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Jicama Slaw is a crunchy, fresh, light, and satisfying salad loaded with shredded veggies and tossed in a light and tangy vinaigrette.
Whether you absolutely love jicama or have no idea what it even tastes like, I’m confident you’ll love this colorful coleslaw!
Table of Contents
- Jicama Slaw at a Glance
- My First Taste of Jicama
- What Is Jicama?
- Can You Eat It Raw?
- What Does Jicama Taste Like?
- Why You’ll Love This Jicama Slaw
- What You’ll Need
- How to Make This Fresh Coleslaw
- Common Jicama Slaw Problems to Avoid
- What to Serve with Jicama Slaw
- Storing and Making Ahead
- Jicama Slaw FAQs
- Is this jicama slaw vegan?
- How big is a serving?
- What can I use instead of jicama?
- Is jicama slaw spicy?
- Love Slaw Recipes?
- Jicama Slaw Recipe
Jicama Slaw at a Glance
- What it is: shredded jicama, red cabbage, carrots, red bell pepper and onion in a tangy lime vinaigrette. No mayo.
- Time: about 15 minutes of slicing, then 15 minutes to sit before serving.
- Makes: about 12 cups, or 8 servings of about 1 1/2 cups.
- Flavor and texture: crisp and crunchy, sweet and tangy, with a little chili heat.
- Method: slice the vegetables, whisk the dressing, toss.
- Vegan swap: use maple syrup or agave nectar in place of the honey.
- Quick tip: keep the dressing separate until you’re ready to serve.
My First Taste of Jicama
Do you eat jicama? I would love to know. Jicama is not something I grew up eating, thus it was never carried forward into my adult life.
The first time I tried jicama I was well into my 30s. I was volunteering at my daughter’s preschool. Every Easter they would lay out rolls of paper and cover them with all kinds of raw vegetables and have their annual “Bunny Brunch”. At first it blew my mind to see a bunch of 2 and 3 year-olds eating bell pepper, zucchini and jicama. Kids that age are notorious for eating a diet that’s 100% Goldfish and mac and cheese.
But I surprised myself as well by eating that jicama. And you know what? It was GOOD!
That’s how most of my recipes start. I look at how at least five other people make something, then change whatever I think will work better. Coleslaw is my favorite salad alternative, so of course jicama ended up in one.
What Is Jicama?
It is a tuber vegetable. It’s actually part of the bean family, but the part we eat is part of the root that’s underground. The jicama we buy in the store is similar to a turnip. Weird, right?
The outside of the vegetable is yellow and a bit thick skinned. It wasn’t as easy to peel as a carrot or a beet. The white flesh on the inside is very similar in texture to a raw potato or an apple.
Can You Eat It Raw?
Absolutely. In fact, I’ve never enjoyed jicama any other way.
What Does Jicama Taste Like?
The flavor is sweet and starchy. The texture is crisp, juicy, and crunchy.
It really did taste like an apple with a much more mellow and neutral flavor. It was the perfect addition to this slaw.
Why You’ll Love This Jicama Slaw
- No mayo. A lime and rice vinegar vinaigrette keeps it bright instead of heavy.
- Big crunch. Jicama stays crisp and juicy, and the red cabbage and carrots add even more.
- Made for taco night. It’s a side dish and a taco topping in one.
What You’ll Need
- Jicama: about 2 pounds. Cut the skin off with a sharp knife, along with the tough, fibrous layer just under it.
- Vegetables: red cabbage, carrots, a red bell pepper and a white onion.
- Dressing: olive oil, rice vinegar, fresh lime juice, honey, chili powder (ancho if you have it), red chile flakes, kosher salt and pepper.
- Cilantro: fresh, finely chopped.
Full amounts are in the recipe card below.
How to Make This Fresh Coleslaw
There are only two main steps in this easy salad recipe: cut the vegetables and make the dressing.
Step 1: Cut the Vegetables
Shred the jicama, cabbage and carrots, thinly slice the bell pepper and onion, and put them all in a large bowl. To cut the vegetables, I love to use a mandoline. It not only slices things like the cabbage and onion super thin, but it cuts my jicama and carrots into match sticks. I did, however, slice the red bell pepper with a knife.
Step 2: Whisk the Dressing
Whisk the olive oil, rice vinegar, lime juice, honey, chili powder, chile flakes, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. The vinaigrette has a lot of different ingredients, but together they add a complex and tangy taste to this already interesting salad.
Step 3: Toss and Let It Sit
Pour the dressing over the vegetables, add the cilantro and toss to coat well. Let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving so the vegetables can soak up the dressing.
PRO TIP: Treat this one like any coleslaw. Once it’s dressed, the cabbage starts to soften and release liquid, so it’s best served right away.
Common Jicama Slaw Problems to Avoid
- Woody, stringy jicama: very large jicama can be fibrous. Pick a small to medium one that feels firm and heavy for its size, with no soft spots.
- An off taste: a reader who grows her own jicama warns that waxed jicama has an unpleasant taste, so buy unwaxed when you can.
