Easy Pineapple Coleslaw (No Mayo)
Pineapple coleslaw is the perfect side dish or even topping for tacos! This simple pineapple slaw is made without mayo and is slightly sweet, tangy, smoky and just a little spicy. This slaw with pineapple comes together in just minutes and goes perfectly with tacos but could also serve as a super simple side dish for any meal.
This pineapple slaw is a budget friendly side dish, made with simple ingredients like canned pineapple and cabbage, no mayo required. It comes together easily (the hardest part is shredding the cabbage!), and the recipe makes a large batch, so you’ll likely have leftovers for lunch. With just nine ingredients, it’s great for cookouts, potlucks, or summer dinners, and it holds up well in the heat.
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Ingredient spotlight
- Cabbage – finely slice the cabbage or buy coleslaw mix from the grocery store to save prep time.
- Cilantro – the cilantro balances out the flavors of this slaw, don’t skip unless you don’t like cilantro.
- Canned or fresh pineapple chunks – If using canned pineapple, be sure to drain it well. Be sure to cut down big chunks of pineapple so it can easily distribute into the slaw.
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Pineapple Slaw (No Mayo)
Pineapple coleslaw (no mayo) is the perfect balance of sweet, smoky, tangy and a bit spicy. It's a simple weeknight side dish or would be great served in fish tacos or with any Mexican style dish! Great for summer cookouts too!
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Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1/2 head cabbage
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 8 oz. container pineapple (drained)
- 1/4 cup red onion. sliced
- 3 tablespoons cilantro
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Thinly slice the cabbage and add it to a large bowl.1/2 head cabbage
- Add the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, salt, cumin and red pepper flakes to the cabbage and stir well.2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1.5 tablespoons olive oil, 3/4 teaspoon sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper
- Drain the liquid from the pineapples. Roughly chop the pineapple so they are in small chunks. Add to the bowl with the cabbage and onions.8 oz. container pineapple (drained)
- Thinly slice the onions and finely chop the cilantro (stems and leaves). Add to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients.3 tablespoons cilantro, 1/4 cup red onion. sliced
- Stir everything together well, the cabbage will start to wilt.
Recipe Notes
An 8oz container of pineapple chunks is about 2/3 cups of pineapple in cubes.
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- Toss the slaw before serving: No matter when you make this, the dressing tends to sink to the bottom of the bowl pretty quickly. Because of this, I recommend that you stir the slaw well (I use tongs) to make sure all the veggies are well coated before serving.
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- Great for meal prep! This recipe holds up well in the fridge for 2-3 days, making it perfect for meal prep! You can easily double or triple this recipe and use is as salad for lunch and serve with your favorite protein!
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika for a bold smoky flavor
- 1/2 teaspoon. garlic powder or 1 clove garlic finely minced
- 2-3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds or sliced almonds for crunch
- Sliced jalapenos or pickled jalapenos
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Amount per Serving
Calories
70
Fat
4
g
Carbohydrates
9
g
Fiber
2
g
Sugar
4
g
Protein
1
g
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database.
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How to serve coleslaw with pineapple
- With Shrimp tacos or fish tacos
- Along side of a plate of Shrimp fajitas
- Inside of or along side of tacos with walnut filling
- As a simple side dish for healthy black bean burgers or sandwiches
- Serve as a side dish for any meal. This would go great with air fryer salmon or juicy baked chicken.
- Make a fun weeknight meal for the kids with chicken drumsticks and fries.
FAQs
How to prep this slaw ahead of time
- If you need to prep more than 24 hours in advance:
- Shred the cabbage, slice the onion and chop the cilantro ahead of time. Roughly chop the pineapple and add it to the top of the cabbage mixture. Store this in the serving bowl (covered).
- In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, olive oil, salt and cumin.
- Right before serving (up to an hour before) pour the dressing over the slaw and stir well (1-2 minutes to really incorporate the dressing over the slaw).
- If you need to prep within 24 hours of serving, you can simply make this pineapple cabbage slaw as written, making sure to stir the slaw well before serving.
WOW. This sounds sooooooo good!!! I will have to store this for making when we go camping next week!
Omg this recipe makes me want to whip up a batch of fish tacos and this coleslaw! I know Spring just arrived, but I’m definitely ready for Summer to already get here!
I adore pineapple! <3 Never would've thought to throw it into cole slaw! *-* Thank you for the awesome idea!
Oh yum! This looks delicious! I love it that it doesn’t have mayonaise.
I’ve never had pineapple slaw before. Pineapple is one of my all time favorite fruits though! Love it!
pineapple is one of my favorite fruits too! this recipe sounds and dish looks amazing!!
this is awesome. i love tacos but hate mayo so never try slaws. so excited this is mayo free!
I’m not usually a fan of coleslaw, but because this is mayo-less, I think I’d love it! Sound so refreshing :)
You always have the yummiest looking recipes!!
I’ve never thought to add pineapple to coleslaw…genius!! I bet it pairs really well with the vinegar :)
I love the idea of pineapple in slaw. This looks so easy too. I will have to make it!
This sounds so good! I have an amazing gadget for getting the fruit out of the pineapple. Cores it and everything!
I love this!!!! I would probably just eat this as a salad at work!
We used to put fresh pineapple in everything. Then our oldest was diagnosed allergic. Only canned for us now.
I will definitely have to try this out! My hubby love pineapple! This would be great in the summer time along with steak cooked on the grill!