Best Coleslaw For Pulled Pork - Homemade coleslaw recipe for a crunchy coleslaw with sweet & tangy flavors and a creamy coleslaw dressing.
Make this easy side dish recipe in under 10 minutes with just a few simple ingredients.
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Reader Review: Audry says, "Great recipe! I made it for our pulled pork sandwiches on game day!" ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
It's the best coleslaw to go with all your favorite BBQ and pork recipes, like pulled pork sliders or pulled pork sandwiches. And the perfect addition to your next backyard BBQ party or family dinner.
This was inspired by our Perfect Pulled Pork, and pairs well with our fabulous Honey Butter Jiffy Cornbread and many of our other side dishes.
Make BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders with any leftover pork. They're so delish!
Featured In: 25 Summer BBQ Recipes on SeasonalCravings.com.
Best Coleslaw For Pulled Pork
This classic coleslaw recipe has the best texture combination of crunchy slaw and a creamy coleslaw dressing. All you need is a few simple ingredients and about 10 minutes to prepare.
Coleslaw Ingredients and Notes
Cabbage Mixture
This traditional coleslaw is made from a mix of shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, and a creamy coleslaw dressing.
- fresh cabbage - green cabbage, and red and purple cabbage
- carrots - finely shredded
Dressing Ingredients
- mayonnaise - Adds a creamy texture to the dressing. May use less mayo or no mayo. Substitute a couple of tablespoons of neutral flavored oil (like canola oil), olive or avocado oil instead.
- granulated sugar - Adds sweetness. Use white sugar. May substitute brown sugar.
- vinegar - Vinegar is used to balance flavor. It plays off the sugar. Use apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, or white vinegar. May substitute fresh lemon juice.
Note: Learn more about balancing flavors in the Pro Tips section below. - horseradish sauce - Adds spicy flavor.
- dijon mustard - Adds tangy flavor.
- salt - Salt enhances the flavor of food. If your dish tastes bland, try adding more salt. Use kosher salt or sea salt.
- ground black pepper - Adds spicy flavor.
- celery seed - A small but important ingredient for that classic coleslaw flavor. May substitute celery salt, which is a combination of celery seed and salt. Pull back on the amount of kosher salt added if celery salt is used.
How to Make Coleslaw
Make the best coleslaw in a few easy steps: Prepare the cabbage mixture, make the creamy coleslaw dressing, and toss them all together. Once it's made, just chill and serve cold. Get ready for your friends and family to rave about the best coleslaw they've ever had!
Prepare Cabbage Mixture
- Using a food processor, shred 4 cups of cabbage and ¼ cup of carrots. Place shredded cabbage mixture into a large bowl and set aside.
Note: This also works using a 16oz bag of bagged coleslaw mix.
Make Easy Coleslaw Dressing
- Put all dressing ingredients into a medium bowl. Whisk together to combine.
Mix To Combine
- Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and mix well.
Chill and Serve
- Cover the coleslaw and chill in the refrigerator. Serve with your favorite bbq recipes. We love to serve this with our Perfect Pulled Pork. It's a great way to top off a BBQ sandwich, or pork tacos.
Substitutions And Variations
There are so many different variations of cold slaw you can make with this easy coleslaw recipe. Substitute in your favorite flavors or swap out the cabbage and add some veggies.
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Mediterranean Flavors - Use fresh lemon juice or red wine vinegar, and swap out the mayonnaise for oil (avocado, olive, or canola oil) for a Mediterranean twist. Add in some red onion, too.
Asian Flavors - For a more spicy cole slaw, try making an Asian Slaw like Sriracha Coleslaw. Add in some Asian flavors like soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and green onions. Substitute Furikake for celery seeds.
Some other variations include: Creamy Apple Coleslaw, Broccoli Slaw, or Brussels Sprout Slaw.
Pro Tips
- Save Time. Use a food processor to shred your own cabbage instead of chopping it by hand. Or buy a pre-shredded cabbage mix, or a bagged coleslaw mix from the grocery store.
- Save On Clean-up (One Bowl Recipe). Use a large airtight container to make, serve, and store in one bowl. Simply add all the ingredients to the bowl, put the lid on tightly, and give it a good shake to combine all the ingredients.
Note: We like to use these convenient Pyrex mixing bowls with lids for one bowl recipes. - Balancing Flavors. Vinegar is used to balance the sweetness of the sugar. If the flavor is too sweet, add a little vinegar or lemon juice to strike a balance. If it is too acidic, try adding a little more sugar.
Recipe FAQS
Coleslaw is the quintessential side dish to go with pulled pork. But there are so many other easy sides that are the perfect compliment. Here's a few of our favorites:
coleslaw
baked beans
fried corn
oven roasted potatoes - Crisp on the outside, pillowy soft on the inside.
peach dump cake - It's fabulous! 😃
greek salad
potato salad
honey butter cornbread - Gooey, honey butter dessert-like fan favorite. Not to be missed.
Cabbage slaw and coleslaw are synonymous. But there can be a difference between coleslaw and cold slaw.
Coleslaw is made from all kinds of cabbage, like green, purple, or red cabbage.
Whereas cold slaw is a slaw that is served cold and can include a variety of chopped or shredded vegetables and sometimes fruit, like apple slaw, Brussel sprout, or broccoli slaw.
Freezing and Storage
Homemade coleslaw will last about 3-5 days in the refrigerator. However, this mayonnaise based slaw will not freeze well. So, make sure to enjoy it while you can.
