Making a delicious cucumber slaw for fish tacos really cuts through excessive heat, adds a fantastic crunch, and makes homemade tacos something to remember! And it’s versatile — the creamy dressing is a spectacular topping on seafood. Mix this seasonal summer coleslaw with common kitchen ingredients and blow your kitchen guests away!
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Why We Love This Recipe
- It’s a 10-minute way to level up homemade tacos.
As long as you have the ingredients on hand, it adds flavor, texture, and dimension without any extra effort or planning. - The creaminess can calm down the heat!
Any spice expert knows that a bit of cream can help even spice newbies handle a bit of heat. The sour cream and mayonnaise in this slaw will be a taste bud saver! - Pairs well with everything.
This slaw adds a crunch factor to egg or tuna salad sandwiches. It is especially delicious as a slaw for fish tacos and is also fantastic on chicken street tacos recipes!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Red Cabbage – This is one of the firmer types of cabbage, which makes it very popular for slaw! It’s actually great for a number of recipes, so it’s never a bad ingredient for a home cook to keep in their refrigerator.
- Paprika – The fruity yet slightly spicy flavor of paprika is wonderful in this recipe. Chili powder and cayenne are its best substitutes.
- Cilantro – Flat leaf parsley is a bit fresher than cilantro, but is the closest cilantro substitute that you’ll find!
And if you’re one of the unlucky few who thinks cilantro tastes like soap, this substitution will absolutely save you in the kitchen! Another great recipe to try with cilantro is our cilantro lime brown rice. - Jalapeño – This is actually a relatively mild pepper. But if you need less heat in your cucumber slaw, try a banana pepper. For a feisty kick of heat, use an ancho chile, or add some ancho chili powder. Some of our favorite jalapeno recipes are cream of jalapeno soup, quick jalapeno salsa, and jalapeno popper wonton cups.
Types of Cucumbers and Substitutions for Taco Slaw
We always use English cucumbers when we make cucumber slaw. They’re a fair bit sweeter and have fewer seeds, so you actually get more flesh and flavor overall! They’re also often not skinned before slicing and eating because of their thinner skin.
We also like Persian cucumbers, which are short and seedless and also have relatively thin skin. You’ll need 4 Persian cucumbers per English cucumber.
Then there’s the North American common garden variety of cucumber that has thick skin and large, bitter seeds that should be removed before pickling. Two of these can be used in place of one English cucumber.
Any variety is fine for making the slaw for fish tacos — it’s just a matter of knowing what you’re dealing with before getting started!
Cucumber Slaw Recipe Tips
1. Don’t overdo the sweetness the first time.
Honey is thin and has a much fresher sweetness than cane sugar or corn syrup, so it’s easy to add too much the first time you make cucumber slaw dressing. An abundant amount of sweetness in your fish taco slaw (especially for your guests without a sweet tooth) can be a bit much!
We recommend mixing the dressing, taste testing, and then adding the honey for sweetness the first time around to make sure you don’t end up with a dressing that’s too sweet.
2. Consider adding some other firm, flavorful vegetables to the mix.
Our slaw for tacos is very simple — just cabbage and cucumbers, which is perfect as-is. However, there are plenty of other vegetables that are great in homemade veggie slaw that we don’t want you to leave out.
Carrots are in season from May through the end of the year (depending on where you are in North America), so you can make them in a summer slaw or throw them into a December dish.
Radishes are another year-round veggie that can add both color and a zesty, crispy taste to your cucumber slaw!
3. Uniform, even strips of cabbage and cucumber make for a gorgeous slaw for fish tacos.
Flavor matters most, of course, but presentation always counts for something! Using a sharp knife, julienne peeler, mandoline, or spiralizer can make it a bit easier to get even shreds of multiple types of vegetables in your taco slaw.
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
For perfectly sliced cucumbers in your cucumber slaw, use a mandoline slicer. This handy kitchen tool allows you to achieve uniform, thin slices quickly and safely, ensuring even texture and presentation in your dish.
If you don’t have a mandoline, a sharp chef’s knife will also do the trick—just take your time to make consistent, thin slices. Removing the seeds from the cucumbers before slicing can also help reduce excess moisture in your slaw, keeping it crisp and refreshing.
Serving Suggestions
Cucumber slaw, with its crisp texture and refreshing taste, pairs beautifully with a variety of dishes, making it a versatile addition to any meal. For a light and delightful combination, consider serving it alongside smoked chicken thighs, pork street tacos or slow cooker teriyaki ribs, where its tangy crunch complements the savory flavors perfectly. Alternatively, it can elevate the taste of hearty Dutch oven pulled pork sliders, adding a refreshing contrast to the rich, smoky meat.
Recipe FAQs
In modern recipes, the shorthand “slaw” is usually used to refer any kind of collection of thinly sliced vegetables mixed with a mayo-based dressing.
Coleslaw is almost entirely made with cabbage but some versions do include finely minced or shredded carrot.
Greek yogurt is a high-protein substitute for mayonnaise, and is generally healthier for you, too.
However, it doesn’t have the same fatty or salty flavor that mayo tends to have, so don’t be surprised if you have to compensate with a bit more salt or sour cream.
Homemade cucumber slaw lasts for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Because of the mayonnaise and sour cream in the dressing, it is very important that the dressing does not come to room temperature or sit out for any extended period of time. Otherwise, you’re drastically shortening its shelf-life!
Use cabbage slaw for tacos quickly, and try to prepare it as close to the serving date as possible.
Love Cooking Outdoor? Here’s Our Most Loved Recipes…
- Blackstone Hibachi Shrimp
- Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken Pineapple Bowl
- Blackstone Crunchwrap (Taco Bell Copycat Recipe)
- How to Cook a Perfect Shell Steak
If you tried this cucumber slaw recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Crunchy Cucumber Slaw
Equipment
- 1 small mixing bowl
- 1 medium mixing bowl
- 1 whisk
Ingredients
Dressing
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 lime juiced
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Slaw
- 2 cups finely shredded red cabbage
- 1 English cucumber peeled and shredded (see notes for substitutions)
- 1 jalapeño seeded and minced
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro or flat leaf parsley
Instructions
- In a small bowl, use a fork to combine dressing ingredients: mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, honey, salt, and paprika until smooth. Set aside.
- To a medium bowl, add the red cabbage, cucumber, jalapeño, and cilantro. Add the creamy dressing and stir until well combined. Serve with fish tacos or shrimp tacos.
Notes
Use cabbage slaw for tacos quickly, and try to prepare it as close to the serving date as possible.
Chenee says
This is a great way to use up excess cucumbers in the garden. Thanks for sharing!
Anjali says
This slaw turned out so well! It was creamy, refreshing and had great texture. Was great as a side dish for our burgers last night!
Kathleen says
What a fabulous slaw recipe. I love the kicked-up flavors and the addition of cucumber. I can’t wait to make this for my family.
Heather says
This is an amazing slaw recipe, not only is it bright and beautiful to serve, but the flavors are fabulous! I love the addition of smoked paprika, it really pulls everything together. Thank you!
Sara Welch says
This was such a quick and easy recipe that does not disappoint! Cool, crisp and refreshing; easily, a new favorite recipe!