Vinegar-Based Coleslaw Recipe
Published June 14, 2022. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Try this amazingly delicious and easy-to-make side dish for a Vinegar Based Coleslaw recipe at your next barbecue or backyard get-together. You will love how delicious and refreshing this coleslaw is.
If you’re looking for a ridiculously easy recipe for slaw, then look no further than this one. It seems like vinegar coleslaw has been all the craze in the BBQ world in the last few years. This tangy vegetable slaw is perfect when eaten by itself or when served up alongside my Grilled BBQ Chicken.
Vinegar Coleslaw
Vinegar coleslaw simple recipe consisting of a sweet and tangy vinegar-based dressing tossed with shredded cabbage and other vegetables that are served up as a side dish or on top of Barbecue style sandwiches.
This is a great option if you are looking to eliminate any additional fats since this recipe does not use any mayonnaise as a creamy coleslaw recipe would. The pre-made store-bought version is loaded up with sugar and fat, however, this sweet and tangy homemade version is dairy-free and packed with fresh hand-cut vegetables that are low in calories.
What Kind of Vegetables Can I Use?
In a standard slaw, the most common vegetables are green cabbage and onions. Here is what I like to put into my recipe as it will add more flavor:
- Green Cabbage
- Red Cabbage
- Red Onion
- Carrots
- Green Onions
- Cilantro
However, you could add these ingredients:
- Sliced red, green, yellow, or orange bell peppers
- Sliced spicy peppers, like jalapeños
- Thinly sliced kale or jicama.
Slicing the Vegetables
There are few ingredients in this recipe, along with the sweet and tangy vinegar-based dressing and it all starts with slicing the vegetables.
If you do not have a mandolin it is completely fine to slice things using a chef knife. My rule of thumb for using a mandolin is when you start to get nervous you might cut yourself, just stop.
Slice the green cabbage in half and remove the core. Slice in half again and then thinly slice it on a mandolin or you can use a very sharp chef knife.
Next, Slice the red cabbage in half and remove the core using a knife. Slice in half again and then thinly slice it on a mandolin or you can use a very sharp chef knife.
Next, peel the carrots and thinly slice them on a mandolin using the shredded blade attachment.
Vinegar Coleslaw Dressing
Making the coleslaw dressing recipe is very easy. A traditional vinaigrette is 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. Well, for me to maximize flavor we have to bring down that oil count to like 2 or even equal to 1 to the vinegar which will make the coleslaw much more flavorful.
- Add the vinegar, mustard, and sugar to a bowl.
- Whisk while slowly drizzling in the olive oil until emulsified and then finish with celery seed, salt, and pepper.
How to Make Vinegar Coleslaw
- Add the vegetables to a large bowl.
- Season with celery seed, salt, and pepper.
- Pour in the dressing.
- Toss using some tongs and serve.
Making-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: If you make this vinegar coleslaw ahead of time and slice the vegetables super thin, it may not be perfect when you go to serve it several hours later or the next day. If you plan on making it ahead of time I would recommend combining the vegetables and keeping the dressing separate right until you are ready to serve.
How to Store: It is best to store this vinegar coleslaw recipe undressed and unseasoned covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve. It can stay in the refrigerator undressed and unseasoned for up to 5 days. When ready to serve simply pour the vinaigrette over top, season with salt and pepper, toss and serve.
Chef Notes + Tips
- Also if you want to make it ahead of time, don’t plan on seasoning it to the end because if you salt the vegetable it will wilt super quick.
- Now just know that when you shave vegetables super thin like I did in this recipe and apply an acid to them, like vinegar, it’s going to break down faster and become wilted or to put it simply, soggy.
- You can substitute honey or agave for sugar in this recipe.
- To save some time, If you don’t want to slice the cabbages and carrots yourself, then I suggest buying the pre-made coleslaw mix, it will work just as well.
Serve It with These BBQ Recipes
- Smoked Pulled Pork Shoulder
- Smoked Chicken BBQ
- Vinegar BBQ Sauce
- Potato Salad
- Salmon Burgers
- Smoked St. Louis Style Ribs
Be sure to follow me on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest, and if you’ve had a chance to make this then definitely drop me a comment and a rating below.
Video
Vinegar Based Coleslaw Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 thinly sliced head of green cabbage
- 1 cup of thinly sliced red cabbage
- 2 whole shredded carrots
- 3 thinly sliced green onions
- 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of grainy mustard
- 1 tablespoon of honey or 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 1/4 cup of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of celery seed
- Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl whisk together vinegar, mustard, honey, and olive oil and set aside. In a separate bowl mix together cabbages, carrots, green onions, and celery seeds.
- Next, pour a small amount of the dressing onto the cabbage mixture and mix until combined and until the desired amount of dressing is achieved.
- Season with salt and pepper, and chill before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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This was a fantastic quick throw together this evening! Light and summery! Definitely a keeper of a recipe!
