broccoli slaw recipe, you can prepare the lime vinaigrette dressing in this kale slaw recipe.
- Serve right away for best results. The broccoli slaw mix is fairly tender and will wilt the longer it sits in the dressing. I suggest dressing the slaw 30ish minutes before serving and serving while it’s still super crunchy.
How to Serve Broccoli Slaw
This cilantro lime broccoli cabbage slaw can be eaten as a side salad, added to tacos, used as a nacho or burrito bowl topping, and more!
- As a side dish: Try it with BBQ chicken, veggie quesadillas, chicken and spinach enchiladas, and slow cooker Mexican chicken.
- On tacos: This slaw is amazing on black bean tacos, shredded chicken tacos, shredded pork tacos, and fish taco bowls.
- On sandwiches and wraps: Pile it onto bbq chicken sliders, pork carnitas lettuce wraps, and veggie fajitas.
- On nachos: Add the slaw to your favorite sheet pan nachos or pork nachos as the very last step before serving.
More Easy Mexican Side Dishes
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Cilantro Lime Broccoli Slaw Recipe
This cilantro lime broccoli slaw is a tasty side dish to accompany any Mexican-inspired meal. Pre-packaged shredded broccoli, carrots, and red cabbage are tossed with jalapeño, lime, red onion, and red bell pepper for a refreshing side salad.
Ingredients
For the Slaw
- 12 ounces Pre-Packaged Broccoli Slaw (a mix of broccoli, red cabbage, and carrot)
- 2 tablespoons chopped Cilantro
- 1 Jalapeño, minced (deseeded for milder heat if you prefer)
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced Red Bell Pepper
- 1 tablespoon minced Red Onion
For the Dressing
- 1 Lime, juiced
- 1/4 cup Sour Cream
- 1 teaspoon Agave Nectar
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Optional Garnishes
- Roasted Pepitas or Sunflower Seeds
- Crumbled Queso Fresco or Cotija Cheese
- Fresh Cilantro
- Lime Slices
- Chopped Jalapeno
Instructions
- Combine the broccoli slaw, cilantro, jalapeño, red bell pepper, and red onion in a medium sized mixing bowl. Stir and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, sour cream, agave, salt, and pepper. Stir half of the dressing into the slaw mixture, then add the remaining dressing until your desired coating is reached.
- Cover the bowl with the slaw with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or overnight.
- Before serving, top with optional garnishes if desired. Or, serve them on the side.
Notes
To store: Store leftovers airtight in the fridge for up to 3 days. Don't let the slaw sit out for more than 1 hour since the dressing is dairy-based.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 41Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 82mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 2g
Photography: photos taken in this post are by Rachael from Set the Table.
Kristen H. says
This looks so light and summery. I can’t wait to try it.
Do you have a favorite store bought Cilantro Lime dressing?
Katie Goodman says
I like these:
https://www.litehousefoods.com/products/opa-litehouse-avocado-cilantro-greek-yogurt-dressing
http://www.newmansown.com/foods/lime-lite-vinaigrette/
But it all depends on if you want something creamy or more of a vinaigrette, or you could do a little of both.
Sommer @aspicyperspective says
This dish will be sure to wow a crowd! Perfect for a summer barbecue!
Katie Goodman says
Thanks, Sommer! I agree…perfect for summer BBQs. Can’t wait for that kind of weather. 🙂
Karen @ Seasonal Cravings says
I am loving broccoli slaw these days and it’s so easy with all the prepped ingredients available. I have never chilled in overnight but will have to try that!