Jamaican Coleslaw

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My love for Jamaican cooking and Caribbean cuisine runs deep, inspiring this fresh Jamaican coleslaw salad! A creamy and crunchy combination of sweet, tangy, and spice.

A bowl of Jamaican coleslaw with serving spoons.

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Full Recipe Ingredients/Instructions are available in the
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A take on fresh coleslaw, Jamaican style! Hints of delicious jerk spice you love in Jamaican food. Jamaican coleslaw is a simple recipe that's easy to make and can be served with a variety of different main dishes, including meat, fish, and vegetable-based dishes.

Some of my favorite dishes to pair with our Jamaican coleslaw are my Jamaican Oxtails, Baked Jamaican Jerk Shrimp, or this Jamaican Escovitch Fish.

Jamaican Slaw Ingredients

Green cabbage - Shred yourself, or buy pre-shredded cabbage.
Carrot - I'd shred large carrots yourself; pre-shredded carrots tend to be too thick.
Scotch bonnet pepper - If you’re not a fan of spice, leave the scotch bonnet pepper out. If you can't find scotch bonnet pepper, habanero or jalapeno peppers are a good substitute for them in this recipe.
Mayonnaise - Use your favorite brand of mayo here.
White vinegar - Red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar will both work if you don't have any white vinegar.
Lime juice - Fresh lime juice or bottled will work.
Brown sugar - Light brown sugar, packed.
Spices - Ground ginger, ground allspice, and ground nutmeg will all be required. All can be found in the spice aisle. Try this homemade Allspice Substitute if you don't have a jar.
Salt - Add salt to taste

Tools needed for this recipe

Food processor – Makes quick work of shredding vegetables. If you don’t have a food processor, a sharp knife and a cutting board, or cheese/vegetable grater will be necessary for breaking down the veggies.
Mixing bowl

How To Make Jamaican Coleslaw

After shredding, combine the cabbage, carrots, and scotch bonnet pepper. Set them aside.

cabbage, carrots and pepper shredded in a food processor.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, white vinegar, lime juice, brown sugar, ground ginger, ground allspice, and ground nutmeg.

Dressing mixed together in a large bowl.

Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss to coat.

Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for an hour before serving.

Jamaican coleslaw all mixed together with the dressing.

How to Store Jamaican Coleslaw

Keep your coleslaw stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

While you can serve our coleslaw right away, making this the day before and storing it in the fridge will allow the flavors to meld together.

How far ahead of time can I prep coleslaw? Shred your cabbage and carrots for at most, three days before mixing your coleslaw mixture. Keep them in a storage bag or container in the fridge until you’re ready to use them.

Jamaican Coleslaw Salad Variations

Less cream, more tang! - Swap out all or half of the mayonnaise for Dijon mustard.

More sweetness - Cut the spice with sweet bits of pineapple, mango, or sweet peas.

Jamaican Slaw Serving Suggetions

Coleslaw is a great side dish for Sunday dinners around the BBQ. Creamy coleslaw salad can be served next to, on top of, or as part of many dishes. Especially when you're grilling, coleslaw provides that crunch, zest, and creamy component some meals need. Serve our Jamaican coleslaw salad with any of these dishes:

Jamaican Style Slaw FAQ's

What is the best tool for shredding cabbage and carrots?

Any of these tools will shred cabbage; each might offer a different texture, however:
-Mandolin
-Food processor
-Manual press chopper
-Box shredder
Whichever tool your use, take care to use it safely to avoid any unnecessary cuts.

What cabbage is best for coleslaw?

Green, red, napa, or savoy cabbage are all great options for coleslaw. Using red cabbage may result in some color bleeding into the dressing, but is great for added color contrast. Purely preference or what you have access to with do.

Notes

Use a food processor for easy shredding of the vegetables.
If you’re not a fan of spice, leave the scotch bonnet pepper out. If you can't find scotch bonnet pepper, habanero, or jalapeno peppers are a good substitute for them in this recipe.
Use this homemade Allspice Substitute if you don't have any available.

Looking for more amazing recipes? Try out these tasty Jamaican recipes:

If you have tried this recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below!

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4.72 from 7 votes

Jamaican Coleslaw

My love for Jamaican cooking and caribbean cuisine runs deep, inspiring this fresh Jamaican coleslaw salad. A creamy and crunchy combination of sweet, tangy, and spice.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Jamaican

Keyword Jamaican Coleslaw

Prep Time 15

Resting 1

Total Time 1 15

Servings servings

Calories 178kcal

Author Tanya

Ingredients

½ head Medium cabbage shredded, about 4 cups
2 Carrots shredded
½ Scotch bonnet pepper seeds removed and shredded
¾ cup Mayonnaise
¼ cup White vinegar
2 tablespoons Lime juice
2 tablespoons Brown sugar packed
½ teaspoon Ground ginger
¼ teaspoon Ground allspice
¼ teaspoon Ground nutmeg
Salt to taste

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, carrots, and scotch bonnet pepper. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, white vinegar, lime juice, brown sugar, ground ginger, ground allspice, and ground nutmeg.
Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss to coat.
Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for an hour before serving.

Notes

Use a food processor for easy shredding of the vegetables.
If you’re not a fan of spice, leave the scotch bonnet pepper out. If you can't find scotch bonnet pepper, habanero or jalapeno peppers are a good substitute for them in this recipe.

Nutrition

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Although myforkinglife.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Under no circumstances will myforkinglife.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information.