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Home Side Salads

Coleslaw

By:Nagi
Published:30 Jun '18Updated:14 Sep '20
160 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

Just a great, creamy, traditional Coleslaw recipe with a terrific homemade Coleslaw dressing. Everything you want, none of the unnecessary extras. A staple for that’s even better the next day!

For a healthier version with no mayo, make this Cole slaw with a Creamy Yogurt Coleslaw Dressing (it’s so good!) OR try the RecipeTin No Mayo Coleslaw.

Close up of juicy Coleslaw in a glass bowl

Coleslaw recipe in a snap

  • Type of cabbage for Coleslaw – green cabbage is the classic. Red cabbage is great too (but will bleed colour slightly), savoy and Napa cabbage can also be used.

  • How long does Coleslaw last? Up to 5 days in the fridge.

  • What’s in Coleslaw Dressing? Mayonnaise, sour cream or yogurt, vinegar, mustard, celery salt and sugar.

  • Why does my Coleslaw get watery? Because you didn’t use enough dressing. The Dressing extracts water from the cabbage which thins the dressing. You need to start with plenty of thick Coleslaw Dressing which is then thinned out when the cabbage wilts and leaches water.

  • How much Coleslaw to make per person? 1/2 a head of cabbage will make enough for 10 people as a side for a meal, or 15 people at a large gathering with plenty of other food on the buffet.  So for 100 people, you will need 5 heads of cabbage as a side for a meal, or 3 1/2 heads as part of a larger buffet.

A great Coleslaw doesn’t need a ton of ingredients.

All you need is cabbage, carrot and a terrific Coleslaw dressing for this summertime classic. Along with Macaroni Salad and Caprese Salad, this is the salad we take to gatherings, that we lay out on buffets – because we know it’s a sure thing!

It lasts for days in the fridge so we have a great standby side for dinners and quick additions to lunchboxes. A traditional Coleslaw recipe is a classic that will never go out of fashion!

Coleslaw dressing being poured over the Coleslaw

Coleslaw dressing

I’m a firm believer that Coleslaw should be JUICY. Just like it’s served up at KFC and other popular takeout chains. And juicy means plenty of dressing!

I like BUT if you just load up your dressing with tons of mayo, it weighs it down with too much fat, making the Cole slaw excessively rich and soaking the cabbage to the point of being soggy mush.

So I like to make plenty of dressing with a combination of both mayonnaise and sour cream, plus mustard and celery salt for flavour, and vinegar to cut through the richness.

Why does my Coleslaw get watery?

Most likely because you are not using enough dressing. Coleslaw is meant to be set aside to wilt before serving, during which time water is extracted from the cabbage which thins the dressing.

So you need to ensure there’s enough Dressing otherwise your Coleslaw becomes watery!

Photo of Coleslaw in a bowl, ready to be served.

Key Tip: Give it time

To achieve that perfect Coleslaw texture, it needs time to soften so you don’t have stiff prints of cabbage poking out all over the place. At least 20 minutes, better at 2 hours or overnight.

The salt and sugar in the dressing draws out the moisture from the cabbage, thinning out the rich dressing and making the Coleslaw ultra juicy, as well as giving time for the flavours to meld.

Serve this with BBQ Pulled Pork (make sliders!), BBQ Brisket or these terrific sticky Country-Style Chicken Thighs with a  side of steamed corn for a summer cookout indoors! – Nagi x


MORE SUMMER SALADS to take to gatherings 

  • Italian Pasta Salad
  • Potato Salad and Lemon Potato Salad
  • Pearl Couscous Salad <– personal fave!
  • Macaroni Pasta Salad

  • Wild Rice Salad <– reader fave!
  • 12 Minute Sun Dried Tomato Couscous Salad
  • Browse all Pasta Salads and Rice Salad

Coleslaw being served with tongs, showing how juicy the Coleslaw is.

WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT

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Close up of juicy Coleslaw in a glass bowl

Coleslaw

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Resting: 20 mins
Total: 30 mins
Side
Western
4.92 from 67 votes
Servings6 - 8 people
Tap or hover to scale
Print
  • 77
RECIPE VIDEO ABOVE. A really great Coleslaw doesn't have tons of ingredients in it - just cabbage and carrot. It's really all about the dressing! Serve as a side salad or pile onto sandwiches. A terrific summer salad that's even better the next day. Try this on BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches! User slider to scale recipe - click on servings.

Ingredients

  • 7 cups green cabbage , finely shredded (Note 1)
  • 1 medium carrot , shredded (1 1/2 cups)

Dressing

  • 1/2 cup Hellman's mayonnaise (or other whole egg mayo)
  • 1/2 cup sour cream or yoghurt, full fat is best
  • 1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or sub with white wine vinegar)
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp white sugar
  • 3/4 tsp celery salt
  • 1/4 tso black pepper

Instructions

  • Mix Dressing ingredients together.
  • Place cabbage and carrot in a bowl. Pour over Dressing, toss well. Set aside for at least 20 minutes before serving, preferably 2 hours - this will make the cabbage go limp as it should, and also draw moisture out of the cabbage and carrot to thin out the dressing. Overnight is even better!
  • Toss well before serving. 

