Chipotle Red Cabbage Slaw Recipe to Top Any Dish

This red cabbage slaw recipe is jam-packed with a variety of fresh, flavorful ingredients that meld together to create a savory bite that you won’t be able to get enough of. 

I’ve been making this slaw recipe for about three years now. In fact, the first time that I made it was for a taco night. I wanted to try topping my tacos with it in place of lettuce. Immediately, I was hooked after my first bite. I have been using this recipe to top a variety of dishes ever since that unforgettable taco night. 

So my original recipe did not include the chipotle peppers. My Mom asked for my recipe one day to go along with some shrimp tacos she was making for dinner. She (being the creative cooking genius that I aspire to be) thought to add the chipotle peppers and adobo sauce to the red cabbage slaw. She took the recipe and elevated the flavor profile even more with this brilliant addition. I tried it for myself and I LOVED it! As a result, I now add chipotle peppers with adobo sauce every single time that I make this recipe. (Hi, Mom – I know you’re reading)! 🙂

The chipotle peppers and adobo sauce add a smoky tanginess to the recipe and also slightly soften up the red cabbage. I think they also aid in melding all of the flavors together without overpowering the slaw or dialing down the freshness. 

THE CHEAT CODE TO MAKING THIS RED CABBAGE SLAW RECIPE IN A PINCH

Use coleslaw mix as your base! It is so much quicker and easier to use a premade cabbage slaw mix than slicing up a head of cabbage. What I’ve noticed is that most premade coleslaw mixes tend to be green cabbage heavy. Here is where one of my favorite grocery stores, Trader Joe’s, enters the chat.  Trader Joe’s has a coleslaw mix that is red cabbage heavy and is my go-to for this recipe.

If you don’t want to use a premade coleslaw mix (or don’t have access to this particular brand), you can purchase a head of red cabbage and thinly slice the cabbage. You can still cut down on preparation time by using a mandolin slicer to thinly slice the red cabbage. Or, feel free to just thinly slice the red cabbage and red onion by hand if you prefer. 

WHAT MAKES THIS RED CABBAGE SLAW RECIPE SO FRESH & CRISP

There is one sneaky ingredient in my red cabbage slaw recipe that makes it extra crisp and fresh: diced cucumbers. How? Peel the skin off of half a cucumber before finely dicing it into tiny cubes. This way, the cucumbers hide easily in the red cabbage slaw to add that surprising crunch. Your guests will take a few moments to investigate exactly where that extra crunch came from after they take their first bite.

LET’S TALK HEAT. WANT TO DIAL IT UP OR DIAL IT DOWN?

This red cabbage slaw recipe calls for fresh diced jalapenos with the seeds. I’d like to note that the jalapenos being fresh is essential. Canned jalapenos are a bit too soggy for this recipe. Without a doubt, they will ruin the texture of the slaw. 

You can dial the heat in the slaw up or down by controlling the amount of jalapenos seeds that you add in. For instance, if you want to dial up the heat in your red cabbage slaw, add in more of the seeds of the jalapenos. Conversely, if spicy is not your thing and you would like to dial the heat down, add less of the jalapeno seeds (or eliminate them altogether).

FULL INGREDIENT LIST

Wondering what else goes into this red cabbage slaw recipe? The ingredient list consists of a variety of vegetables that each bring their own bright and fresh element to the recipe: 

• Red Cabbage Coleslaw Mix
• Red Onions
• Fresh Jalapeno Peppers and Seeds
• Cucumbers
• Chopped Cilantro
• Chipotle Peppers & Adobo Sauce
• Lime juice
• Honey

THIS RED CABBAGE SLAW IS PACKED WITH NUTRIENTS

This red cabbage slaw is not just tasty; it is also packed with a variety of nutrients that include Vitamin C and Vitamin K, among others. Each ingredient in this recipe brings along its own nutrients and potential health benefits. Purple cabbage and red onions, for example, are known for their potential digestive and anti-inflammatory benefits.

WHAT TOPPINGS PAIR WELL WITH THIS RED CABBAGE SLAW?

Depending on what dish you plan to serve with your red cabbage slaw, there are a number of toppings that will pair well with it. Here is an example. If you’re having taco night, I find that it pairs well with your usual taco toppings such as diced tomatoes, sour cream, avocado, or your favorite cheese. You should ultimately pair it with whatever fits your palate and dietary restrictions. And get creative! You could also just enjoy it solo. It is packed with enough flavor to stand all on its own. 

THIS RED CABBAGE SLAW HAS LIMITLESS POSSIBILITIES

As I mentioned above, this recipe is versatile enough to accompany a number of different main dishes. It really is limitless! For example, you can serve it with tacos, burritos, quesadillas, protein bowls, or even salads. 

This recipe makes a pretty large batch of red cabbage slaw. So let’s talk about how you can get the most out of it throughout the week. If you start by making it for a taco dinner, I suggest that the dinner you make for the next evening is something that it can easily pair with. For example, pivot to protein bowls made from the leftover protein you used on your tacos. You can serve your protein bowls with the red cabbage slaw, some brown rice, and beans. 

Be sure to refrigerate the red cabbage slaw in an airtight storage container. Now, let’s get into the recipe!

Chipotle Red Cabbage Slaw Recipe

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Prep Time:15 minutes mins

Total Time:15 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Keyword: red cabbage slaw

Ingredients

• 1 bag Trader Joe’s Organic Shredded Green & Red Cabbage Coleslaw Mix
• ½ large red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 medium-sized jalapenos, finely chopped with seeds (adjust to your heat preference)
• ¾ – 1 cup finely diced cucumbers
• 1 7.5 oz can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 3 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 small limes, juiced
• sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste 

Instructions

• Add the full package of Trader Joe’s Organic Shredded Green & Red Cabbage Coleslaw Mix into an extra large bowl mixing bowl.
• Next, let’s prepare the chopped and sliced veggies. Begin by thinly slicing the red onion. Add the sliced onions to the large mixing bowl.
• Cut the cucumber in half. Slice the skin off one-half of the cucumber. Then, slice and finely dice the cucumber into small cubes. Add diced cucumbers to the large mixing bowl.
• Slice jalapenos lengthwise. Remove seeds and set aside. Finely dice jalapenos and add jalapenos and seeds to the large mixing bowl.

  NOTE: Control the heat by adjusting the number of seeds added.
• Remove 4 chipotle peppers from the adobo sauce and coarsely chop. Add 3 tablespoons of the adobo sauce from the can and the chopped chipotle peppers to the large mixing bowl.
• Tear off a handful of cilantro and coarsely chop about 3 tablespoons. Add chopped cilantro to the large mixing bowl.
• Squeeze the juice of the two limes into the large mixing bowl.
• Add in cracked black pepper and sea salt to taste.
• Toss all of the ingredients together until evenly mixed. Taste and add in more salt, pepper, adobo sauce, or lime juice if desired.
• Tightly cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.