Spicy Coleslaw

By Sam Sifton

Updated August 11, 2026

  • Joe Lingeman for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
10 minutes, plus hours' refrigeration
Rating
5(1,872)
Comments
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This easy, crisp slaw can be made a few hours ahead of time. It goes well with ribs and a cold beer, fried chicken or whatever summer feast sparks your fancy.

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Ingredients

Yield:Serves 6

  • 1 medium head green cabbage

  • 2 carrots, peeled and grated

  • ½ cup mayonnaise

  • 2 tablespoons pickle relish

  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar

  • 2 teaspoons pepper sauce, like Frank’s, or to taste

  • Kosher salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

13 grams carbs; 15 milligrams cholesterol; 235 calories; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 19 grams fat; 5 grams fiber; 504 milligrams sodium; 4 grams protein; 7 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Cut the cabbage in half and remove the core. Cut each half in half and slice each resulting quarter into thin ribbons. Mix with carrots in a large, nonreactive bowl.

  2. Step 2

    In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients.

  3. Step 3

    Pour the dressing over the cabbage and toss. Season to taste.

  4. Step 4

    The coleslaw may be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for a few hours. Toss again before serving.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,872 user ratings
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Comments

Bethy

Is sweet or dill pickle relish used?

Cookie

I found this slaw to be fairly oily and bland, even adding more hot sauce and less mayo. Mark Bittman has a recipe that is very light on the oil--better "mouth-feel" and highlights the taste of the vegetables.

BCP

This was fantastic. I'm in India trying to replicate slaw from home. This was perfect. I had to make my own mayo, which I've failed at in the past, but I used another recipe on this site to make it, and it worked great, and it made everything better. I may never go back to jar mayo again now that I've pulled it off. It just elevated this slaw so much and made me feel better about it, knowing what went in. Great slaw recipe, but make your own mayo to make it even better!

Jon Rebuck

Just added a bit of red onion. Pretty tasty!! Thanks Sam!

RP

I found it wasn’t spicy enough so I sprinkled cayenne in to mix and that bumped it up a notch. Also saw someone’s comment about onion powder and that helped as well.

Eileen

Didn't think this was spicy at all

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