With ingredients like sweet chili sauce, ginger, and soy sauce, this Asian Coleslaw is not your basic coleslaw. Each crunchy bite is filled with a unique blend of savory and sweet Asian flavors. Quick and easy to make!
Coleslaw is one of my go-to side dishes in the summer, whether we’re talking about classic KFC coleslaw or something a little different like this Asian coleslaw. It’s perfect for summer because it requires no cooking, it’s cool and crunchy, and it takes just a few seconds to prepare. Enjoy with your favorite grilled meats or as a side dish at the next potluck or BBQ.
Why This Asian Coleslaw Is So Great
- 5 minutes of prep. Yes, really! This Asian coleslaw recipe requires just 5 minutes of hands-on time. I do recommend letting it chill for an hour before serving, though.
- Lots of crunchy texture. In addition to the coleslaw mix, I added toasted nuts to this coleslaw. The crispy, crunchy texture of those ingredients offers a nice contrast to the creamy dressing.
- Incredible flavor. This coleslaw combines common Asian ingredients like rice vinegar, sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, and ginger with typical coleslaw ingredients like mayo and coleslaw mix. The end result is a salad with every single bite bursting with unique flavor.
Recipe Ingredients
This recipe combines classic coleslaw ingredients with Asian flavors, using easy-to-find ingredients. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Mayo – Full fat and light mayo both work in this recipe.
- Rice vinegar – For a bit of tang. White vinegar will also work in a pinch.
- Sweet chili sauce – Adds a bit of sweet heat to the coleslaw.
- Honey – Agave is also great.
- Soy sauce – Low-sodium is great to control the salt content of the coleslaw.
- Minced garlic – I prefer fresh minced garlic but the kind of the jar is okay in this recipe.
- Ginger – Ginger adds some of that classic Asian flavor.
- Sesame oil – Adds a nutty flavor.
- Coleslaw mix – You could chop a blend of cabbage and carrots from scratch but I like to keep things quick and easy.
- Green onions – Just the green parts, thinly sliced.
- Almonds – Toasted almonds add crunch to the coleslaw.
- Toppings – I like to add some Chow Mein noodles, sesame seeds, sliced green onions, and extra almonds to the top just before serving.
How To Make Asian Coleslaw
It takes just a few minutes to prepare this side dish. The only cooking required is quickly toasting the almonds. The printable instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
- Make the dressing. Whisk together the mayo, rice vinegar, sweet chili sauce, honey, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil.
- Toast the almonds. Heat the almonds over medium, stirring often, until golden brown. Transfer to a plate to cool.
- Combine. Add the coleslaw, onions, and almonds to the dressing, a third at a time, coating in the dressing between each addition.
- Chill. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Enjoy. Before serving, sprinkle some chow mein noodles, sesame seeds, and more toasted on almonds on top.
Tips & Tricks
Here are a few things I’ve found helpful when making this Asian coleslaw.
- Add some heat. If you want to add a little heat, try adding two teaspoons of sriracha to the dressing.
- Don’t make too far ahead. You can make this a few hours ahead of time, but any longer than that and it’ll get soggy. You will need to stir it before serving.
- Chill before serving. While you don’t want to make this too far in advance, as noted above, I do recommend letting it chill for at least an hour. This gives the flavors time to meld and infuse the coleslaw mixture.
- Add the ingredients in parts. When adding the coleslaw mix and other ingredients to the dressing, I recommend adding 1/3 at a time and stirring each time. If you add all at once, it’s harder to ensure the dressing evenly coats everything.
What To Serve It With
One of my favorite ways to serve Asian coleslaw is with grilled chicken, sweet and sour chicken or Chinese spare ribs. It makes such a quick, easy, and tasty dinner for busy weeknights during the summer. This coleslaw is also a wonderful side at potlucks. It’s a fun alternative to classic coleslaw and is sure to get lots of compliments!
Proper Storage
Leftover Asian coleslaw can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep in mind that it won’t be as crunchy after a day or so. Give it a good stir before serving again.
Asian Coleslaw
Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise full fat or light
- 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons sweet chili sauce
- 1 Tablespoon honey agave works too
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce low sodium
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon ginger freshly grated
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 14-16 ounce bag of coleslaw mix
- 4 green onions (the green parts thinly sliced)
- 1 cup almonds (coarsely chopped and toasted)
- Garnish: Chow Mein noodles sesame seeds, sliced green onions and extra almonds
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the mayo, rice vinegar, sweet chili sauce, honey, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and sesame oil. Whisk to fully combine.
- Toast the almonds by adding them to a skillet and heating them over medium while stirring often until golden brown. Remove to a plate to stop the cooking process and cool.
- Add the coleslaw, onions and almonds to the bowl of dressing a third at a time stirring to fully coat in between.
- Cover and chill for an hour before serving.
- To serve, sprinkle on chow mein noodles, sesame seeds and additional toasted almonds.
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Notes
Nutrition
Leave a Review!
We LOVE hearing from you! Submit your question or comment here.
Your email address will not be published.