If you're planning a backyard BBQ, there's no better side dish to accompany those grilled meats than our delicious coleslaw recipe. A fresh and crisp coleslaw is the perfect complement to those savory meats, and it's a great way to incorporate some veggies into your meal.
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The full recipe with ingredients/instructions is available on the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Important tips/tricks are also included in the blog post.
Coleslaw is a classic side dish that has been around for centuries, and for good reason! It's a refreshing and crisp dish that pairs well with just about anything, making it perfect for any backyard BBQ or summer potluck. My coleslaw recipe is easy to make and can be prepped ahead of time, making it a perfect addition to your next outdoor gathering.
Some of my favorite side dishes, including this one, to serve at a BBQ are a tasty Cold Seafood Salad and Creamed Corn.
Coleslaw Recipe Ingredients
- Cabbage - A regular green cabbage is what I used, you can use a mixture of red and green cabbage, or a napa or savoy cabbage as well.
- Carrot - Best to shred your own carrots here, you can buy carrot matchsticks, but those will still be too big for the coleslaw.
- Sweet Onion - Sweet onions, or Vidalia onions are mild in flavor. You can also use shallots, those are smaller in size so you'll need 2-3.
- Mayonnaise - Use homemade mayo or you can use your favorite brand.
- Granulated White Sugar
- Apple Cider Vinegar - ACV has a great flavor, but regular distilled white vinegar can be used in a pinch.
- Lemon Juice - Fresh or bottled lemon juice will work.
- Buttermilk - If you don't have buttermilk on hand for this recipe, you can make some yourself with a few minutes and a couple of ingredients. In 1 cup of milk add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, and you have homemade buttermilk.
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Tools needed for this recipe
- Food processor - Makes quick work of shredding vegetables. If you don't have a food processor a sharp knife and a cutting board, or cheese/vegetable grater will be necessary for breaking down the veggies.
- Mixing bowls
How To Make Coleslaw
Add shredded cabbage, carrots, and sweet onion into a large bowl, and set aside. I use a food processor to shred all the vegetables.
In another bowl, add mayonnaise, sugar, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, buttermilk, salt, and pepper in another bowl.
Pour this mixture over the shredded vegetables and toss to combine, ensuring the dressing covers the coleslaw.
Serve immediately or cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour or overnight. Serve and enjoy!
How to store our coleslaw recipe
Keep your coleslaw stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
While you can serve our coleslaw right away, making this the day before and storing it in the fridge will allow the flavors to meld together.
Freezing: I wouldn't recommend freezing coleslaw that's made with mayonnaise. During the thawing process, the dressing will start to beak down.
Servings Suggestions
Coleslaw is one of those side dishes you assume will be at every backyard BBQ. It's easy, delicious, and brings brightness next to those savory meats. Serve my coleslaw alongside any of these dishes:
- Sticky BBQ Air Fryer Chicken Legs
- BBQ Air Fryer Ribs
- BBQ Air Fryer Chicken Breast
- Oven-Baked Hot Dogs
Why is it called coleslaw?
Coleslaw as we know it, comes from the Dutch term 'kool sla'. Kool is cabbage, and Sla is salad, cabbage salad. There are many variations of coleslaw depending on what part of the world you're in. The use of buttermilk, as we use it here, is mainly found in coleslaw made in the southern US. Other regions' recipes add other various ingredients like shredded apples, celery seeds, grated cheese, peppers, nuts, and dried fruits.
FAQ's
Green, red, napa, or savoy cabbage are all great options for coleslaw. Using red cabbage may result in some color bleeding into the dressing, but is great for added color contrast. Purely preference or what you have access to with do.
Shred your cabbage and carrots for at most, three days before mixing your coleslaw mixture. Keep them in a storage bag or container in the fridge until you're ready to use them.
Any of these tools will shred cabbage, each might offer a different texture, however:
-Mandolin
-Food processor
-Manual press chopper
-Box shredder
Whichever tool your use, take care to use it safely to avoid any unnecessary cuts.
Looking for more side dish recipes? Try these out:
- Broccoli Slaw
- Seasoned Air Fryer Asparagus
- Fresh Corn Salad Recipe
- Southern Potato Salad Recipe
- Zesty and Easy Grilled Marinated Vegetables
If you have tried this recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
Coleslaw Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ Medium Cabbage finely shredded (about 4 cups)
- 1 medium Carrot shredded
- ¼ Sweet Onion finely shredded
- ½ cup Mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons Granulated Sugar
- 2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 tablespoon Buttermilk
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add cabbage, carrots, and sweet onion into a large bowl, set aside.
- In another bowl, add mayonnaise, sugar, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, buttermilk, salt, and pepper in another bowl. Pour this mixture over the shredded vegetables and toss to combine, ensuring the dressing covers the coleslaw.
- Serve immediately or cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour or overnight. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Use a food processor for easy shredding of the vegetables.
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