Caribbean Coleslaw

This Caribbean coleslaw recipe is a mayo-free coleslaw that’s light, fruity, sweet, and refreshingly good! A perfect no-cook side dish for this summer. Or add your favorite protein and carb for a complete meal!

Caribbean Coleslaw perfect for a family cookout on Memorial Day or the Fourth of July

I’m giving you a tasty option to switch up your coleslaw. And it’s sweet and nutty, with a bit of spice and a whole lot of tropical vibe.

This is a great side dish with grilled jerk chicken and for BBQ parties! Caribbean coleslaw is crisp and refreshing, with mangos, jalapenos, and Caribbean hot sauce thrown into the mix.

And for my sweet peeps, honey plays a balancing act with sweet and sour. It was hard to stop eating the whole thing!

Content…

Caribbean vs. Regular Coleslaw
How to Make It
Recipe Variations
Tips and Tricks
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
What to Serve
More Amazing Recipes for Cookouts
Watch How to Make It

A gorgeous rainbow of color in a Caribbean coleslaw ready to serve up in a wooden bowl

Caribbean vs. Regular Coleslaw

For my lovely readers who prefer vegan and mayo-free salads, this is the best coleslaw. I promise. The mango adds a tropical flair that sweetens up the cabbage for a marriage made in heaven. Jalapenos (equally delicious in regular coleslaw), hot sauce, and almonds are common additions to Caribbean cuisine.

How to Make Amazing Caribbean Coleslaw

Make the dressing and prep the veggies and fruit

Dressing

  • Combine all the dressing ingredients in a jar or small bowl: honey (or brown sugar), olive oil, red wine vinegar or lemon juice, Dijon mustard, jalapeno, garlic, hot sauce, and white pepper. (Photos 1-2)
  • Shake like crazy for about 2 minutes to emulsify. Set aside, and shake it before each use.
Assemble and dress

Coleslaw

  • Prep – Shred and chop the coleslaw base. (Photos 3-4)
  • Salad – Arrange cabbage, carrots, mango, scallions, and mango in a large bowl. (Photos 5-6)
  • Dress it – Add parsley and almonds, drizzle over the dressing, and toss to coat right before serving. Chill if desired and serve. (Photos 7-8)
Serving up a chilled bowl of Caribbean coleslaw for amazing comfort food

Flavor Twists

  1. Apples and pineapple both work great if mangos are out of season
  2. Celery has a nice salty sweetness that complements cabbage salad
  3. A red onion adds color if no scallions are available. Slice it thinly and add it with the carrots and mango
  4. Apple cider vinegar also works if you don’t have red wine vinegar on hand
  5. Broccoli. Save your broccoli stalks and add them to the slaw for low-waste meal prep. Trim and peel the hard outer layer and julienne or grate, and you’re good to go. Or a pre-shredded bag of broccoli slaw gives you a great time-saver
  6. Fennel delivers a nice flavor and crispness. Slice or grate the bulb and mince the leaves for a light licorice twist
  7. Turnip has white flesh that’s sweet and crunchy. Even a simple julienned turnip can be a good snack along with vinegar dip; how much more if you use it for the mango coleslaw?
  8. Roasted peanuts are an economical replacement for almonds if no one has an allergy

Recipe Tips

  1. Julienned vegetables. Have you noticed that slaw salads usually have uniform cuts of vegetables? Because it makes salad easier to mix, season, and eat.
  2. Use a food processor to shred the vegetables. Make cutting the vegetables easier because you know, manually doing it can be time-consuming and tiring too.
  3. Add bacon bits. For additional crunch and smokey flavor, easily top the coleslaw with bacon bits. Simple as that, and you’ll have a new dimension of coleslaw experience.😋

Make-Ahead and Leftovers

Assemble the dressing and refrigerate it in a glass jar with a lid for a week or two. Assemble the coleslaw (except for the mango and nuts) and store it in a salad spinner to keep it fresh for almost a week. When ready to serve, add the mango and nuts, toss with the dressing, and enjoy.

Leftovers should last 2-4 days in an airtight container. The mango may discolor and the salad lose some of its crispness, but it will still be delicious.

If you’re worried about it getting limp, turn it into a stir fry and serve it over rice. Cooked vegetables tend to last longer and can be frozen.

Serving up Caribbean coleslaw with jerk chicken

Perfect Pairings With Caribbean Coleslaw

Caribbean coleslaw is incredible alongside crispy Jamaican fried chicken or pulled pork, sweet potato salad, and corn on the cob or corn maque choux for a non-traditionally classic BBQ. If you’re going for soup and salad vibes, try it with black bean soup for a guaranteed happy family.

