This Hot Cabbage Slaw isn’t the sweet-sour, bacon-dressed kind you might be picturing. This is cabbage, specifically coleslaw mix, gently cooked in milk and butter with caraway and tarragon. It’s a nice, warm side dish that’s just a little out of the ordinary.
It has been years since I came across this recipe. It caught my eye as something different and interesting. So, we tried it, and it has stayed in the rotation ever since.
What sets it apart is the cooking method. Most hot slaw recipes are basically cabbage tossed in a hot vinegar-and-bacon dressing that’s sweet, tangy, and smoky. This one takes a different direction. The coleslaw mix, which is just shredded cabbage and carrots, cooks in milk and butter until it’s tender and just that wee bit creamy, with dashes of caraway and tarragon for seasoning. The result is warm and savory rather than raw and sweet. The milk is the part that always surprises people. One reader told me it was the milk that convinced her to try it.
Warm cabbage has a long history in Southern and German-American kitchens. Lettice Bryan’s The Kentucky Housewife from 1839 even includes a “warm slaugh” made by heating shredded cabbage in butter, vinegar, salt, and pepper. This recipe isn’t directly descended from hers, but it does belong to the same idea of serving cabbage warm instead of raw and dressed.
If you like a warm cabbage side, you might also try my skillet-braised green cabbage, which leans simpler and more traditional. And if you’re after the cold kind for a cookout, my copycat KFC-style coleslaw is the one you’ll want to make.
Recipe Snapshot: Hot Cabbage Slaw
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Total Time: 12 minutes
Servings: 4
Cuisine: American
Cooking Method: Stovetop
Primary Ingredients: Packaged coleslaw mix, butter, milk, caraway seeds, tarragon
Skill Level: Easy
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What Makes This Recipe Special
Maybe you never thought of it, but yes, you can cook bagged coleslaw mix from the produce section. It’s simply raw shredded cabbage and a little bit of carrot.
What makes this interesting is how different it is in both texture, warmth, and taste from a cold coleslaw. There’s no mayonnaise, vinegar bite, or sugar. Rather, it’s a mild, creamy, slightly herbal warm side that pairs with many main dishes.
It also comes together in one saucepan, which makes it a practical side when the rest of the meal is taking up space on stove.
Ingredient Notes
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- Packaged slaw mix — A bag of pre-shredded cabbage and carrots from the produce section saves you the time of chopping. But, of course, you can shred your own green or red cabbage instead if you’d rather. The mix is just a shortcut.
- Milk and Butter — Milk and butter combine to create a light, creamy coating on the cabbage and give the dish its mild, savory character.
- Caraway seeds — Caraway adds a warm, faintly licorice flavor that’s a classic pairing with cabbage.
- Dried tarragon — Adds an herbal note that complements the caraway.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
A few ways to make this slaw your own:
- Want the bacon version? If you came here looking for the sweet-sour hot slaw with bacon, this isn’t that recipe, but it’s an easy pivot. Skip the milk, cook a few slices of chopped bacon in the saucepan first, then wilt the cabbage in the drippings with a splash of vinegar and a pinch of sugar. It’s a different dish, smoky and tangy instead of creamy.
- Swap the herbs. Dried dill works in place of the tarragon and creates a more familiar flavor. One reader used dill seed when she was out of caraway and was happy with it.
- Add aromatics. A handful of chopped onion or a little mirepoix cooked down with the cabbage rounds out the flavor. A reader who was short on slaw mix stretched hers this way and liked the result.
- Use red cabbage. You can certainly use shredded red cabbage if you like, but be aware that it will turn the dish pink. The flavor stays the same. If you want a cold red cabbage side instead, my tangy red cabbage slaw is a good one to make.
How to Make Hot Cabbage Slaw
STEP 1. Rinse the slaw mix and drain it lightly, leaving a little water clinging to the cabbage. Put it in a saucepan over medium heat, sprinkle with the salt, and cover the pan. Listen for it to start sizzling, then turn the heat down to low and cook for 5 minutes. The cabbage will begin to soften and release its moisture.