- Too spicy: most of the heat comes from the red chile flakes. Cut them back or leave them out.
★★★★★
“Have made this on several occasions. In addition to a great stand alone slaw it is the bomb as a crispy topping on Carnitas Tacos! Highly recommend!”
Andy, reader review
What to Serve with Jicama Slaw
Readers have served it with all kinds of things:
- Tacos: Andy piles it on carnitas tacos, and it’s great on my slow cooker carnitas, shrimp tacos or mahi mahi fish tacos.
- Tamales: Joy served it alongside tamales for Christmas. Try it with my Instant Pot pork tamales.
- Enchiladas: Laura paired it with butternut squash enchiladas for her daughter’s birthday dinner. It works with shredded beef enchiladas too.
- Pulled pork: pile it on apple cider smoked pulled pork sandwiches.
- Salmon: Grace serves it with sautéed salmon. Blackened salmon is another good match.
- A full taco night: add Spanish rice and Instant Pot charro pinto beans.
Storing and Making Ahead
- To make ahead: slice the vegetables and whisk the dressing the day before, and keep them in separate covered containers in the fridge. Toss them together about 15 minutes before serving.
- Leftovers: refrigerate within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days. Give it a stir and drain off any extra liquid before serving.
Jicama Slaw FAQs
Here are the other questions readers ask about this jicama slaw.
Is this jicama slaw vegan?
Not as written, because the dressing has honey. Use maple syrup or agave nectar instead, and every other ingredient is plant-based.
How big is a serving?
About 1 1/2 cups. The recipe makes about 12 cups once it’s tossed, which is 8 servings.
What can I use instead of jicama?
Green apple. One reader couldn’t find a good jicama, used green apple instead and called it a yummy substitute.
Is jicama slaw spicy?
Just a little. The heat comes from the red chile flakes and chili powder, so leave out the flakes for a mild slaw.
Love Slaw Recipes?
Check out these awesome recipes:
If you tried this Jicama 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!
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Ingredients
Jicama Slaw:
- 2 pounds jicama peeled and finely shredded (1 large or 3 small jicama usually weigh about 2 pounds)
- 1/2 head red cabbage finely shredded
- 2 carrots peeled and shredded
- 1 large red bell pepper stem and seeds removed, sliced thin
- 1/2 white onion thinly sliced
Dressing:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup lime juice freshly squeezed (1 lime usually gives about 2 tablespoons juice)
- 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup or agave nectar for a vegan slaw
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder ancho chili powder if you have it
- 1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper freshly ground
- 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Place jicama slaw vegetables in a large bowl.2 pounds jicama, 1/2 head red cabbage, 2 carrots, 1 large red bell pepper, 1/2 white onion
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup rice vinegar, 1/4 cup lime juice, 2 tablespoons honey, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves
- Pour the dressing over the jicama slaw mixture and toss to coat well. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is yummy! We love jicama, it is always on our veggie trays, and now I grow it in my garden. My warning for ‘newbies’ is Do Not Buy the waxed Jicama!! It has an unpleasant taste. As far as cooking, it is great! If diced, it retains much of its crunch while absorbing flavors. Anywhere celery or water chestnut is used, jicama is a great substitute.
Thanks Kristy!! We enjoy jicama, and we love coleslaw. This was a perfect recipe!! So refreshing . Use both tablespoons of honey- I hesitated then added and it was perfected not sweet just a nice balance
i love recipes
Me too.
I first tried jicama years ago, as an addition to our Thanksgiving veggie tray. It was a huge hit, and has been demanded every year! This recipe looks lovely, and I’ll be trying it as a sandwich topping too. Thanks!
Would have loved to try it, but I’m vegan and don’t eat honey…
You can swap the honey for maple syrup or agave nectar, and everything else in the slaw is plant-based.
I made this recipe last night for supper, and it was delicious. I didn’t have any limes on hand, so I used lime juice. It still turned out great. It was even better the next day. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Excellent, fresh and a great addition to any meal and sub for coleslaw.
I made this and added fresh pineapple. My family loved it!!
This recipe is great to riff off of. I made a few modifications because of what I had on hand and preferences. It’s a very forgiving base! I limit how much oil I use, so I substituted pecans and water that I whizzed up in my high speed blender. I bet that cashews or seeds would work just as well, or maybe even some pureed avocado. I also used tangelo instead of lime, and a little agave nectar in place of the honey. Since I was going in a sweeter direction anyway, I chose cider vinegar and dried Aleppo peppers which bring sweetness and heat. I realize that this probably sounds like a completely different recipe now, but it’s definitely similar enough to rate this one very highly. I think this will be a go-to for picnics and potlucks.
This was so good! I served it along side tamales for Christmas. Can you tell me the measurement for one serving? Thank you!
A serving is about 1 1/2 cups. The recipe makes about 12 cups, or 8 servings.
Have made this on several occasions. In addition to a great stand alone slaw it is the bomb as a crispy topping on Carnitas Tacos! Highly recommend!