More Amazing Cookout Recipes to Try

  1. Easy Cinco de Mayo Recipes
  2. Awesome Smoker Recipes
  3. Backyard Burger Menus
  4. Labor Day Picnic Ideas
  5. Fourth of July Desserts

By Imma

Watch How to Make It

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This blog post was originally published in June 2016 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video

Caribbean Coleslaw

Mayo-free coleslaw that's light, fruity, sweet, and refreshingly good! A perfect no-cook side dish for this summer. Or add your favorite protein and carb for a complete meal for a tasty option to switch up your flavors.
4.98 from 43 votes

Ingredients

Dressing

  • 2-4 tablespoons (40-80g) honey or brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) red wine vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1-2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (or to taste)
  • ½ jalapeno pepper, minced (about 1 tablespoon), adjust to taste
  • 1 teaspoon (5g) minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon (5g) Caribbean hot sauce (adjust to taste)
  • white pepper to taste

Coleslaw

  • 6 cups (360g) cabbage, cored and shredded (Napa, savoy, green, red cabbage, or a combination)
  • 1 cup (70g) shredded carrots
  • 1 large ripe mango, peeled and julienned or diced
  • 2-3 scallions, diced
  • ¼ cup (15g) fresh parsley, minced
  • ½ cup (60g) nuts (slivered almonds, sunflower seeds, chopped walnuts, etc.)
  • salt to taste

Instructions

Dressing

  • Combine all the dressing ingredients in a jar or bowl: honey (or brown sugar), olive oil, red wine vinegar or lemon juice, Dijon mustard, jalapeno, garlic, hot sauce, and white pepper.
  • Shake like crazy for about 2 minutes to emulsify. Set aside, and shake it before each use.

Coleslaw

  • Arrange cabbage, carrots, mango, scallions, and mango in a bowl.
  • Add dressing and toss to coat right before serving. Chill if desired, sprinkle with parsley and almonds, and serve.

Tips & Notes:

  • Julienned vegetables. Have you noticed that slaw salads usually have uniform cuts of vegetables? Because it makes salad easier to mix, season, and eat.
  • Use a food processor to shred the vegetables. Make cutting the vegetables easier because you know doing it manually can be time-consuming and tiring, too.
  • For additional crunch and smokey flavor, easily top the coleslaw with bacon bits. Simple as that, and you’ll have a new dimension of coleslaw experience.
  • Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 150g| Calories: 260kcal (13%)| Carbohydrates: 28g (9%)| Protein: 7g (14%)| Fat: 16g (25%)| Saturated Fat: 2g (13%)| Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g| Monounsaturated Fat: 10g| Sodium: 322mg (14%)| Potassium: 728mg (21%)| Fiber: 9g (38%)| Sugar: 14g (16%)| Vitamin A: 7710IU (154%)| Vitamin C: 105mg (127%)| Calcium: 142mg (14%)| Iron: 3mg (17%)

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69 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This recipe is SO GOOD! I never comment on blogs but I had to make an exception here. Kudos on this amazing slaw! It’s going in my regular rotation.

  2. 5 stars
    I just made this and it is very tasty! I’m not often impressed with a lot of recipes I try from Pinterest, but this is a keeper! Thank you!

  3. I’m trying this recipe for the first time and also the first time I’m making coke slaw. I bought a head of red cabbage. Is that supposed to be in addition to the napa savoy?

    1. You can use a mixture of both or just the red cabbage would do just fine . Thanks for pointing it out to me .

  4. 5 stars
    Lovely recipe I’ll definitely try this, forgive me for digressing can u please give me a basic fondant icing recipe? My fondant icing keeps tearing apart n is not smooth, please and please help me out. Thank you.

    1. Hi Joy! It’s been a while since I made cake with fondant. Don’t have a recipe to share at the moment. Might have to experiment with one for fall.

    1. I slice and dice all the vegetables and dressing the day before, – mix everything together the day of . I like my Cole slaw crunchy.

    2. 5 stars
      I usually don’t comment on recipes, but this was soooo good I had to. My husband doesn’t like coleslaw or cabbage, but he loved this. I used 1 Tbls Dijon and 2 Tbls honey, pumpkin seeds , a bit more jalapeño, added a small amount of red pepper, and cut down on the carrots (picky husband!). It was perfect! Absolutely delicious. I can’t wait to make it for a picnic and summer treat.

      1. That sounds absolutely divine! Now I feel like having some :). So glad it worked out for you, Lou!

    1. AWESOME!!! Always glad to hear when kids love it. They are hardest to please. Thanks for taking the time to share this with us.

  5. 5 stars
    Caribbean cuisine is one of my most favorite ones. This slaw looks like a winner!

  6. Oh yes a light, fruity nutty coleslaw salad is everything i need this summer! I’ve bookmarked this!

  7. I’m loving this mayo free coleslaw. Would be prefect on pulled pork sandwiches too!

4.98 from 43 votes (19 ratings without comment)

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