Spicy Sriracha Asian Coleslaw

This Sriracha Coleslaw is the PERFECT side dish for BBQ, Asian style cuisine, and fusion favorites like fish tacos! Not only can it be made in minutes, but it is packed with the tangy flavors of sriracha, lime, and cilantro for dish that is anything but boring! Balanced out with creamy mayo, this coleslaw is always a hit!

this Recipe

Spicy Sriracha Coleslaw – The EASY Way!

When you think of coleslaw, you might not get very excited. Hopefully that is all about to change!

This Spicy Sriracha Asian Coleslaw is lusciously creamy, delightfully tangy, and has just the right amount of kick. It can elevate any meal right out of its stale, boring status.

It seems all 5 star, trendy restaurant quality, but don’t be fooled. This is a no-cook 10 minute max kinda recipe!

What I love about this recipe:

• Seems fancy, new and exciting
• Takes minutes to make
• Has unexpected flavors
• But can be paired with family favorites like tacos to get the kids on board.
• Veggie packed
• Only 6 ingredients!

I’m telling you… If you aren’t adding this one to your meal plan, you are missing out!

What to Serve with Sriracha Coleslaw

This side dish has a fusion of flavors melding an American favorite with some of our favorite Asian flavors. Being that it crosses traditional lines, it can go well with a variety of different meals. It can serve as a side dish or as a topping!

Main Dish Ideas

• Baked Panko Chicken with Honey Drizzle
• Pineapple Teriyaki Meatballs
• Blackened Fish
• Firecracker Chicken
• Crock Pot BBQ Brisket
• Asian Zing Wings

Topping Ideas

• Tacos– Perfect topping almost ANY taco! Fish tacos come in #1 in popularity for adding spicy asian coleslaw (use this easy blackened fish!,) but these Hawaiian chicken tacos are also to die for! You can even do more traditional taco meats like this Mexican shredded beef.
  
• Sandwiches – The flavor of the Spicy Sriracha Slaw goes amazingly well on everything from a basic BBQ Pork sandwich, to a more creative take like a burger, or meatball sub or sliders made with Honey BBQ meatballs or Pineapple Teriyaki Meatballs.
  
• Bowls– Add a base of rice (or cauliflower rice) and then pile on some spicy sriracha Asian coleslaw, and your choice of protein. I really like this Pineapple Chicken and Thai Chicken, and both are made easy in the crockpot! Add any fresh veggies you want: chopped red pepper, bean sprouts, carrots, etc, then give it a sprinkle of sesame seeds to finish!

These are just a few ideas, but really the sky is the limit. I just love that this Spicy Asian Coleslaw pairs so well with so many different options. 

Recipe Notes

This recipe is as simple as promised! Just six ingredients to make Sriracha Asian Coleslaw!

In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use when making this recipe to get the absolute best and most delicious results.

Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.

Ingredients

Traditional coleslaw is a combination of cabbages and vegetables tossed with dressing to form a salad. Our version adds cilantro to the salad and sriracha and lime to the dressing to create the complimentary Asian style flavor and spiciness.

• Cabbage– I prefer to use coleslaw mix with a combination of green cabbage, purple cabbage, and carrots in it, but you can shred these all fresh if preferred.
• Green onions 
• Cilantro– Cilantro is generally near the parsley in the produce section. You will want to wash it (it is often sandy) and then finely chop it. Since both the leaves and stems have flavor, there is no need to spend time picking thee leaves off, just chop both until you get near the bottom.

Sriracha Asian Coleslaw Dressing

• Mayonnaise– Use traditional mayonnaise as the base of the dressing in this recipe. You can substitute light mayo if you prefer, but I do not recommend using miracle whip or fat free mayonnaise in this recipe due to the altered flavor.
• Sriracha– This is what makes the coleslaw spicy. Sriracha not only carries heat, but has an incredible flavor that it brings to the coleslaw recipe.
• Lime juice– This provides the acid for the salad dressing. It will help to add flavor, and soften the texture of the cabbage.

Recipe Tips

1. Creamy factor– This recipe calls for a small amount of Mayo. It serves the purpose of binding the flavors together and helping to spread the flavors out by evenly coating the entire cabbage mixture. It is more than enough to make the asian coleslaw flavorful, but not enough to make the coleslaw super creamy. If you prefer a more creamy coleslaw, you can double the mayonnaise.
   
2. Heat Factor– This is a spicy coleslaw, and it get’s its heat from the sriracha pepper sauce. You can make the recipe more spicy by adding additional sriracha to the dressing, or you can make it more mild by lessening the amount. I would recommend keeping at least 1 tbsp in the recipe for its amazing flavor.
   
3. Chill- You can eat this Sriracha Coleslaw right away, and it will be delicious! But one of my favorite parts of this recipe is that you can chill it and it will get even better! The cabbage is hearty enough to hold its shape even when coated in dressing. 2 hours is ideal for serving, but you can keep this in the fridge for 24-48 hours after making with good results.

Recipe Short Cuts

If you need to make this recipe, but are extra short on time, here are a few ideas that can help make this recipe even faster!

• Use prepackaged coleslaw– You can absolutely shred fresh if you want, but grabbing this bagged does not sacrifice on flavor, and does save tons of time.
• Pre-mix the dressing– the dressing can be pre-made up to a week in advance for this recipe.

Dietary Considerations

If you have special dietary needs, this recipe meets many and can be easily modified to comply with others. 

As always, check all store bought ingredients for compliance on specific dietary needs. The notes below are a general guide.

• Gluten free: This recipe is naturally gluten free.
• Dairy free: This Asian Coleslaw is naturally dairy free
• Nut free: This recipe is naturally nut free
• Egg free: This recipe is not egg free, but can be modified to be egg free when using vegan mayo.
• Low carb/Keto: This recipe is low carb and keto friendly at only 2g net carbs per serving.
• Whole30– This recipe is Whole30 compliant when using Whole30 approved mayo.
• Macros: The approximate macro calculation for this recipe is- P: 1g C: 4g F: 11g

Sriracha Coleslaw Leftovers

If you have leftovers after making Sriracha Asian Coleslaw, then it is your lucky day! They save well for a couple of days, and can make the start of another delicious dish.

To save leftovers, place in an airtight container and store:

• in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
• it is not recommended to freeze this recipe.

Leftover Recipes

Here are a few ways to repurpose those leftovers and give them a delicious makeover!

• Sriracha Coleslaw Chicken Salad– Mix the coleslaw with fresh chopped romaine lettuce in a 1:1 ratio. Add chopped chicken and any extra veggies you want (red pepper, sliced onion, carrots, etc) Then sprinkle with sesame seed or everything bagel seasoning and enjoy!
• Sriracha Coleslaw Wraps– Use a tortilla or flatbread and spread with a thin layer of mayo. Add leftover spicy sriracha coleslaw and your choice of protein: grilled chicken, fish, or tofu. Add sliced cucumber and sliced red bell pepper, roll and enjoy!

More Easy Side Dish Recipes

If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!

You can check out all of my Easy Salad recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite recipes below.

• Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
• Bacon Ranch Broccoli Salad
• Broccoli Slaw with Apple and Bacon
• Cauliflower and Broccoli Salad
• Italian Quinoa Salad