Easy Coleslaw
This Easy Coleslaw can be served as either a topping or a side dish. This creamy coleslaw recipe pairs well with barbecue, burgers and fried chicken.
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Coleslaw is one of those recipes that can go really bad really fast. We’ve all had bad coleslaw. The kind where the cabbage is soggy and dripping with mayo. We eat at a lot of barbecue spots, and slaw is a traditional side dish for barbecue. But many times I take one bite of the coleslaw and leave the rest on my plate.
Now I’m not a coleslaw connoisseur by any means – I just know what I like when it comes to this classic side dish. As with potato salads and pasta salads, mayo should not be the first ingredient in any coleslaw recipe. A little mayonnaise is great – it adds a creamy texture and a tangy flavor. But all too often, it seems like slaw is a little bit of cabbage swimming in a mayo-based dressing.

Easy Coleslaw Recipe
We’ve been making this coleslaw recipe for years. In fact, it was one of the first recipes I ever shared on the blog – back when I was using a point-and-click camera. Hah! I think the recipe started with a copycat KFC coleslaw recipe, but we tweaked and adjusted the recipe over the years. We reduced the mayo and the sugar. We added red cabbage and a bit of buttermilk. The taste is amazing! It’s sweet, but not too sweet. The cabbage still maintains a nice crunch. There is mayo in the recipe, but it’s not a mayonnaise salad. It’s definitely a summer favorite!

Tips for Making the Best Homemade Coleslaw
Coleslaw is easy to make at home. It only takes about 10 minutes to whip up a rather large batch. But there are some key tips we’ve picked up over the years:
- Use both red and green cabbage. This recipe calls for ½ of a red cabbage and ½ of a green cabbage. Now I know that leaves you with leftover cabbage, but trust me when I saw the two colors are important in this recipe! Not only do they have slightly different flavors, but I find that the red cabbage maintains a crunchy texture. You can use a pre-chopped bag of cole slaw mix, but we find that those tend to get soggy faster. If you can, use fresh cabbage instead.
- Shred and Slice. This is a tip we learned after making this recipe dozens of times. A food processor with a slicing blade and a grating blade is key for making good coleslaw. We slice each of the cabbage halves into thin wedges. From there, we shred half of the wedges and we slice half of the wedges. This creates a difference in textures within the finished coleslaw, and it’s amazing!
- Refrigerate Overnight. This coleslaw recipe holds up really well for several days. It doesn’t turn soggy and mushy. In fact, the flavors get better overnight once they’ve had a chance to meld together. So make this recipe the day before you plan on serving it and then just store it in an airtight container overnight in the fridge.
- Add a little bit of Buttermilk. Yup, a little bit of buttermilk in the slaw dressing goes a long way. This recipe calls for a ¼-cup of buttermilk. Now I know what you’re thinking – why buy a whole carton of buttermilk just for a ¼-cup? You can either use the vinegar trick to make your own, or just keep a container of powdered buttermilk in the back of the fridge. (We go with the powdered buttermilk – that way we can mix up just a tiny bit whenever we need buttermilk for recipes like this coleslaw…or pancakes!!)

How to Serve Coleslaw
Coleslaw is a classic side dish alongside barbecue – think ribs, pulled pork, smoked brisket, etc. It also goes well alongside burgers, grilled bbq chicken, fish tacos or fried chicken. And it doesn’t just go beside – coleslaw goes well on top of many of these foods, too. We typically serve this coleslaw on top of a pulled pork sandwich. One spoonful goes onto the sandwich, and another several spoonfuls go next to the sandwich. A good coleslaw is both a topping and a side dish!
How to Store Leftovers
This cole slaw recipe makes a fairly large batch, so you will likely have leftovers. No problem! The leftovers are fantastic. Leftover coleslaw should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I do not recommend freezing leftovers, though.
If you’re looking for a classic coleslaw recipe, I highly recommend this one. We’ve been making this exact recipe for probably 15 years now – and it’s always a huge hit at summer potlucks. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Did you make this Easy Coleslaw recipe at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!

Easy Coleslaw
Ingredients
- ½ medium red cabbage
- ½ medium red cabbage
- 2 large carrots
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup buttermilk see note
- 1½ Tbsp lemon juice
- 1½ Tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Slice the red and green cabbage into thin wedges. Using a food processor, shred half of the cabbage and slice half of the cabbage. Place shredded/sliced cabbage in a large bowl.
- Shred carrots and add them to the bowl with the cabbage.
- Using a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar, milk, buttermilk, lemon juice, vinegar and salt.
- Pour dressing into the bowl with the cabbage mixture; toss until well combined.
- Cover and refrigerator for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.
Notes

Looking for recipes that go well with coleslaw? Check out these favorites, too:
I need to try this soon for me BTW cant wait to make your recipes soon for me
This coleslaw is one of our favorite summer recipes, Ramya – I hope you enjoy it!
oh yes i agree about coleslaw usually being way too mayo-ish:=) I like the idea of adding buttermilk. An aussie version of this recipe has just 2 tablespoons of sugar with a whole cabbage, so I’d stick to that 🙂
sherry
I totally get it, Sherry. I’ve had coleslaws that are WAY too sugary, and I’ve had some with no sugar at all. Definitely try buttermilk next time – it adds a nice tangy flavor!
I love coleslaw (and who doesn’t?) That’s my favourite part every time I order fish and chips, and I tend to reserve it for the last bite haha. This version looks quite perfect to me – loving the use of buttermilk; that’s something I’ll need to try!
Fish + chips with coleslaw on the side is one of my all-time favorites, too, Ben! Buttermilk is a game changer in coleslaw recipes I think. Give it a try next time you make a batch!
I just love that this isn’t swimming in mayo, David! This looks amazing – love the time to use 1/2 red and 1/2 green cabbage too! This is gonna be a hit with Steve for sure!
I’m a huge fan of using red and green cabbage in coleslaw. Not only does it look more attractive, but the textures are a bit different. We’ve found that the green cabbage gets a bit softer than red cabbage over time…but together? That’s the secret!
This is my kind of coleslaw, David! I totally agree, coleslaw should be crisp and refreshing, not a mayo soup. I love how you balance the textures and flavours with both red and green cabbage, plus that touch of buttermilk is genius.
The buttermilk in here adds so much flavor…it’s unexpected, but it plays an important role. One time I made this recipe with just “plain” milk, and it didn’t have the same depth of flavor. Buttermilk from here on!
This looks delightful, David. I’m with you on keeping things light. Will definitely give this a try as cookout season begins!
This is our favorite coleslaw recipe, and we go back to it quite often during the summer – that’s why I finally had to give it it’s own dedicated spot on the blog. (Mainly so I can find it easier…haha!) Thanks, Frank!
I know what you mean! I really good slaw is so good … but so many miss the mark, and the ones that are swimming in dressing are somewhere toward the bottom. I also agree with you about putting a good slaw on top of something like pulled pork. It provides the perfect contrast. Thanks for the recipe!
Yeah…a good slaw is great, but a bad slaw? Ehhhh. We love this homemade slaw on top of pulled pork sandwiches. The crisp, fresh flavors pair so well with the smoked meat. It’s truly our go-to slaw recipe. Thanks, Jeff!