Southern Vinegar Coleslaw with Dill Pickles
This Southern Vinegar Slaw is the quintessential Southern slaw to make for your next cookout. Diced cabbage, carrots, sweet onions, green peppers, and dill pickles are tossed in a tangy, light, and creamy vinegar dressing to serve alongside southern barbecue, grilled meats, and more!
Eating Southern barbecue without a side of vinegar coleslaw is unheard of, so with the grilling season heating up, I’ll be making this Southern slaw on repeat! It’s quick and easy to make, and it tastes even better when prepared in advance, allowing the flavors to mingle.
I’m not a huge fan of coleslaw that’s drowning in mayonnaise, so this vinegar slaw recipe has become a family staple. You’ll use a blend of vinegar and mayo in this dressing, so the veggies stay fresh and crisp.
If you’ve never tried it before, dill pickles add incredible flavor to slaw! They are one of my favorite additions. Using a small batch gourmet variety makes it even more amazing. I used Phickles, a locally made pickle from Athens, GA, in this southern vinegar slaw. I love supporting small, local companies. They use fresh dill, garlic, and peppers in their brine, and I could seriously eat the whole jar in one sitting….so good. Grillo’s pickles are another great option here; just be sure to go with a good-quality, crisp pickle for the best texture and flavor.
This vinegar and mayo slaw is sweet, tangy, crunchy, and THE BEST coleslaw for pulled pork. You’ll surely impress your guests at your next picnic or potluck if you serve this easy vinegar slaw!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This southern slaw recipe is the perfect side dish for summer grilling and barbecue season.
- It’s quick, easy, and even tastier when made in advance.
- The tangy, acidic flavors complement savory barbecued meats perfectly.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Green cabbage – To save time, you can buy pre-shredded cabbage and carrots specifically for making coleslaw.
- Carrots & green bell pepper – In addition to cabbage, old-fashioned coleslaw typically has extra veggies like carrots and green bell peppers. Feel free to swap the green pepper with red, orange, or yellow bell pepper.
- Sweet onion- sweet Vidalia onions are a southern slaw staple. They add great flavor to the mix.
- Dressing – Here’s what you’ll need to make a simple creamy vinegar dressing for old-fashioned coleslaw.
- Vinegar – I use a blend of apple cider vinegar and red wine vinegar for a subtle tart flavor, but you can use all apple cider vinegar or white vinegar if you prefer. The sugar will cut the acidity and balance the flavors.
- Mayo – This is the base of your dressing. Duke’s is a Southern staple, but feel free to swap with an avocado oil mayo or mayo of your choice
- Sugar – You’ll need sugar to balance out the acidity from the kinds of vinegar.
- Salt & pepper – To enhance every flavor!
- Optional add-in: Dill pickles – Dill pickles are my favorite addition to slaw. I recommend using a small batch gourmet variety for the best flavor and texture. In my southern vinegar slaw, I used a locally made pickle from Athens, GA, called Phickles. Grillo’s are also great here!
How To Make Southern Dill Pickle Coleslaw
This vinegar slaw is a cinch to make. Here’s how it’s done:
Step 1: Make the dressing. Add the vinegars, mayo, sugar, salt, and pepper to a shaker jar or mason jar, and shake until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is well blended.
Step 2: Mix coleslaw veggies. Next, mix the cabbage, carrots, green peppers, onions, and pickles in a large bowl.
Step 3: Toss. Then, pour the vinegar mixture over the veggies, and toss until everything is coated well in the dressing.
Step 4: Chill before serving. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
Recipe Tips & Variations
- To save time, use a food processor to shred your cabbage and carrots, or simply buy a pre-shredded coleslaw blend. I prefer the taste of freshly shredded cabbage, so I try to use fresh unless I’m in a pinch.
- You can small dice or shred the cabbage and carrots. Just be sure all of the vegetables are cut the same size.
- Plan so you have enough time to chill your slaw before serving. The veggies taste much better when they’ve had some time to marinate.
What To Eat with Coleslaw
Southern vinegar slaw is undoubtedly the BEST coleslaw for pulled pork, but it pairs perfectly with various Southern dishes. See below for what to serve with your slaw:
Storing
Store any leftover coleslaw in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for 3 – 5 days. This coleslaw should not be stored in the freezer.
Recipe FAQ
When stored in a clean airtight container, coleslaw will last 3 -5 days in the fridge.
Apple cider vinegar and white vinegar can be used interchangeably in this recipe., although the flavors are not exactly the same.
Coleslaw can sit out at room temperature for about 2 hours. Once the coleslaw reaches a specific temperature, bacteria will begin to multiply. After 2 hours, be sure to discard whatever is left.
More Summer Sides
Red Skin Potato Salad (my MIL’s recipe)
Broccoli Salad (Chicken Salad Chick copycat)
Summer Fruit Salad (a family favorite)
If you love this dill pickle slaw recipe, I would be so grateful if you could leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below. I love reading your comments and feedback!
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Southern Vinegar Slaw with Dill Pickles
Ingredients
For the dressing:
For the slaw:
- 16 oz chopped green cabbage chopped finely, shredded, or diced (or use a bag of slaw for convenience)
- 2 carrots peeled and shredded
- ½ cup green peppers finely diced
- ½ cup sweet onion finely diced
- ¼ cup dill pickles finely chopped- refrigerated or artisan pickles recommended
Instructions
- In a shaker jar, add the vinegars, mayo, sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Shake until blended and sugar is dissolved.
- Mix cabbage, carrots, green peppers, onions, and pickles together in a large bowl.
- Pour dressing over mixture and toss to coat.
- Cover and chill until ready to serve.
Notes
- Real maple syrup (or maple sugar) is a tasty sugar swap for this recipe if you’re looking for a natural sweetener. It pairs beautifully with the flavors in the slaw.
- To save time, use a food processor to shred your cabbage, and carrots, or simply buy a pre-shredded coleslaw blend.
- You can small dice or shred the cabbage and carrots. Just be sure all of the vegetables are cut the same size.
- Plan so you have enough time to chill your slaw before serving. The veggies taste much better when they’ve had some time to marinate.
Nutrition
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Not only is this slaw great on its own and fantastic with pulled pork, it’s crazy good on a hot dog with chili.
How did you know I had some shredded cabbage in my fridge?! I was looking for something different to do with it and now I know. I am a huge pickle fan but have never added pickles to coleslaw! 🙂
They are a fun addition Janice! I hope that you enjoy the recipe!!
My sister made this for the family for Mother’s Day. Yummy! It was a perfect light side dish for our lunch. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Brad! That’s awesome! I love getting feedback on recipes. Thank you for taking the time to comment. I hope you and Susan are doing well. 🙂
I love a good slaw and this looks beautiful. Thanks Amee.
Thank you Katie!
Yum! I love to make slaw – such an easy all-week veggie side dish. My mouth is watering right now! Pinned and will be making this soon 🙂