This recipe is featured in America the Barbecue, a celebration of our country’s 250th anniversary and its unique culinary history.
Pickle coleslaw is a tangy marriage of two beloved barbecue sides. Punchy pickles introduce a pep and balance to crunchy coleslaw, which can often lean creamy and sweet. You can build this slaw from scratch with the help of a good knife, mandoline, or boxed grater, or you can opt to start with a store-bought bag of coleslaw mix. Red jalapeño flakes bring a mild, earth sweetness, but you can swap in crushed red chili flakes as long as you only use half the amount called for since they are spicier. This pickle coleslaw can be made ahead of time and can hold for up to five days refrigerated and stored in an airtight container.
Recipe information
Total Time
10 minutes (plus chilling)
Yield
4–6 servings
Ingredients
3
2
2
1½
1
¼
1
2
¼
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Step 1
Mix 3 Tbsp. mayonnaise, 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar, 2 Tbsp. sugar, 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 1 tsp. red jalapeño chile flakes or ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes in a large bowl to combine. Add ¼ large head of green cabbage, thinly sliced (about 8 cups), 1 large carrot, peeled, coarsely grated (about 1 cup), 2 cups coarsely chopped dill pickles, and ¼ cup chopped dill; toss to coat. Cover coleslaw and chill at least 2 hours and, preferably, up to 12 hours.
Step 2
Just before serving, top coleslaw with pickle slices or chips and more dill.