Sweet Vinegar Coleslaw is a sweet and tangy non-mayo based coleslaw that makes a great addition to any bbq or picnic. I think it is my very favorite coleslaw recipe. It has a pickled taste to it which I love. This old-fashioned Southern side dish has a light, refreshing flavor that’s perfect for BBQs, cookouts, picnics, potlucks, and summer gatherings.
This Sweet Vinegar Coleslaw recipe can be found in 12 Bones Smokehouse: A Mountain BBQ Cookbook. If you’ve ever eaten at 12 Bones in Asheville, NC, you know they have some seriously good food, especially the Blueberry Chipotle Ribs. OMG!
What Makes This Recipe Special?
Unlike most coleslaw recipes, the dressing is heated before being poured over the cabbage. This slightly softens the vegetables and gives them a lightly pickled flavor that becomes even better after chilling.
This was SO GOOD!!! It was perfect for our pulled pork sandwiches!!! Everyone loved it! It’s a keeper
How To Make Sweet Vinegar Coleslaw
(More detailed instructions and video in recipe card below.)
This southern vinegar coleslaw is made in a slightly nontraditional way. You bring a mixture of vinegar, sugar, and oil to a simmer and add celery seed, salt and pepper plus thinly sliced onion and green pepper. The onion and pepper get soft and pickled in flavor.
Then you pour the hot mixture over coleslaw mix. The cabbage gets a little bit wilted and picks up so much flavor.
- Combine sugar, vinegar, and oil in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat.
- Add celery seed, salt, and pepper.
- Add onion. Simmer for 1 minute.
- Add bell pepper. Simmer 1 minute.
- Place coleslaw mix in a large bowl and pour the vinegar mixture over it. Mix well.
- Refrigerate at least 4 hours.
How To Serve
It’s a super tasty alternative to a mayo-based coleslaw and it makes a refreshing side for the summer months. The tangy vinegar flavor cuts through rich barbecue especially well. It goes perfect with bbq pork, especially Carolina-Style Pulled Pork and Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork. It also goes really well with Brisket. And it is one of my favorite 4th of July Sides.
Storage
Will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a week.
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Sweet Vinegar Coleslaw
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 2 (16-ounce) bags shredded coleslaw mix
Instructions
- Combine sugar, oil, and vinegar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Stir to dissolve sugar.
- Add celery seed, salt and pepper.
- Add onion. Cook 1 minute. (Mixture should be gently simmering.)
- Add bell pepper. Cook 1 more minute. Remove from heat.
- Place cabbage mix in a large bowl. Pour hot sugar mixture over it. Stir to get it mixed in well. Let sit on counter until cabbage is wilted. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Originally published June 19, 2017.
Recipe adapted from 12 Bones Smokehouse: A Mountain BBQ Cookbook
Originally published May 18, 2021.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
I made this tonight before I saw it here from a recipe called Lou’s Italian Slaw in my mid-seventies “Spirit of 76 Cookbook” by Bettye Nelle Starr. She was based in Osceola, Ark so this may be a traditional Southern recipe like Wilted Lettuce. Her’s includes a teaspoon of celery seed, and 1/4 cup sugar in the boiled dressing and 3/4 spread on top of the cabbage and onion in the bowl! Also her’s calls for 2 quarts of shredded cabbage (so I used my shredder) 3/4 green cabbage and 1/4 red so it comes out red when you dive in five hours later. Mine was room temerature, not chilled. Very sweet! And tangy and as tasty as wilted lettuce. Highly recommend making it even if all the sugar seems foreign to us today.
Charlie, can I get your recipe?
Thank you.
I make this often, but I use white vinegar in place of the cider vinegar and cut the oil down to 1/2 cup. If you are afraid of using onion, try green onions with the tops for a more mild taste. I have made following the instructions of pouring the hot dressing over the cabbage. But I have found if you cool the dressing to warm, that add to the cabbage, your slaw is crisper. This is such a nice change of pace from the slaw that uses Mayo.
Just made this. Flavor is great. A little too sweet for my taste, but that’s easily fixed when I make it next time. So loved the idea of pouring hot mixture over it. Usually, coleslaw is better the next day after absorbing all the flavors, but this makes it easily done the day it’s served. Thanks for sharing this.
Can you use celery salt instead of celery seeds?
Try it I would imagine they put in salt and pepper in the slaw Or even get a stalk or 2 of celery chop in fine and put it in the slaw Its the beauty of cooking no rules
Love this recipe for Sweet Vinegar Cole slaw.
Yum! I love vinegar-based coleslaw, and this is a delicious recipe! I’m making it tonight for my husband’s work potluck tomorrow. (And I actually live right around the corner from 12 Bones Smokehouse!)
Wow!! This was delicious!! I am not a big fan of coleslaw and generally pass on it but this time I ate most of the bowl! I did a 1/4 cup less on the apple cider vinegar and a tsp or so more of the sugar to balance out the flavors. I used olive oil and added a dash of red pepper flakes to add a little kick to it. Just a little more salt and pepper along with a bit of garlic powder and this was amazing!! I’ll definitely be making this again…in a few weeks actually for an allergy friendly birthday party!! Highly recommend for a mayo alternative!!
I think I would leave out the onion next time. I don’t like the onion flavor in coleslaw. And I added another 1/2 cup cider vinegar.
I loved this recipe and cooking down the thinly sliced onions. I did put maybe another tablespoon of sugar and white vinegar. But you can do it to taste pinch extra pepper. But on the whole it’s taste good. Yes will make again!
I made this recipe and was very disappointed. Had to add more vinegar and sugar to make it taste good…..would not make it again….