BBQ Turkey Sandwiches with Coleslaw
These BBQ Turkey Sandwiches with Coleslaw are made with leftover pulled turkey smothered in sweet and tangy BBQ sauce, served on brioche buns topped with homemade coleslaw and dill pickles. This family favorite is the perfect summer cookout meal.

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Why This Recipe is So Good
- You can use leftover turkey to make this recipe simpler. I used leftover Instant Pot Pulled Turkey, but you could use up leftover holiday turkey from Thanksgiving or simply put a turkey breast in the slow cooker for a couple of hours or oven-bake it. It doesn’t matter how it’s seasoned all that much because it will be smothered in a sweet and tangy BBQ sauce.
- Homemade coleslaw takes these BBQ turkey sandwiches to the next level. It’s crunchy, creamy, and perfect paired with the barbecue turkey. Make it by combining shredded cabbage and carrots with a homemade creamy and tangy coleslaw dressing made with mayo, mustard, ground celery seed, and apple juice.
Recipe Ingredients
- Turkey – Use leftover turkey from the holidays or bake a turkey breast then shred it yourself.
- Cabbage – I love to use a mix of green and purple cabbage. The purple adds even more crunch to the homemade coleslaw. Shred the cabbage yourself using a mandolin or this slicer/shredder attachment if you have a Kitchen Aid mixer.
- Carrot – Shred the carrots yourself. Pre-shredded carrots from the grocery store can be flavorless and dry; you want to be able to taste the flavor of the carrot in the coleslaw.
- Coleslaw dressing – This is made from scratch using mayo, apple juice to naturally sweeten it, mustard to make it tangy, ground celery seed for a savory flavor, and salt and pepper.
- BBQ sauce – Homemade or your favorite store-bought kind. If you are using homemade, check out my Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Wings with Homemade BBQ Sauce post for the recipe!
- Pickles – Dill pickles balance the sweetness of the BBQ sauce. These pickles are my absolute favorites.
- Sandwich buns – Brioche buns are sweet and soft and sooo good with these homemade barbecue sandwiches.
How to Make BBQ Turkey Sandwiches with Coleslaw
All ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Make the coleslaw – In a large bowl, stir together shredded green cabbage, red cabbage, and carrots. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together mayo, apple cider vinegar, apple juice, yellow mustard, celery seed, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust the apple juice, mustard, or salt amounts to your liking.
- Pour the coleslaw dressing over the shredded cabbage and carrots, stir to coat, then set aside.
- Make the BBQ turkey sandwiches – In a medium pot, stir together shredded turkey and BBQ sauce. Heat over medium heat until the turkey is heated through.
- Divide the BBQ turkey among the hamburger buns, top with coleslaw and pickles then the top buns. Enjoy!
Looking For More Recipes?
- Fried Chicken Sandwich with Coleslaw (No Buttermilk)
- Baked BBQ Turkey Wings
- Turkey Pot Pie with Biscuits
- Smoked Turkey Salad Sandwich
- Smoked Chicken Salad Sandwich
- The Best Beef Bacon BLT Sandwich
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BBQ Turkey Sandwiches with Coleslaw
Equipment
- 2 large mixing bowls
- 1 Medium mixing bowl
- Slicer/shredder Kitchen Aid Attachment for the cabbage
Ingredients
Coleslaw
- 1 lb green cabbage and red cabbage shredded
- 1 large carrot grated
- ½ cup mayo
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 – 2 tablespoons apple juice or 1 teaspoon of granulated white sugar
- ¾ teaspoon yellow mustard
- ¾ teaspoon ground celery seed
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
BBQ Turkey
- 2 cups shredded cooked turkey baked or pulled
- ½ – ¾ cup BBQ sauce or to your liking, homemade or store-bought
Serving suggestions
- 4 hamburger buns brioche, or regular
- Dill pickle slices
Instructions
Make the coleslaw
- In a large bowl, stir together shredded green cabbage, red cabbage, and carrots. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together mayo, apple cider vinegar, apple juice, yellow mustard, celery seed, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust the apple juice, mustard, or salt amounts to your liking.
- Pour the coleslaw dressing over the shredded cabbage and carrots, stir to coat, then set aside.
Make the BBQ turkey sandwiches
- In a medium pot, stir together shredded turkey and BBQ sauce. Heat over medium heat until the turkey is heated through.
- Divide the BBQ turkey among the hamburger buns, top with coleslaw and pickles then the top buns. Enjoy!
Notes
Storage instructions
- Store coleslaw in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
- Leftover coleslaw dressing can last for up to 1 week stored in an airtight container.
Tips and Tricks
- Coleslaw: for crisp and crunchy coleslaw, store the cabbage and carrots separately from the dressing until right before you are ready to serve it. The dressing will soften the cabbage, making it watery and soggy the longer it sits together.
- Turkey: Use an Instant Pot Pulled Turkey recipe or any leftover baked turkey from the holidays. You could bake a turkey breast in the oven with your favorite seasonings, covered at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour or until it’s reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Allow to cool then shred it with 2 forks.
- Cabbage: I like to shred the cabbage using this Kitchen Aid attachment because it tastes better and fresher than a store-bought mix. If you are running short on time, the store-bought mix is totally fine.
- Coleslaw dressing: This is a sugar-free coleslaw dressing recipe. Apple juice sweetens it naturally. If you want more sweetness, feel free to add a little bit of sugar to taste. You can add more apple juice if you like, just keep in mind that it will start to thin out your dressing the more you add.
Nutrition
All nutrition information is automatically generated and should be only used as a rough estimate. This recipe card may contain affiliate links.