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STEP 2. Add the butter, milk, caraway seeds, tarragon, and black pepper. Stir everything together until the butter melts and coats the cabbage. Bring it to a boil, then take it off the heat and serve right away while it’s hot and creamy.
Recipe Tips
- Serve it hot. This slaw is at its best straight from the pan while it’s warm and creamy. It loses some of its appeal as cools, so try to finish right before you sit down to eat.
- Don’t oversalt early. The recipe salts the cabbage at the start to help draw out moisture. Wait until the end to taste and adjust, since the flavors concentrate as the cabbage cooks down.
- Black pepper to taste. Start light, taste at the end, and add more if you want it.
- Caraway is the make-or-break flavor. In my opinion, it’s caraway’s distinctive flavor that defines this dish. If you genuinely don’t care for it, this may not be the recipe for you.
How to Serve
This slaw is a natural alongside pork, ham, fish, or poultry. It’s especially good with something simple off the grill like grilled boneless chicken thighs or simple seasoned grilled fish.
It also makes a nice change from chips or a pickle next to a sandwich. Try it with ham and cheese on rye, or pile it next to a plate of slow cooked pulled pork the way you would any other slaw. For a heartier Southern plate, it holds its own beside a platter of streak o’ lean.
How to Store
This slaw is meant to be eaten hot and fresh, so it’s best made right before you plan to serve it. That said, leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat gently in a saucepan over low heat or in the microwave in short bursts, just until warmed through.
I don’t recommend freezing this one. Cooked cabbage in a milk base turns watery and limp after thawing, and you lose the texture completely.
Questions About Hot Cabbage Slaw
No, the milk won’t curdle in the short time this slaw cooks. There’s no acid in the recipe to break it, and it only comes to a brief boil before you take it off the heat. It cooks down with the butter into a light, creamy coating for the cabbage rather than separating.
Use about 6 cups of shredded green, red, or mixed cabbage in place of one bag of slaw mix. The bagged mix includes a little carrot and you can add it if you like, but the recipe works fine with just cabbage.
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Recipe
Hot Cabbage Slaw
Ingredients
- 6 cups packaged slaw mix or shredded green or red cabbage
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons tblsp. butter
- 1 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons caraway seeds
- 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
- Ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse the cabbage, drain lightly, and place in a saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle with the salt and cover. When sizzling can be heard, reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the butter, milk, caraway seeds, tarragon, and black pepper. Stir to blend. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
Notes
- Bagged slaw mix is simply raw shredded cabbage and carrots. You can substitute about 6 cups of your own shredded green or red cabbage.
- Don’t drain the rinsed cabbage completely dry. The water clinging to it helps it steam and get going in the pan.
- Dried dill is a milder swap for caraway.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days and reheat gently. Don’t freeze it, since the milk-cooked cabbage turns watery after thawing.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
I had leftover chicken gravy and mixed it in. I must say it was delicious.
Not a fan of cabbage, but know it’s good for us. This was one of the few recipes that didn’t have bacon, very few ingredients, and quick to make. As I said, not a cabbage fan, but this was delicious!
I’m really glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Didn’t have enough slaw mix so chopped up and added some mirepoix. Had dill seeds instead of caraway. Result fantastic! Great warm topping for a burger or chicken sandwich.
Glad to hear that you enjoyed it!
What an interesting looking coleslaw Lana. You’ve really intrigued me with the milk. Think I’ll have to give this a try.
Thanks, Renee. It’s a little different and a good side with so many different things. The milk gives it a smooth, somewhat creamy taste similar to the dressing you’d use in a cold slaw.
This looks so good. I make a cold version that is similar, but I can’t wait to try it hot!
Hope you enjoy it, Shaina. We sure do!
I just can’t wait for all that delicious Spring produce, Dara! Can you believe it’s almost April and we’re having snow flurries here in the deep South?
Lana, this looks really good – I love just about anything with cabbage, so I will be giving this a try for sure!
It is very good, Donalyn, and a bit of a change from other slaw recipes. Hope you enjoy it.