It was exactly what I wanted. Instead of celery seeds I used hemp hearts, cause that’s what I had on hand. And I only used red cabbage. Having a mandolin would have made my life easier but it tasted good and that’s all that matters!
Excellent recipe, added a few red pepper flakes and delicious. Kept slaw separate from dressing before serving and we ate it for several days. A real keeper
I’m not a fan of heavy coleslaw – this was a keeper! Light, refreshing, and delicious crisp flavor!
Courtney O’Dell – How completely random Robert and I are trying this coleslaw tonight. Small world 😊😋
Very good and very colourful. I added roasted salted sunflower seeds just before serving. Hosting a wedding BBQ for 30. Your wonderful recipe will definitely be on the menu.
YUM!! So glad it worked out for you!
So yummy! I did cheat and used the bagged prechopped coleslaw (red and green cabbage and carrots) I used two bags and doubled the rest of the ingredients by following the recipe SOOOOO GOOD! My daughter who is allergic to dairy and my daughter who doesn’t eat eggs were both so happy to have a delicious coleslaw they didn’t have to worry about. Thank you.
LOVE this! Thanks for trying.
Loved it! Now it is a staple for all of my bbq’s going forward!!
We are having a party for about 80 people and will be serving pulled pork sandwiches. This looks like the perfect coleslaw recipe (no mayonnaise to spoil!). How far in advance can you make this and how long will it keep? Thanks!
you can make it a day in advance but do not toss it in the dressing or season it with salt and pepper until 20-30 minutes before serving it.
Great recipe–was looking for one with less sugar than the one I used to make and this one is a keeper. WIll try adding some minced bell pepper and maybe sub vidalia onion next time for added sweetness, but love it as written too.
Now I just need my husband to pull the pork butt off the smoker and dinner will be ready!
This was absolutely perfect!! And I love cooking and trying out new recipes. This was most definitely by far the best oil and vinegar slaw I have ever tasted. I only subbed one ingredient-stevia instead of honey and I don’t think I missed a thing, delicious!!
Exactly what I was looking for! Having a BBQ where half coming eat meat and the other half are vegetarians/vegans. This will go great with the pork BBQ sandwiches and the other sides that are for everyone. Thank you!
Could you use stevia instead of sugar ? Can’t wait to try it based on the great reviews ‘
you could try, I just can’t guarantee what it will taste like or recommend an amount for you.
I liked this recipe. I used a whole grain spicy brown mustard and added some finely sliced ginger for an extra bite. What is the protein content of this? or is there truly none for your recipe?
Man that sounds good! There actually may be none…
To add a little extra to my comment: I used Grey Poupon Country Grain Mustard. It has a sharper bite then the whole seeded GP mustard. I followed the recipe exactly. But added another teaspoon of sugar after the finish. My 3 spring onions were on the very skinny side. I think less onion was a good thing for us. This coleslaw is going on some bbq pork sandwiches. No offense to creamy coleslaw people because it is a good thing too, this is just a different take on coleslaw. We have food allergies, so eggs and mayo are out. (However, creamy can be done with adding beloved apple cider vinegar to sour cream, let it sit, and then make regular creamy coleslaw: for the diehard allergic creamy coleslaw lover.)
Thank you for the sour cream tip!
Vinegary, mustardy yum. I needed to add a touch more sugar to satisfy my kids but fantastic.
Very excellent. Goes great with crab cakes!s
awesome!
very good, I don’t like Green Onion, so I didn’t put that in.
No problem, glad it worked!!
If you leave out the green onion and mustard, and swap white vinegar for the apple cider vinegar, and swap vegetable oil for the olive oil, but everything else the same, I am pretty much 99% dead certain this is the recipe for a slaw that is sold in 100s of locations of a chain BBQ joint called Bill MIller’s BBQ that is HQ’d in San Antonio Texas.
This richer version is interesting, but I have been looking for a copy cat recipe of the Bill Miller’s BBQ chain’s slaw for a while now that I have an adjustable pro mandolin….and I think I’ll find a match for theirs first….and then try this one as well.
Now…how to adapt this into an asian slaw….hmmmmm…..rice wine vinegar and sesame oil for the apple cider vinegar and olive oil….try it with and without the mustard….maybe a tny bit of chinese mustard….and a little red chile flake…..okay…that’s next.
Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks for checking it out!
I found a slaw simular to this recipe at a local barbque place and love it. This one sounds like one I have to try.
What exactly is grainy mustard or what do you recommend?
just whole grain mustard.
To begin with, creamy coleslaw is gross.
This coleslaw is so stinkin good. Crunchy, fresh, and pretty. What were we all ever doing wo apple cider vinegar?
Thank You!!!
awesome Tonya, so glad you liked it!
Salt the shredded cabbage until it sheds some water than rinse it in a colander and it won’t go soggy.