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.
Coleslaw recipe in a snap
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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.
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How long does Coleslaw last? Up to 5 days in the fridge.
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What’s in Coleslaw Dressing? Mayonnaise, sour cream or yogurt, vinegar, mustard, celery salt and sugar.
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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.
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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
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!
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!
- Wild Rice Salad <– reader fave!
- 12 Minute Sun Dried Tomato Couscous Salad
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Browse all Pasta Salads and Rice Salad
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Coleslaw
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:
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:
LIFE OF DOZER
Flashback: when he was a puppy and couldn’t get down stairs….
This coleslaw recipe is da bomb!! It’s winter here in Germany so this salad is high on my rotation right now. My only criticism is please Nagi, can you write recipes with dry measurements first followed by wet so I can reuse my measuring spoons. (I’ve actually rewritten the dressing from this recipe and I’ve stuck it on my kitchen wall where I prep, that’s how often I make this!! 😁😁)
This rating is for the dressing.
Neither my partner nor I have historically liked coleslaw, but we needed a quick and easy dressing for some precut broccoli slaw.
So good!! Nagi, you’ve changed both of our minds on coleslaw, and we’re excited for the leftovers!
Ooh, never thought to repurpose this dressing!!! Such a great idea. 😁😁
I rate this the best coleslaw dressing ever. It’s truly great.
I’ve been making this coleslaw for a while now and it is amazing!!!! Just made a batch using a newly opened jar of Masterfoods Celery Salt Blend and it is so salty it’s made the whole thing inedible 😖. Just thought I’d let this community know to either steer clear of the brand or add to taste as 3/4 tsp of that one is way too much!
OMG Nagi! This the best coldslaw I have ever made! Not only is it really pretty with the red bell pepper, the dressing is absolutely perfect! I used spring onion and a jalapeno for a tiny kick! You have always been my hero when it comes to the kitchen and you shall away be!
Seriously good, Nagi. You NEVER disappoint. Delicious – and no sugar! Just a little honey – less than a teaspoon. A keeper – as are ALL your recipes. x
Just yum! Delighted – as were my (some times fussy) kids 😃
Just made this dressing. As written, except tripled and used 8 tbs of allulose sweetener instead of sugar. Haven’t even eaten the slaw yet and OMG, this dressing is AWESOME! Really well balanced – tangy, sweet, enough salt to set everything off. Glad I made extra! Just YUMMY.
This is the best coleslaw I ever had and I’m still amused that it was made from my kitchen! Thank you so much for this amazing recipe Nagi! I’m a fan from across the ditch (NZ) 🙂
Coooee! 😁. Anybody out there with time to tell me on Easter Saturday if my dressing should be as runny as it is? Have done per recipe but doesn’t look right to me.
I married at 20 and am now 66. I’ve been cooking for my husband (and for 25 years for my kids) for a long time. Although I love coleslaw I hardly ever made it… until I tried this recipe. Now I’ve been making it again and again and again. So good!
I’ve made this recipe a few times now, always for christmas or birthdays but the one part that always confuses me is how to incorporate the puppy into the recipe?
This is amazing Nagi!!! The dressing is so tasty!! Can make it super quickly too. Thank you xx
Suggest you cut down on the sugar in the dressing. Too sweet. Suggest two teaspoons in lieu of two tablespoons.
Obsessed! What a perfect coleslaw this makes
You are of course missing a trick here – it’s even better with grated cheddar added.
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 🤤
Same here. Celery salt is basically just celery seed mixed with salt (and usually anti-caking agents like silicon dioxide). I never use celery salt but I used celery seed all the time! Sometimes I grind it up with a mortar and pestle (which I did for this) and added a pinch more salt.
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!
Easy and delicious! Made for a dinner party. Used monkfruit sweetener instead of sugar to drop carbs a bit and no one knew. 🙂
That’s a great tip AHP!! N x
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!!!!