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Home Side Salads

Coleslaw

By:Nagi
Published:30 Jun '18Updated:14 Sep '20
171 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 minutes mins
Cook: 20 minutes mins
Resting: 20 minutes mins
Total: 30 minutes mins
Side
Western
4.92 from 75 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 @recipe_tin.

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171 Comments

  1. Caron says

    May 7, 2020 at 6:45 pm

    5 stars
    Oh my gosh so light and delicious and those in my fam who never liked heavy slaw before just loved this lighter version yum yum

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 7, 2020 at 7:16 pm

      I’m so glad it was a hit Caron! N x

      Reply
  2. JoAnn Gestson says

    May 7, 2020 at 10:57 am

    5 stars
    Hi Nagi, thank you so much! This is the best coleslaw recipe I have ever tried. I never leave comments, this is the first. This was spot on! No changes!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 7, 2020 at 7:35 pm

      Great JoAnn! N x

      Reply
  3. Moni says

    March 13, 2020 at 9:08 am

    Hello Nagi , if I made the dates I dint need to mix the Mayo ………

    Reply
  4. Mae Lin says

    February 5, 2020 at 1:38 pm

    Hi Nagi, would it be better to salt and let the cabbage leech out water before mixing in the dressing?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 11, 2020 at 11:37 am

      I don’t bother Mae, the dressing is quite thick so the excess water loosens it slightly – N x

      Reply
  5. Carolyn says

    December 31, 2019 at 11:07 am

    5 stars
    Perfect accompaniment for the pulled pork- thanks for your fabulous recipes Nagi!

    Reply
  6. Alexandra says

    December 26, 2019 at 4:47 am

    5 stars
    I had a full Thanksgiving dinner based on your recipes and Coleslaw was one of them. Absolutely delicious!

    Reply
  7. Alexis H says

    December 5, 2019 at 2:08 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious! My go to coleslaw dressing recipe now, made it several times.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      December 6, 2019 at 9:23 am

      Wahoo! That’s great Alexis!

      Reply
  8. Annette says

    November 17, 2019 at 3:28 pm

    5 stars
    This is a really delicious coleslaw, all the flavours blend so nicely. This will be my go to recipe from now in.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      November 17, 2019 at 5:11 pm

      I’m so glad you love it Annette!

      Reply
  9. Alison says

    September 15, 2019 at 8:13 pm

    5 stars
    OMG that dressing is amazing!!! It’s now in my book of secret recipes and I will be using it for years to come. Thank you xx

    Reply
    • Annette says

      November 17, 2019 at 3:30 pm

      5 stars
      This is a really delicious coleslaw, all the flavours blend so nicely. This will be my go to recipe from now in.

      Reply
    • Nagi says

      September 16, 2019 at 7:55 am

      It’s just a staple isn’t it ALison!? I’m so happy you love it! – N x

      Reply
  10. Brittany says

    September 12, 2019 at 10:33 am

    Can I sub the cabbage and carrot for the pre-shredded bags? I don’t have the time? If so should I buy 1 or 2?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      September 12, 2019 at 7:53 pm

      Sure can Brittany – the amount equals about 8 cups worth, so whatever amount in the bags that equals 8 cups. – N x

      Reply
  11. Roxana says

    August 3, 2019 at 10:31 am

    Can celery salt be substituted if it’s not in my pantry?

    Reply
    • Alexis H says

      December 5, 2019 at 2:12 pm

      I used 1/2 tsp celery seed and 1/2 tsp regular salt in place. The celery seed or celery salt really is an important flavor in the dressing, so you don’t want to leave that out if possible.

      Reply
  12. michael Kurtz says

    June 28, 2019 at 3:27 pm

    5 stars
    This is my best coleslaw to date. Made it dairy free. No Yogurt. Chopped it in the blender for speed. Was wonderful. My new standard. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      June 29, 2019 at 9:37 am

      Perfect!

      Reply
  13. Buffy Dohleman says

    June 27, 2019 at 10:01 am

    Amazing! Perfect sweet/acidic/ salty combo! I made it to serve with your bbq brisket recipe. Can’t wait to try other recipes! Thanks again! And love the Dozer puppy pics! I too have a golden/lab. Best furry friends ever!

    Reply
  14. Denise Zajkowski says

    May 26, 2019 at 4:09 am

    5 stars
    This was made with Savoy Cabbage. I did not have celery salt used celery seeds and it was amazing. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 27, 2019 at 4:38 pm

      I’m so glad you loved it Denise!!

      Reply
  15. Phil says

    May 24, 2019 at 11:03 pm

    5 stars
    This is absolutely a keeper.
    Other people’s recipes just don’t live up to their ratings..I tried,silly me , sorry Nagi 😄.
    I will never buy shop bought coleslaw ever again.
    Ps,gonna try your Reuben sandwich looks amazing!!
    Have a great weekend Nagi.
    Phil x

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 25, 2019 at 1:06 pm

      You’re converted now Phil!!!

      Reply
  16. Kat says

    April 3, 2019 at 5:56 pm

    5 stars
    Great dressing! I find normal salt works great too and it def reminds me of KFC coleslaw, but much better for you. I love crunchy coleslaw so I make a big batch of the mayo and cabbage and leave both in the fridge for the week and dress it when I need it, it also stops the red cabbage from bleeding.

    Reply
  17. Jessica Stengel says

    January 10, 2019 at 3:21 am

    5 stars
    I made this with your brisket recipe and it was a huge hit! Wonderful and creamy :).

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      January 10, 2019 at 8:17 pm

      A perfect combo!!

      Reply
  18. Maret says

    December 20, 2018 at 11:48 pm

    I plan on trying this in the future. I noticed a typo on the last ingredient: 1/4 “tso” black pepper….I think you mean “tsp”
    You don’t need to post this comment as I just wanted to bring this to your attention. Have been enjoying the recipes I’ve tried. Thank you for sharing…and Happy Holidays!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      December 21, 2018 at 9:24 pm

      Thanks so much, I’ll have this changed!

      Reply
  19. Claire says

    December 20, 2018 at 7:17 am

    5 stars
    Thank you Nagi, This really is a classic delicious coleslaw. Yummy!!!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      December 21, 2018 at 9:57 pm

      Thanks so much Claire

      Reply
  20. emma says

    December 18, 2018 at 2:57 pm

    Hi Nagi, love most of your recipes and have been cooking up a storm since your newsletters began arriving. Love the newsletters too. It is like being in the kitchen with you. Happy Christmas to youcandvyours and a big hug for Dozer.😊

    Reply
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Hi, I'm Nagi!

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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