This simple jicama slaw recipe is delicious as a side dish, or perfect for topping tacos or pulled pork sliders! It’s vegan, gluten free & easy to make in just 15 minutes. Made with a vinegar slaw dressing, it’s light, healthy and perfect for summer!

jicama slaw in bowl

Back in the summer of 2012, I wanted to put a new spin on coleslaw for a family BBQ. I had recently been introduced to using jicama “chips” for dipping up guacamole and hummus.

And let me tell you, it was a game changer! I loved the crunch of the jicama so much that I added it to my new go-to slaw recipe!

I kept the dressing light and flavorful, by making a vinegar slaw dressing, instead of a creamy slaw dressing. That’s right, no mayo or dairy in this slaw! Just lots of fresh veggies and spices that make it a delightfully flavorful, yet light side dish!

So what exactly is jicama? It’s a root vegetable, native to Mexico, with a slightly sweet and starchy flavor. It’s delicious tossed with a little chili lime seasoning or added to salads for that serious crunch factor!

If this is your first time cooking with jicama, don’t worry. It’s easy to work with and so delicious!

collage of images showing how to make jicama slaw

Step by step instructions

  1. Prepare the vinegar slaw dressing.
    • In a small bowl or mixing jar, combine lime juice, white vinegar, olive oil, dijon mustard and orange juice.
    • Add brown sugar, ground coriander, black pepper, celery salt and ground cumin.
    • Whisk to combine all of the ingredients.
  2. Chop all of the vegetables.
    • Shred the red and green cabbage, either using a salad shooter, or chopping it by hand.
    • Peel the jicama, then slice it julienne. To do this, thinly slice the jicama lengthwise into 1/8 inch-thick slabs. Stack a few slabs at a time and cut lengthwise into 1/8 inch-thick strips.
    • Thinly slice, or julienne, a red bell pepper.
    • Shred the carrots, either using a salad shooter, or using a box grater to shred them by hand.
    • Chop the green onions and cilantro.
  3. Add the vinegar slaw dressing to the vegetables.
    • Place all of the chopped vegetables and herbs into a large bowl.
    • Pour the vinegar slaw dressing into the bowl with the vegetables.
  4. Toss all of the ingredients together and serve immediately, or place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
jicama coleslaw in bowl with spoon

What else could I add to this slaw?

  • Jalapenos – for a spicy kick, toss in some thinly sliced jalapenos!
  • Red onion – add a little bite to the slaw by tossing in some thinly sliced red onions.
  • Avocado – add 1 whole diced avocado to the slaw right before serving it for a nice creamy addition.
  • Mango – add a sweet Caribbean twist to this jicama slaw by adding 1 cup of thinly sliced mango to the slaw. This would be delicious on top of these Chipotle Honey Glazed Salmon Tacos!
  • Pineapple – for another sweet, fruity addition, try adding 1 cup of diced pineapple to the slaw. This would pair perfectly with these Pineapple Sriracha Shredded Beef Tacos!

Tips and tricks

  • This recipe makes approximately 14 cups of slaw. If you’re serving more than 2 side dishes at a BBQ, I recommend 1/2 cup slaw per person. If you’re serving 2 side dishes or less, I recommend 1 cup of slaw per person.
  • You can easily cut this recipe in half, or double it! This recipe makes a lot of slaw. If you’re looking to make less of the slaw, or more for a big gathering, simply hover over the “servings” in the recipe card below. Change the servings from 14 cups, down to 7, or up to 28, to halve or double the recipe. The ingredient amounts in the recipe card will automatically update to make your desired amount of slaw.
  • I do not recommend making this slaw more than 24 hours in advance. The beauty of this slaw is the crunch of the jicama. After it’s soaked in the dressing for more than a day, it starts to loose it’s crunch. You can however, prep the vegetables and slaw dressing separately up to 3 days in advance, then mix them together before serving the slaw. And no need to worry, jicama does not brown after slicing it up, like some other fruits and vegetables.
  • Once the slaw sits in the dressing for a little while, the jicama might start to turn pink. That’s okay, it’s just the red cabbage sharing it’s beautiful color with the jicama! 😉

What to serve it with

Jicama slaw is a wonderful side dish for everything from summer BBQ’s, to picnics, to weeknight meals. It’s also a great addition to tacos and pulled pork sandwiches. Try it with any of these recipes!

jicama slaw in bowl with slaw dressing on the side

More delicious side dishes to try

jicama slaw in bowl with spoon
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Jicama Slaw

This simple jicama slaw recipe is delicious as a side dish, or perfect for topping tacos or pulled pork sliders! It's vegan, gluten free & easy to make in just 15 minutes. Made with a vinaigrette slaw dressing, it's light, healthy and perfect for summer!

Ingredients

Vinegar Slaw Dressing

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, combine the shredded red and green cabbage, julienned jicama and bell pepper, shredded carrots and chopped green onions and cilantro.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, white vinegar, olive oil, dijon mustard, orange juice, brown sugar, ground coriander, black pepper, celery salt and ground cumin.
  • Pour the dressing over the slaw and toss the ingredients together.
  • Serve immediately or place in the refrigerator, covered, until ready to serve.

Notes

  • This recipe makes approximately 14 cups of slaw. If you’re serving more than 2 side dishes at a BBQ, I recommend 1/2 cup slaw per person. If you’re serving 2 side dishes or less, I recommend 1 cup of slaw per person.
  • You can easily cut this recipe in half, or double it! This recipe makes a lot of slaw. If you’re looking to make less of the slaw, or more for a big gathering, simply hover over the “servings” in the recipe card above. Change the servings from 14 cups, down to 7, or up to 28, to halve or double the recipe. The ingredient amounts in the recipe card will automatically update to make your desired amount of slaw.
  • I do not recommend making this slaw more than 24 hours in advance. The beauty of this slaw is the crunch of the jicama. After it’s soaked in the dressing for more than a day, it starts to loose it’s crunch. You can however, prep the vegetables and slaw dressing separately up to 3 days in advance, then mix them together before serving the slaw. And no need to worry, jicama does not brown after slicing it up, like some other fruits and vegetables.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 113kcal (6%)Carbohydrates 10g (3%)Protein 1g (2%)Fat 8g (12%)Saturated Fat 1g (5%)Sodium 83mg (3%)Potassium 220mg (6%)Fiber 4g (16%)Sugar 4g (4%)Vitamin A 1388mg (28%)Vitamin C 45mg (55%)Calcium 33mg (3%)Iron 1mg (6%)
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