This spicy pineapple slaw recipe is the perfect side dish or topping for your next summer cookout. Crisp cabbage is mixed with mildly spicy jalapenos, sweet pineapple, and a quick citrus dressing for a well-balanced coleslaw.
Pineapple coleslaw without mayonnaise is a great option for vegetarian and vegan recipes, or for people that just prefer a lighter slaw option or who are not fans of mayo (like me). Spicy pineapple coleslaw is also easily customizable and can be made on a budget using prepackaged ingredients.
You’ll love the flavor combinations in this coleslaw recipe as everything is made to balance each other out. The crisp vegetables are combined with a sweet pop from fresh pineapple, a mild spiciness from the jalapenos and chipotle powder, a pop of citrus from the lime juice, and a cooling element from fresh mint.
I’m not typically a person that tops pulled pork sandwiches with coleslaw, but this pineapple slaw was a great balance with my Guinness braised pulled pork. Spicy pineapple slaw is also a great coleslaw for fish tacos or shrimp tacos. Use as a side or topping for a cookout on burgers or hotdogs as well. Or keep things vegan and use this slaw with “pulled pork” made from jackfruit.
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🥘 Pineapple Coleslaw Ingredients
The following list is what I used to make this slaw recipe. For some easy variations, scroll down to the variations section for some easy substitutions.
Cabbage – I used green cabbage here, but you could also use Savoy, or a combo of green and red cabbage. I also use fresh cabbage, but feel free to use a prepackaged and pre-shredded slaw mix that has cabbage and carrots in it.
Carrots – Two fresh carrots go well here. I used a julienne peeler to easily cut them. If you want to buy pre-shredded carrots, I recommend the above coleslaw mix as opposed to a bag of shredded carrots.
Onion – I prefer red onion in raw applications, but you can swap it out for your preferred onion as well.
Pineapple – Depending on the store, whole, fresh pineapple is usually inexpensive. I used about half of a pineapple, cut into about a ½” dice. If you want to use canned, use diced pineapple packed in juice instead of syrup.
Jalapeno – Two jalapenos, seeded and diced small add pops of mild heat to the coleslaw. If you want a pineapple slaw with no spice, simply omit the jalapenos and the chipotle powder in the dressing.
Mint – I like the pop of fresh mint here as a cooling balance to the sweet-heat. Feel free to omit this or swap it with parsley or cilantro if you prefer.
Oil – A few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil for the dressing.
Acid – Instead of vinegar, I like fresh lime juice for the acid in the dressing. The lime juice pairs well with pineapple and jalapenos.
Seasoning – A bit of salt, black pepper, and chipotle chili powder adds a bit more heat and smokiness to the dressing and slaw.
🔪 How to Make Spicy Pineapple Slaw
The first step is optional if you have time, but I recommend it for crispier cabbage and a longer shelf-life. Shred the cabbage into a colander and mix it with a tablespoon of kosher salt. Let it drain for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Rinse under cold water before adding it to the rest of the ingredients.
While the cabbage is sitting, prepare the rest of the ingredients. Julienne the carrots, dice the pineapple about a ½”, thinly slice the red onion, finely dice the seeded jalapenos, and finely chop the mint leaves. I like to soak the red onion in cold water for 5-10 minutes as well, to remove some of the bite from raw onion.
Once the cabbage is drained and rinsed, you can pat it dry with some paper towels. Add the cabbage, carrots, onion, jalapeno, and pineapple into a large, non-reactive (not metal) mixing bowl and gently mix.
Now make the dressing by combining olive oil, fresh lime juice, chopped mint leaves, salt, pepper, and chipotle powder. You can whisk everything together in a bowl, or place everything into a small mason jar and shake vigorously.
Add the dressing to the slaw mix and gently stir together to combine.
You can serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve, giving everything another toss before serving. If you have time, I recommend refrigerating at least 3-4 hours before serving as it gives the ingredients time to mellow together and the flavors deepen.
📖 Pineapple Coleslaw Variations
Spice Level – If you want no spice, omit the jalapenos and chipotle powder. This is sometimes referred to as Hawaiian coleslaw when made without the jalapenos. If you want it spicier, you can slice the jalapenos into rings instead of dicing them, leaving the seeds and ribs intact. You could also swap them for serrano chilis instead.
