Sweet And Sour Coleslaw, The Perfect BBQ Side

Say goodbye to bland coleslaw thanks to this sweet and sour coleslaw recipe.

In the South, there are two kinds of slaw and the rivalry is as savage as Clemson vs. South Carolina: Sweet-sour vs. creamy. Sweet-sour is vinegar and sugar based. Creamy is mayo or sour cream or buttermilk based (or a blend of them). This sweet-sour slaw is so simple and quick that it is sure to become your go-to side dish for your next BBQ and grilling adventure. Proceed to this page if you prefer a mayo-based creamy Southern coleslaw.

The science behind our sweet and sour coleslaw

This coleslaw leands on the combination between vinegar and and mayo, with a little bit of a sugar, for a sweet and sour balance that works great. IMHO coleslaw in general is the world’s best salad. It’s crunchy, it’s bright, sweet, sour, and has flavors that wake you up. A good coleslaw has a bit of a punch. It has to. It’s gotta cut through fat and protein pulled pork and other meats.

The classic American approaches are either creamy and sweet, like my best creamy Southern coleslaw or vinegary and more on the sweet-sour side, like this one. Make the slaw in the morning so that it has time to chill before serving later in the day. Some folks like those at Cook’s Illustrated recommend salting the cabbage first to let a bit of water drain, but I don’t think it’s necessary. My dressing is always a bit stronger, so that when the slaw gives off water, the dilution doesn’t affect the taste. In other words, it doesn’t end up tasting watery at all.

For more info about the many ways coleslaw is awesome, read my article, Science of Slawsome Slaw.

Ingredients for sweet and sour coleslaw

brown sugar

white sugar

mustard powder

Morton’s Coarse Kosher Salt

Finely ground black pepper

Whole celery seeds (not celery salt)

Vegetable oil such as corn oil or salad oil

Distilled white vinegar. Don’t substitute cider vinegar. You need the proper acidity. We’re getting the sweet taste from the sugar in this recipe. Apple cider vinegar will make it too sweet.

Gren cabbage. Weigh it before you do anything. You want to make sure it weighs a pound. A little over is ok. Don’t substitute for red cabbage unless you want your coleslaw to look like a crime scene.

Carrots

White onions are necessary but they’ll develop more of a bite the longer the slaw sits. Don’t be tempted to use red onion instead. It’ll do the same thing to the slaw that red cabbage will: turn things pinkish red and potentially stain plastic bowls and utensils.

If you like this sweet and sour coleslaw recipe, you’ll love . . .

• This Easy Coleslaw Recipe is the Perfect Summer Side Dish
• Slaw Dogs, a West Virginia Original
• Classic Waldorf Salad Reimagined As a Flavorful Slaw
• A Perfect BBQ Pulled Pork Recipe
• You’re Gonna Love Bacon Ribs: Tastes Like Bacon, Chews Like Smoked Ribs!

Like what you’re reading? Click here to get Smoke Signals, our free monthly email that tells you about new articles, recipes, product reviews, science, myth-busting, and more. Be Amazing!

Sweet and sour coleslaw recipe

Sweet And Sour Coleslaw Recipe

Author: Meathead Goldwyn

4.41 from 322 votes

Rate this Recipe

Looking to step up your slaw game? Here is a sweet-sour cole slaw recipe that is sure to impress your guests. Plus, the recipe is super easy to make.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Chilling Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings: 8 small servings

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Salad, Side Dish, Vegetable

Cuisine: American

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients Method Approximate Nutrition Notes

Keep Screen Awake

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x?

Dressing

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon Morton Coarse Kosher Salt
• ½ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon whole celery seeds (not celery salt)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (corn oil or salad oil mix are good choices)
• ¼ cup distilled white vinegar (not cider vinegar)

Slaw

• 1 pound green cabbage (about half a medium cabbage)
• 1 large carrot, peeled
• 1 small white onion
• ½ bell pepper, any color

Method

 

1. Prep. For the dressing, whisk all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Don’t skip the mustard. It’s the secret ingredient that gives it life. And make sure all the lumps are whisked out.
2. Read my article on The Science of Slawsome Slaw. Decide how you want to cut the cabbage, carrots, pepper, and onions: Chopped, grated, or hashed and have at it. I like this recipe best when chopped or grated. Now that you've decided, do it. Add the cabbage, carrots, pepper, and onions to the bowl with the dressing.
3. Chill. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour if possible to extract the flavors from the celery seeds and the vegetables. They will give up some water, so don't worry if the mix seems a bit dry and strong at first. Mix it up occasionally so the dressing doesn't pool at the bottom. Taste the slaw and add more of the seasonings to your preference.
4. Serve. When you serve it, mix thoroughly and scoop from the bottom so the veggies have dressing on them.

Notes

About the salt. Remember, kosher salt is half the concentration of table salt so if you use table salt, use half as much. Click here to read more about salt and how it works.

Optional additions. Add 3 red radishes for a pinch of heat. Add white radishes if you like a jab of favor. Add a small jalapeño if you like a punch of heat. There are some jalapeño flecks in the picture above because that’s the way I roll.

Approximate Nutrition

Calories: 76kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 1gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 308mgPotassium: 166mgFiber: 2gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 1563IUVitamin C: 32mgCalcium: 35mgIron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!