Serving Suggestions
This sweet & tangy coleslaw pairs well with our Perfect Pulled Pork made with slow roasted pork butt and our favorite dry rub with all the sweet & smokey flavors you'd expect in perfect BBQ. Make slow cooker pulled pork or slow cook pulled pork in oven with this easy recipe.
It's the best coleslaw for pulled pork sandwiches with some extra BBQ sauce on the side. And the perfect addition to pork tacos, or fish tacos served on corn tortillas with a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Our favorite way is to serve it with BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders.
⭐️ Be sure to check out our other pork recipes below for more pairing and serving suggestions.
More Pork Recipes
Here's some of our favorite ways to serve this sweet & tangy coleslaw:
- perfect pulled pork
- pulled pork sandwiches
- bbq pork sliders
- shredded pork tacos
- oven baked ribs
There you have it. Making the best coleslaw is as easy as that. Serve this tasty side dish at your next backyard BBQ party or family dinner. It's sure to be a hit! We hope you enjoy our super simple, super tasty recipe. Try it and let us know how you like it. We'd love to hear from you!
xo ~ Seanna
More Easy Side Dishes
Here are some more easy side dishes that go well with coleslaw and BBQ pork. Give them a try!
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📖 Recipe
Best Coleslaw For Pulled Pork and BBQ
Equipment
- food processor optional
Ingredients
Cabbage Mixture
- 16 ounces cabbage shredded
- ½ cup carrots optional, shredded
Dressing Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons sugar white
- 3 tablespoons vinegar white
- 1 tablespoon horseradish sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt kosher salt or sea salt
- ½ teaspoon celery seed
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper ground
Instructions
Prepare Cabbage Mixture
- Using a food processor, shred 4 cups of cabbage and ¼ cup of carrots.Note: This recipe also works using 1-16oz bag of bagged coleslaw mix.Place shredded cabbage mixture into a large bowl and set aside.16 ounces cabbage, ½ cup carrots
Make Easy Coleslaw Dressing
- Put all dressing ingredients into a medium bowl. Whisk together to combine.½ cup mayonnaise, 3 tablespoons sugar, 3 tablespoons vinegar, 1 tablespoon horseradish sauce, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon celery seed, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Mix To Combine
- Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and mix well.
Chill And Serve
- Cover the coleslaw and chill in the refrigerator.
Video
Notes
Notes On Ingredients
- fresh cabbage - green cabbage, and red and purple cabbage
- carrots - finely shredded
- mayonnaise - Adds a creamy texture to the dressing. May use less mayo or no mayo. Substitute a couple of tablespoons of neutral flavored oil (like canola oil), olive or avocado oil instead.
- granulated sugar - Adds sweetness. Use white sugar. May substitute brown sugar.
- vinegar - Vinegar is used to balance flavor. It plays off the sugar in this recipe. Use apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, or white vinegar. May substitute fresh lemon juice.
- horseradish sauce - Adds spicy flavor.
- dijon mustard - Adds tangy flavor.
- salt - Salt enhances the flavor of food. If your dish tastes bland, try adding more salt. Use kosher salt or sea salt.
- ground black pepper - Adds spicy flavor.
- celery seed - A small but important ingredient for that classic coleslaw flavor. May substitute celery salt, which is a combination of celery seed and salt. Pull back on the amount of kosher salt added if celery salt is used.
Nutrition
Did you love this recipe? If you make this recipe and love it, stop back, give it a 5-star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a comment. THANK YOU!! Follow Seanna's Kitchen and share this recipe with your friends on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, and subscribe to my Newsletter for ALL the latest recipes! We'd love to hear from you!
Eva
Delicious dressing. I didn't have horseradish sauce, so I substituted 1/4 tsp horseradish....perfection! I was scared to add the horseradish, but it really enhances the flavor. Thank you for sharing this.
Seanna Borrows
So great to hear Eva! Yeah, the horseradish adds great flavor but not overpowering. So glad you liked it!
Kelly
What is the ideal time to refrigerate before serving?
Seanna Borrows
Hi there Kelly! Ideally, refrigerate freshly made coleslaw for an hour before serving.
Norine
I’m not a big fan of coleslaw until this recipe.
Seanna Borrows
Thanks Norine. I appreciate you taking the time to comment and rate this recipe. So glad you enjoyed it!
Bonnie Thompson
This is the best tasting coleslaw ever. Put it beside and in pulled pork sandwiches. Soooooo delicious I will make this year round. Fabulous recipe. Thank you so much.
Seanna Borrows
Thanks Bonnie! So happy to hear you enjoyed it!!
Laura
Great recipe for pulled pork sandwiches!!! Yum 🤗
Seanna Borrows
Thanks so much Laura! So happy you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for taking the time to let us know and for leaving a 5 star rating! So appreciated!!
Jan San
This is the best coleslaw dressing ever! I've made others that always need to be tweaked, but this one has been consistent and a hit every time. The little kick from the horseradish and dijon are perfect!
Seanna Borrows
Thanks Jan! So glad you like it! Thanks so much for letting me know.
Melissa Hannant
Loved this dressing! I’m a fan of the horseradish in it.
Seanna Borrows
Thanks so much Melissa! So glad you loved it!
Carole C
Love this coleslaw for BBQ; not too sweet. The recipe makes enough so that the cabbage is well coated.
Seanna Borrows
Great to hear Carole! Thanks so much for commenting.
Michele Buchanan
This recipe is so tasty..I left out the sugar and it was delicious.
Thanks for sharing
Seanna Borrows
Thank you so much Michele! I'm so happy you enjoyed it and took the time to let me know. I appreciate you!
Russ B
Awesome with the pulled pork!
Seanna Borrows
The perfect sweet & tangy compliment. 😊