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This char siu coleslaw flavoured with Chinese bbq sauce is a great side salad and perfect if you're having a barbecue too! It's delicious with burgers, ham, ribs or just as part of a buffet. It's a great way to add extra flavour to a simple coleslaw recipe.

I have to admit that coleslaw is not always one of my favourite sides. Offer me a spoonful of ready-made bought coleslaw swimming in a gloopy white dressing and I'll almost certainly refuse.

On the other hand, if it's a homemade coleslaw and the vegetables are lightly coated in mayonnaise but still clearly visible and identifiable, then it'll be a different story altogether.

I love to create different kinds of homemade coleslaw with light dressings like this one. It's such a versatile dish and perfect for enjoying as a midweek side dish or as part of larger buffet spread.

I was first inspired to make this by my husband telling me that barbecue sauce goes well with coleslaw. Although he wasn't talking about Chinese barbecue sauce, I thought why not try a traditional coleslaw but with Asian bbq flavours instead?

I added just enough of the char siu Chinese bbq sauce to the coleslaw to give it that lovely Chinese bbq flavour. Even though I don't eat a lot of creamy dressings on salads I loved the flavours in this salad. The sweetness of the char siu sauce adds to the flavour and makes it really moreish!

And ever since I first created this char siu salad, it hasn't just been my husband who reaches for the bbq sauce whenever we have coleslaw!

Ingredients for char siu coleslaw

To make this simple Chinese bbq coleslaw you'll need:

Vegetables - I like to use a classic coleslaw mixture of carrot, white cabbage, red cabbage and onion. If you only have one kind of cabbage, that's fine. As you can see in the pictures, I only had white cabbage when I took the photos. You can also mix it up a bit by adding different vegetables such as celeriac or brussel sprouts. Any vegetable that can be grated or finely sliced is fine.
Mayonnaise
Char siu sauce

How do you make this Chinese coleslaw?

I've included a full recipe card further down the page but basically it's as easy as chopping the vegetables and mixing them together along with just enough mayonnaise and char siu sauce to lightly coat and flavour the salad.

You don't need any special equipment to make it. Just a good knife, a chopping board and a grater for the carrot!

What to serve with char siu coleslaw?

In our family we often have buffet meals at Christmas and New Year and this char siu salad is a delicious option as it goes well with sausage rolls, cold meats and pork pies. I often put it in a burger or a gourmet sandwich. It's just a great winter salad option.

It also goes perfectly with my Chinese spare ribs as well as any food that is actually cooked on the bbq, which of course makes it a great recipe the whole year round.

I first created this recipe in collaboration with Lee Kum Kee and their Summer Carnival campaign to create a bbq recipe. I also made a homemade burger with char siu sauce flavouring the beef mince and it was delicious too!

How long does it stay fresh?

If you store this Chinese coleslaw in the fridge in an airtight container it will keep well for at least 3 days. Just give it a stir before serving.

More side dish recipes you might like

If you like this tasty Chinese bbq coleslaw, why not also check out some of my other side dish recipes:

Carrot and celeriac salad. It's a delicious variation on a coleslaw.
Brussel sprout coleslaw with caramelised pecans
Carrot salad with harissa dressing

Recipe

Char Siu Coleslaw

Corina Blum

This char siu coleslaw flavoured with Chinese bbq sauce is a great side salad and perfect if you're having a barbecue too! It's delicious with burgers, Chinese spare ribs or just as part of a buffet. It's a great way to add extra flavour to a simple coleslaw recipe.

5 from 7 votes

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 0

Total Time 5

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Chinese, Fusion

Servings

Calories 184 kcal

Ingredients

120 g carrot grated
100 g white cabbage finely sliced
80 g red cabbage finely sliced
1 red onion finely sliced
80 g mayonnaise
2 tablespoon char siu sauce

Instructions

Mix all the vegetables together with the mayonnaise.
Add the char sui sauce. Add 1 tablespoon then taste and add the rest if required.

Video

Notes

Nutritional information is approximate and a guideline only.

Nutrition

Calories: 184kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 2gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 298mgPotassium: 227mgFiber: 2gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 5273IUVitamin C: 24mgCalcium: 35mgIron: 1mg

Keyword char siu coleslaw

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Disclosure: When this post was first published it contained a gifted product. It has been fully updated in 2021.

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