Recipe Notes:

1. 7 cups of shredded cabbage is less than half a medium sized cabbage, 1/4 of a large one (i.e. just smaller than the size of a basketball).
2. MAKE AHEAD: Coleslaw that's already dressed is terrific for 2 days, still very good on Day 3, and still good up to 5 days.
You can also place carrot and cabbage in a ziplock bag, squeeze out excess air then refrigerate for up to 5 days. Make the dressing and store in the fridge separately. Then dress before serving (remember to set aside to wilt!).
3. This recipe serves 6 - 8 as a side. It makes enough for one batch of the BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches.
3. VARIATION suggestions from readers (and some from me!):
Add chopped or sliced onions
Add shallots/scallions finely sliced on the diagonal
Swap out some of the green cabbage for red cabbage (love the colour)
Granny smith apples cut into batons (YUM that would be fantastic!)
4. Nutrition per serving, assuming 8 servings.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 169cal (8%)
Keywords: Coleslaw, Coleslaw Recipe
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

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Hi, I'm Nagi!

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160 Comments

  1. Moira says

    December 20, 2022 at 5:47 pm

    This is amazing Nagi!!! The dressing is so tasty!! Can make it super quickly too. Thank you xx

    Reply
  2. Nicholas says

    December 14, 2022 at 7:06 pm

    4 stars
    Suggest you cut down on the sugar in the dressing. Too sweet. Suggest two teaspoons in lieu of two tablespoons.

    Reply
  3. Simon says

    September 25, 2022 at 3:25 pm

    5 stars
    You are of course missing a trick here – it’s even better with grated cheddar added.

    Reply
  4. Mel says

    July 7, 2022 at 7:22 pm

    5 stars
    OMG, I can’t believe how amazing this is Nagi! I know I shouldn’t be surprised as I’ve loved every single recipe I’ve made of yours, but this was sooooooooo delicious … I think I could have that dressing with anything and devour it. I didn’t have celery salt, but had some celery seed so used a little of that instead. Thank you again 🤤

    Reply
  5. Kim says

    April 12, 2022 at 4:24 am

    5 stars
    Another wonderful recipe! This is the second time I’ve made it! This time though, I didn’t have sour cream but I did have Mexican Crema, and added a little lemon juice to that. It was so yummy! Thanks!

    Reply
  6. ahp says

    March 20, 2022 at 4:46 am

    5 stars
    Easy and delicious! Made for a dinner party. Used monkfruit sweetener instead of sugar to drop carbs a bit and no one knew. 🙂

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 20, 2022 at 10:56 pm

      That’s a great tip AHP!! N x

      Reply
  7. George says

    January 30, 2022 at 12:13 pm

    5 stars
    Although I never actually made this myself, A friend came over for dinner and made it. After the first mouthful, I said clearly this is not a jar dressing. I would love the recipe. She directed me to this site. Not blowing my own trumpet but I consider myself a fairy reasonable cook and I must say, this is by far the best coleslaw dressing I have ever had. I noticed a couple of comments mentioning the amount of sugar. My friend also halved the sugar. Absolutely delicious!!!!

    Reply
  8. Lisa says

    January 19, 2022 at 7:40 pm

    Sub for celery salt?? I feel like that’s something that will just sit on my slice rack forever! Unless I just make loads of coleslaw 😉 😉

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      January 19, 2022 at 10:58 pm

      But it’s so good in a Bloody Mary!! 😂 N x

      Reply
    • Veiga Gríms says

      January 20, 2022 at 12:35 pm

      Celery salt is great in so many things, its a kind of umami. My. dad taught me to use it in for example making gravy. 🙂 I highly reccomend it!

      Reply
  9. SG says

    December 31, 2021 at 1:40 pm

    5 stars
    Making a Nagi’s NYE feast for the family tonight – oven baked BBQ ribs with coleslaw, macaroni salad and grilled corn. Coleslaw is perfect! Thanks as always Nagi.

    Reply
  10. Jo says

    December 9, 2021 at 10:30 am

    3 stars
    Nagi, I am a regular – and very happy – user of your recipes, but this one didn’t work for me. A bit too sweet (and I used less sugar) and too sloppy. Sorry 😞

    Reply
  11. Mark O'Neil says

    December 4, 2021 at 11:20 pm

    5 stars
    Another winning recipe Nagi!
    Also enjoying your recipes in the Melbourne Age,
    This is my favorite food website. Keep up the Great work 🙂

    Reply
  12. Doreen says

    December 2, 2021 at 10:03 am

    That puppy is adorable

    Reply
  13. RealTwinFlame says

    December 1, 2021 at 5:30 am

    5 stars
    This is going in my favorites Book. Very delicious and perfect consistency, not watery all.

    Reply
  14. Sabena says

    November 14, 2021 at 3:38 pm

    5 stars
    Nagi, thank you for another successful recook. It has won over all of my family from old to young, even my anti-dairy mom and anti salad dad. It is amazing, followed instruction as is except I used grainy mustard (that is all I have on hand)

    Reply
  15. Caroline Jefford says

    November 7, 2021 at 6:41 am

    This is the VERY best coleslaw
    dressing l have ever tasted,and l can tell you l have tasted a lot as l am 81 years old.
    Keep up the good work, l love all your recipes.Love to your lovely dog.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      November 10, 2021 at 3:31 pm

      Thank you Caroline!! What a lovely comment! I am so glad you enjoyed it. N x

      Reply
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I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

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