Herbs – I recommend using at least one fresh herb, but if you’re not a fan of mint you can swap it out for parsley or cilantro. Alternatively, you could also use fresh basil or tarragon.
Creamy Pineapple Slaw – If you’d prefer to make the dressing creamy but still avoid using mayonnaise, try adding a few tablespoons of Greek yogurt for a creamy but healthy alternative.
Citrus Dressing – I love the balance from the lime juice here, but you could also use lemon, orange, or grapefruit juice instead. If you use canned pineapples, you could also use the juice they’re packed in.
Pre-packaged Ingredients – While I like to use fresh fruits and vegetables, feel free to use packaged options as well. This can save money and time if you need a quick version. Look for a pre-shredded coleslaw mix with cabbage and carrots in the grocery store near where they sell packaged lettuce mixes. You can also use canned pineapple either diced or rings, but you may need to cut them a bit more. Buy canned pineapple packed in juice instead of syrup though.
🥗 What to Serve with Pineapple Slaw
Spicy pineapple jalapeno coleslaw can be served as a side dish or as a topping. While it can be made and served any time of the year, it’s especially good with summertime barbecues and cook outs. Consider serving with:
- Guinness braised pulled pork
- Pulled pork
- Pulled chicken
- Fried or BBQ chicken
- Ribs
- Fish tacos
- Shrimp tacos
- Jackfruit “pulled pork”
- Grilled pork chops
- Grilled burgers and hot dogs
🍽 Recommended Equipment
While you don’t need any fancy equipment to make this pineapple coleslaw, here’s a few things I do recommend having.
Non-reactive Bowl – Whenever mixing fresh fruits or vegetables, I recommend using a non-reactive mixing bowl. I like large glass bowls for this, but you can also use large serving bowls or plastic, basically anything but metal.
Vegetable Peelers – I love this set of vegetable peelers from OXO. You can use a regular peeler to shred the cabbage very finely, and the julienne peeler to quickly shred the carrots.
Mandolin – While not 100% necessary for shredding the cabbage, a mandolin can make quick work of the cabbage and give you consistent and adjustable slicing.
❄️ Storing & Freezing Slaw
You can store leftover spicy pineapple slaw for 3-5 days in the refrigerator. If you followed the salting step for the cabbage, the leftovers should stay decently crispy for 4-5 days. While that step is optional, if you skip it, you’ll find the slaw will start getting soggy after 2-3 days.
The citrus dressing will drain to the bottom of the container you store the slaw in also, so be sure to re-toss before serving leftovers.
While you can technically freeze this slaw for a few months, I do not recommend it. The vegetables cell walls, especially the cabbage and carrots, will burst when frozen, leeching out water. When thawed, frozen slaw typically becomes very mushy because of this.
📋 Recipe
Spicy Pineapple Slaw
Ingredients
Pineapple Slaw:
- ½ head green cabbage, shredded, about 4 cups
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt, see note
- 2 medium carrots, shredded, about a cup
- ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ whole pineapple, diced, about 2 cups
- 2 medium jalapenos, seeded and diced small
Lime Dressing:
- ¼ cup chopped mint leaves
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder
Directions
- The first step is optional if you have time, but I recommend it for crispier cabbage and a longer shelf-life. Shred ½ head green cabbage into a colander and mix it with a tablespoon of kosher salt. Let it drain for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Rinse under cold water before adding it to the rest of the ingredients.
- While the cabbage is sitting, prepare the rest of the ingredients. Julienne 2 medium carrots, dice half a pineapple about a ½”, thinly slice half the red onion, finely dice the 2 seeded jalapenos, and finely chop the mint leaves. I like to soak the red onion in cold water for 5-10 minutes as well, to remove some of the bite from raw onion.
- Once the cabbage is drained and rinsed, you can pat it dry with some paper towels. Add the cabbage, carrots, onion, jalapeno, and pineapple into a large, non-reactive (not metal) mixing bowl and gently mix.
- Now make the dressing by combining 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, ¼ cup fresh lime juice, ¼ cup chopped mint leaves, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder. You can whisk everything together in a bowl, or place everything into a small mason jar and shake vigorously.
- Add the dressing to the slaw mix and gently stir together to combine.
- You can serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve, giving everything another toss before serving. If you have time, I recommend refrigerating at least 3-4 hours before serving as it gives the ingredients time to mellow together and the flavors deepen.
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