I think a good coleslaw recipe was the first salad I loved as a child. Never mind the fact that it was often weighed down with pounds of mayo. Both the KFC coleslaw and the one from Long John Silvers were a staple item to order whenever we ate out. A perfect green cabbage slaw topped with coleslaw dressing is creamy and cold and goes great with grilled meat, fried poultry, fish and of course on top of crispy chicken sandwiches. The best part is, there are only a handful of ingredients in homemade coleslaw, and it’s ideal for bringing to a bbq or summer potluck because you can make it ahead up to a day in advance. The flavors of homemade coleslaw are better as it sits!
What is coleslaw?
Coleslaw is a side dish that is commonly served during the summer months during barbecues or potlucks with grilled meat or poultry. It is also often found at restaurants that serve fried chicken or fish as well. Creamy coleslaw is made with finely shredded cabbage, carrots, and dressed in a mayonnaise-based dressing. It’s essentially a sweet and tangy cabbage salad.
Ingredients for a classic coleslaw recipe:
Mayonnaise: I prefer and encourage you to use full-fat mayonnaise for this recipe. Lighter mayo won’t give it that same creamy flavor that coleslaw is known for! This is my favorite store-bought mayo at the moment.Heavy cream: the cream is used to thin out the mayo to a dressing-like consistency. If you’re hesitant about using heavy cream, you can swap it for half and half in this recipe.Sugar: adds sweetness and balances out the tartness from the apple cider vinegar.Apple cider vinegar: for years I used white vinegar in place of the apple cider vinegar it works as a good substitute if you don’t have apple cider vinegar on hand. However, I do prefer the recipe with apple cider vinegar, so that would be my first choice if you have both!Grated onions: Grating the onions on a box grater allows for the flavors to disperse more evenly throughout the cabbage salad via the dressing.Prepared horseradish: though this ingredient is optional, it does add a well-balanced flavor and the babiest of zings to the coleslaw!Seasonings: for the seasonings, I am using celery salt (you can also use celery seeds + salt) and white pepper powder.Shredded cabbage: you can purchase store-bought shredded cabbage, a coleslaw mix, or shred your own cabbage for this recipe on a mandoline. If you’re looking to make KFC coleslaw, you may want to just buy a head of cabbage and pulse small chunks in a food processor to break the cabbage down into smaller pieces.Shredded carrots: you can purchase store-bought shredded carrots or shred your own carrots for this recipe.
How to make an easy coleslaw recipe:
Try these other summer classic recipes:
Sour Cream Chive Potato SaladMexican Street Corn Cob (Elotes)White Cheddar Chicken BurgersSuperfood Broccoli SaladItalian Pasta Salad (Potluck Salad)
