Easy coleslaw for pulled pork recipe with mayonnaise and vinegar is perfect with dinner. With only 4 ingredients, Best Foods or Miracle Whip and bagged cole slaw mix shredded makes this and our Hawaiian coleslaw, that goes well with any main dish.
We made bbq pork sandwiches the other day. What goes better with that meal than an easy cabbage mix with mayo and all sorts of other add ins. Enjoy our basic recipe here or amp it up like our Blue Cheese Coleslaw to give guests a choicce!! (affiliate links present)
Typically the type you buy in the store is a bit limp and has too much dressing for us so I just whip up this instead so it’s nice and fresh for a meal. Ok so I love easy recipes I can throw together and are vibrant in color especially when I am bringing a dish to someone’s house.
The base to the sauce is mayo, point blank that is what you need. My favorite is Best Foods vs. Miracle Whip but that is personal preference. The latter has a stronger vinegar flavor and I would rather taste the vegetables instead.
Ingredient Notes
- Bagged Coleslaw mix (I used bagged but could cut your own cabbage)
- Mayonnaise for it to become creamy coleslaw mixture, I like Best Foods vs. Miracle Whip. If you use the latter you may want less vinegar since there is already some in that brand
- Rice vinegar is what adds the tang to this shredded cabbage side you love
- White sugar is optional for a bit of sweetness, sugar-free Splenda would work fine too
Tips
Ok so I cheat when it comes to the cabbage part. It is so cheap to buy a bag already shredded with the carrots and all already done that it doesn’t make sense to buy all the ingredients. I have done this with brocco slaw mix (yes there is such a thing), and a traditional bag of ready cut cole slaw mix and both work great.
I use 3 cups to make this dressing, of course you could double everything to make more. If you like a drier version you could add less mayo as well, I like a lot of “dressing” on ours. There are tons of variations you can make to this like including salt and black pepper to taste. Dice red onion or yellow if served with Italian sausage in oven and add that in, etc…
Can you make cole slaw without mayonnaise?
Absolutely you can. The biggest difference between using this or making our alternative, red cabbage coleslaw is the creaminess. I always look for the Old Fashioned type I ate as a child so without the creamy white ingredient is a no go for me but have an alternative here if you are cutting calories and/or fat.
What Can You Add
- Cole slaw with shredded carrots adds a nice sweetness and color to your simple cabbage recipe.
- Diced apples can add a refreshing crunch and sweetness to your mix.
- Raisins add a sweet and chewy texture to with a dried fruit kick.
- While cabbage is the main ingredient, using different varieties such as red cabbage or napa cabbage can add some variety in texture and flavor.
- Onions in different colors can add a savory flavor and crunch to this.
- Diced peppers of different kinds add variety and some spice if you want. Try a few diced such as red or green bell peppers or jalapenos.
- Chopped nuts, such as almonds or pecans, can add a nice crunch and nutty flavor to your sandwich.
- Fresh chopped herbs, such as parsley, cilantro, or dill, can add some freshness and a pop of color to this.
Another idea to make it sweeter is to add 1/2 c. pineapple tidbits to make sweeter or a bit of salt and pepper like our cabbage salad. For a spicy kick you can add in some red pepper flakes, a bit of Sriracha or chili powder. Diced jalapenos would be a fresh option but be careful to remove the seeds and membrane or it will be off the charts hot.
for Pulled Pork Sliders
You can certainly slice and dice your own heads of red and green cabbage to make cole slaw recipe for pulled pork as well. As far as cooking the protein to make these you have a few options as well. Doesn’t have to be pig either, you can load up your Hawaiian rolls with tender bbq chicken pulled too if you like. We have all sorts of recipes for pulled meat like Boston Butt in Oven and others on our site to choose from.
- The easiest is to make slow cooker pork shoulder for about an hour to get it to break down nicely. Easy peasy with sauce of your choice. Make spicy or use a brown sugar variety for sweet.
- If you are forgetful, this is how to cook frozen pork shoulder in Instant Pot until tender and fall apart delicious too.
- We have lots of other ideas of What to do With Leftover Pulled Pork.
ColeSlaw Recipe for Pulled Pork
Equipment
- 1 Bowl
Ingredients
- 3 cup cole slaw mix, or chop your own cabbage and use 3 c.
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise, less or more depending on your preference
- 4 tsp rice vinegar, more or less to taste
- 2 tsp sugar
Instructions
- Gently mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
- Serve as a side dish or on top of sliders with pulled pork!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Serve
- In a wrap: Cole slaw can be wrapped up in a tortilla or lettuce leaf with some grilled chicken, turkey, or fish. It makes for a light and refreshing lunch option.
- With tacos this can be served along with your fried fish or shrimp for a refreshing and crunchy contrast to the warm, spicy flavors of the tacos.
- In a burger we love how this can be also used as a topping for your patty to add some crunch and freshness.
This slaw recipe is the GOAT!!!
So versatile it can be made a bit more sweet or savory depending on how it is served –
Love it !!!
awesome
Yes! This is one of the best slaw recipes I’ve seen! It perfectly compliments my pulled pork sandwich!
This was such a quick and easy slaw that does not disappoint! Turned out perfectly creamy, crunchy and delicious; easily, a new favorite recipe!
What is the substitute for rice wine vinegar?
Awesome, so glad I could help!
I made this today for tomorrow nights dinner and it is fabulous! It’s so hard to find to a great coleslaw dressing. Thank you for sharing. I look forward to having it tomorrow with the pulled pork recipe you posted.