If you’re looking to add fresh flavor and crunch to your summer meals, this cucumber slaw is the answer! It’s creamy, tangy, and just the right amount of crisp—perfect for cutting through spicy or rich dishes. Best of all, it comes together in minutes using everyday ingredients.
This light and flavorful shredded cucumber salad is a twist on classic coleslaw, swapping out traditional cabbage with crisp shredded cucumber and red cabbage for color and bite. The creamy dressing is made with mayo, sour cream, and lime juice, giving it a cool tang that pairs beautifully with everything.
Cucumber slaw is especially great during the summer months when cucumbers are in season, and you want something cool and hydrating on your plate. Try it on top of tacos, nestled into a juicy burger, or served as a side at your next cookout or picnic. Add-ins such as avocado, scallions, or even a few slices of red chili can enhance the flavor and leave every bite unforgettable!
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Why We Love This Shredded Cucumber Salad
- 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! - 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 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!
Recipe Variations
- Make it dairy-free: Use a plant-based mayo and skip the sour cream, or sub with a dairy-free yogurt.
- Add extra crunch: Mix in shredded carrots, thinly sliced radish, or jicama.
- Spice it up: Add a pinch of cayenne or finely chopped red chili for heat.
- Go tropical: Add diced mango or pineapple for a fruity twist.
- Make it more herbaceous: Swap cilantro for fresh dill or mint.
- 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!
Equipment Used in this Recipe
- Box grater or food processor: For shredding the cucumber and cabbage
- Small bowl and whisk: For mixing the dressing
- Large bowl: To combine everything together and toss the slaw
How to Make Shredded Cucumber
- Mix the dressing
In a small bowl, combine mayo, sour cream, lime juice, honey, a pinch of salt, and a dash of paprika. Use a fork to whisk until smooth. Set aside.
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. - Prep the veggies
In a large bowl, add finely shredded cucumber, shredded red cabbage, chopped jalapeño, and chopped cilantro.
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. - Combine
Pour the creamy sauce over the veggies and toss until everything is well coated. - Serve
Chill until ready to serve, or enjoy right away with fish tacos, shrimp tacos, or even alongside grilled chicken.
🎯 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, you can still achieve consistent, thin slices with a sharp chef’s knife if you take your time. Removing the seeds from the cucumbers before slicing can also help reduce excess moisture in your slaw, keeping it crisp and refreshing.
Serving Suggestions
Shredded cucumber salad, 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 recipe, 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 to 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.
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Cucumber Slaw
Equipment
- 1 small mixing bowl
- 1 medium mixing bowl
- 1 whisk
- grater or food processor
Ingredients
Dressing
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 lime juiced
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika chili powder and cayenne are its best substitutes
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
- Make it dairy-free: Use a plant-based mayo and skip the sour cream, or sub with a dairy-free yogurt.
- Add extra crunch: Mix in shredded carrots, thinly sliced radish, or jicama.
- Spice it up: Add a pinch of cayenne or finely chopped red chili for heat.
- Go tropical: Add diced mango or pineapple for a fruity twist.
- Make it more herbaceous: Swap cilantro for fresh dill or mint.
- 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!
- 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.
Nutrition
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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!