No Mayo Coleslaw with Honey Mustard Dressing
Tired of coleslaw slathered in a thick mayonnaise sauce? Change up your coleslaw game by making this sweet and spicy No Mayo Honey Mustard Coleslaw. Instead of a heavy dressing, this coleslaw without mayo is coated in a sweet-spicy mustardy dressing. It’s perfect as a barbecue side dish or on top of a barbecue sandwich.
Love a backyard barbecue? You’ve got to try Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork and Instant Pot BBQ Baked Beans alongside this coleslaw.
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June 2018 Update: This recipe was originally shared in August 2011. The recipe and post include new photos, as well as more tips and tricks. I hope you love it!
Coleslaw. It’s one of my favorite things, especially during the summer, but it’s somewhat divisive in our household.
My husband loathes mayonnaise. Because of this, I can’t make a traditional Memphis-style coleslaw.
After years of tinkering and testing, we’ve found the perfect medium: A Honey Mustard Coleslaw without Mayonnaise. It’s slightly sweet. It has a kick of heat. There’s a little creaminess without mayo! And it’s all kinds of perfect with all kinds of barbecue.
Not only does it pair with BBQ classics, but you can serve it alongside your favorite burgers, hot dogs, tacos and more.
More coleslaw recipes to try: Brussels Sprouts Apple Slaw | Avocado Coleslaw | Memphis-Style Creamy Coleslaw
What you need to make this recipe:
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- Food processor
- Large mixing bowl + small bowl
- Measuring spoons
- Liquid measuring cup
- Tongs
- Blender (if necessary, to smooth out the dressing)
Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
Here’s what you need to grab at the grocery store:
- Green cabbage — I like to purchase a small head, around 5-6″ in diameter, and then shred it myself. You can also purchase pre-shredded cabbage, if you prefer that.
- Carrots — medium-sized carrots are perfect for this. You can use more or less, depending on your personal preference.
- Jalapeño pepper — this adds a nice kick! Leave the seeds in for more spice or remove them before chopping, if necessary.
- Kosher salt — medium grain kosher salt is my favorite for cooking. Diamond Crystal is my favorite brand. Kosher salt is less salty than table salt, so please keep that in mind if that’s all you have on hand.
- Honey — your favorite works perfectly here! This is the base of the dressing that we make from scratch.
- Plain Greek yogurt — this adds creaminess to the dressing without the need for mayonnaise. Greek yogurt is thicker, but that or regular yogurt both work.
- Apple cider vinegar — this adds a nice acidic punch to the dressing. Please note that it is not the same thing as apple cider.
- Mustard — we use a combination of yellow mustard and spicy Creole mustard in the dressing to add bonus flavor. You could use Dijon mustard or whole-grain mustard in place of the Creole mustard, if you prefer.
- Barbecue sauce — homemade or store-bought works just fine!
- Celery seed — this is a must-have and adds a unique taste and texture to the dressing. Don’t skip it!
How to make no mayo coleslaw:
Break the cabbage down, and chop the carrots and jalapeño.
Place all the veggies in a colander in the sink and salt, letting them sit for at least 15 minutes. The salt will pull the excess water from the vegetables and make it to where you don’t have soggy coleslaw.
After the cabbage mixture has finished its sit, rinse it off, then spin in a salad spinner to release excess water. Keep in the fridge until you’re ready to serve your coleslaw.
Just before you serve the slaw, mix up the dressing ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. (If you can’t get it to be smooth, run it through the food processor or the blender.)
When the time is right, add the veggies to a large bowl. Pour the dressing on top of the cabbage mix, toss it all together and dig in!
Frequently Asked Questions
I like to use the food processor* (affiliate link). because it makes the process a lot faster. A mandoline works, too. That said, if you don’t have a food processor or a mandoline, using a sharp knife to slice the cabbage thinly works. So does using a box grater* (affiliate link).
Absolutely! If you’re not one for spice, you can leave out the pepper altogether.
According to Merriam-Webster, the name is from Dutch koolsla, which combines the Dutch words for cabbage and salad.
What do you serve with this coleslaw?
With summer BBQ classics, like Grilled Turkey Burgers, Memphis-Style BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches or even Memphis-Style Barbecue Ribs.
Serve it alongside classic side dishes, like Sriracha Baked Beans, Veggie Packed Pasta Salad (without mayo!) or No Mayo Potato Salad.
Pair it with more unique dishes, like BBQ Fried Mac ‘n Cheese Balls or Banana Pudding Ice Cream Cake.
Memphis girls like me enjoy our coleslaw on top of a hearty pulled pork sandwich. And yes, I know this sounds weird, but it’s the Memphis way. Just trust me when I say that it’s good because the balance between the meat and the coleslaw is pretty much perfection.
Check out how you can make this goodness at home below…
No Mayo Honey Mustard Coleslaw
Ingredients
- 1 head green cabbage around 5-6″ in diameter, shredded
- 2 carrots shredded
- 1 jalapeño pepper seeded and finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Dressing
- ⅔ cup honey
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup yellow mustard
- ¼ cup barbecue sauce (homemade or store-bought)
- 2 tablespoons spicy Creole mustard
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
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Instructions
- In the food processor, shred cabbage and carrots. (If you don’t have one, you can shred them with a cheese grater or chop them with a knife.)
- Dice the jalapeno pepper finely.
- Place all vegetables into a colander in the sink.
- Sprinkle the vegetables with the salt and let sit for at least 15 minutes to an hour.
- While the vegetables are sitting, mix up the dressing.
- In a medium-sized bowl, measure out the honey, Greek yogurt, vinegar, mustards and barbecue sauce.
- Season with celery seed, and whisk until combined.
- Whisk the dressing together until mixed, then set aside until ready to prepare the coleslaw.
- Rinse the vegetables to rid them of the salt, and pour into a clean bowl after spinning/drying thoroughly.
- Pour the dressing on top of the vegetables.
- Mix the veggies with the dressing and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
This is a fabulous dressing for cole salw
We love coleslaw (and BBQ) in my house. Of course, one of my dad’s “signature” dishes is his coleslaw, so I’ll just have to try it sometime when he’s not around. Also, we totally put coleslaw on pulled pork sandwiches. It’s like heaven!
Your dad just sent me your blog after letting me know about your big weekend. I have to say I am very impressed and will be trying ALL of your recipes. They all look so good.
This is such a great idea!! Thank you so much for sharing
Thank you, Miranda! I hope you and yours enjoy this coleslaw! And you’re welcome! 🙂