This Traditional Coleslaw Recipe with mayonnaise, finely shredded cabbage, carrots, and onions is the perfect side dish to serve at summer BBQs and potlucks. It’s crunchy, colorful, easy to prepare, and a total classic.
Our homemade coleslaw dressing is sweet, sour, and creamy—just like it should be. This recipe uses sugar to sweeten and fresh lemon juice for acidity, along with a little salt and pepper to taste. For more classic summer salad recipe, try this Pasta Salad, Pea Salad with Bacon, or colorful Fruit Salad.
And if you love cabbage, try these delicious Cabbage Fritters. They're a great idea for Meatless Monday. Our Vegetable Soup and Homemade Minestrone are also loaded with cabbage.
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Traditional Coleslaw Recipe with Mayonnaise
This classic coleslaw recipe has the perfect combination of crisp, crunchy veggies and lightly creamy dressing. It comes together in minutes and can even be prepped ahead of time, making it one of my favorite summer side dishes.
Another reason to love this traditional Coleslaw recipe is that it is simple to dress up. Try adding a touch of dijon mustard, a pinch of cayenne, some green onions, or a little celery seed. Since it goes with just about everything and has a long shelf life, be sure and make plenty.
What's In Coleslaw?
- Shredded Cabbage - the easiest option is to use pre shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix. You can also shred your own cabbage using a sharp knife. I recommend using a combination of both red and green cabbage. Another tasty option is to substitute broccoli slaw mix for the cabbage mix.
- Shredded Carrots - either purchase pre shredded carrots or shred your own using a box grater or food processor.
- Onion - you will need about half of a diced white onion. You could substitute a red onion or a yellow onion as well.
- Mayonnaise - either full fat mayo or lite mayo will work well. To make this a more creamy Coleslaw recipe you can try substituting sour cream for the mayo.
- Sugar - you’ll only need a little bit of sugar to help balance the flavors. If you would like, try substituting an equal amount of maple syrup or honey for the granulated sugar.
- Lemon Juice - this helps keep the coleslaw tangy and the cabbage crisp. You can substitute either all or a portion of the lemon juice with apple cider vinegar, or another white vinegar.
- Salt and Pepper
Easy Coleslaw Add-Ins
Here are a few basic pantry ingredients that you can add to season your coleslaw, but still keep it classic:
- 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard
- A pinch of cayenne pepper
- Green onions and sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon of horseradish
- Celery seed or celery salt
How to Make This Creamy Coleslaw Recipe
- Mix the coleslaw dressing. In a small bowl, combine the mayo, sugar, lemon juice, black pepper, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Combine the rest of the ingredients. In a large serving bowl, combine the coleslaw mix (or shredded cabbage), shredded carrots, and diced onion. Toss, then add the mayo mixture and mix well to combine.
- Refrigerate. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
- Serve. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Make it ahead. In fact, it's best if you make this recipe at least 30 minutes in advance, but preferably a couple of hours. It helps give the flavors a chance to meld together.
- Make it spicy. Add diced jalapenos and a dash of hot sauce to the basic coleslaw recipe, then balance with a little extra mayo or sour cream in the dressing.
- Add fruit. Toss in thinly sliced apples and dried fruits like cranberries or cherries.
- Give it a little Tex-Mex flair. Mix shredded cabbage with black beans, corn kernels, diced tomatoes, and sliced avocado. Add lime juice, cumin, and chili powder to the creamy dressing and garnish with chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
Frequently Asked Questions
I love using pre shredded cabbage mix or a bag of Coleslaw mix because it’s such a timesaver. If you would rather shred your own cabbage, I suggest using a combination of both red cabbage and green cabbage. Savoy cabbage or Napa cabbage work great, too.
Yes! Coleslaw is a perfect make-ahead recipe. In fact, I recommend letting it sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving it. Coleslaw stores great overnight and lasts for up to 5 days in the fridge.
You want to make sure and shred cabbage pretty finely. If it’s too chunky, the cabbage will expel quite a bit of water as it sits which leaves you with a soupy mess. Using a very sharp knife, slice the cabbage into large wedges, then remove the inner core. Take each wedge and slice along the edge making long, thin shreds. You can also try using a mandolin if you have one.
If you are a fan of the creamy KFC Coleslaw, you can easily adapt this recipe to make a copycat version. Just add about ¼ cup of buttermilk and ¼ cup of milk to the rest of the coleslaw dressing. Season with additional sugar, salt, and pepper to taste.
Storing Coleslaw
- Refrigerator: store leftover coleslaw in the fridge for up to 5 days. Before serving, toss the salad again.
Best Classic Coleslaw Recipe
Ingredients
- 14 oz Coleslaw Mix or ⅔ green cabbage and ⅓ purple cabbage shredded
- ½ cup Carrots shredded
- ½ medium White onion diced
- ½ cup Mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the mayo, sugar, lemon juice, black pepper, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- In a large serving bowl, combine the coleslaw mix (or shredded cabbage), shredded carrots, and diced onion. Toss, then add the mayo mixture and mix well to combine.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Nutrition
More Summer Side Dishes
- Baked Beans
- Zucchini Fries
- Fruit Salad
- Grilled Russet Potatoes
- Bacon Chicken Pineapple Kabobs
- Grilled Pineapple
- Homemade Flaky Biscuits
- More Side Dish Recipes
- More Easy Summer Recipes
This homemade Coleslaw Recipe is an easy summer side dish that goes with just about everything. It's crisp, crunchy, and covered with a lightly creamy dressing.
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