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

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.

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes minutes

Chilling Time: 12 hours hours

Total Time: 12 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 servings

Calories: 112kcal

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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

If you don’t use a lot of buttermilk, I recommend keeping a container of powdered buttermilk in the back of your fridge. It had a long shelf life, and you can mix up however much buttermilk you need for a recipe.

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