Coleslaw is a traditional side with almost any Southern meal or BBQ. Make this simple and classic recipe at home to enjoy anytime.
Whether you’re planning a backyard barbecue or summer potluck or simply craving a refreshing side dish, this classic coleslaw recipe is your go-to. Made with fresh green cabbage and red cabbage, shredded carrots, and a creamy dressing, it’s the perfect complement to grilled meats, fried chicken, pork sandwiches, and hot dogs. Using simple ingredients like apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, and a hint of celery seed, this easy coleslaw recipe delivers a tangy flavor with a hint of sweetness. Prepare it in a large bowl and store any leftovers in an airtight container to keep it crisp and delicious for a couple of days.
A couple of weeks ago, I was working on a recipe that called for coleslaw. Since Justin and the boys do most of the grocery shopping, I asked him to pick up a bag of premade coleslaw. He came home without it because the store was completely out. I looked up some more information about coleslaw and decided we could try it on our own.
Fast forward to the next week, and we still hadn’t made the meal because of no coleslaw. I added the ingredients to make our own to the list, and we decided to give it a try.
We used the coleslaw for the recipe intended and also had it with our BBQ Burgers. We had so much, it was a side with every meal for the next couple of days. I tried it and actually liked it, which surprised even myself. The boys weren’t sold on it, but Justin and his parents and brother all said it was delicious.
Tips for the Best Homemade Coleslaw
For the best results, consider these tips when making your homemade coleslaw:
- Shredding the Cabbage: Use a sharp chef’s knife, food processor, or the large holes of a box grater to shred your own cabbage. This ensures a crunchy texture that’s superior to store-bought coleslaw mix.
- Dressing Consistency: Adjust the creaminess of your mayonnaise-based dressing by adding sour cream or a splash of lemon juice for tanginess.
- Seasoning: Enhance the flavor with celery salt, black pepper, and onion powder. A touch of maple syrup can add a delightful hint of sweetness.
- Chilling Time: Allow the cabbage mixture to chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before serving. This helps the flavors meld together beautifully.
- Serving Suggestions: This creamy coleslaw pairs wonderfully with main dishes like BBQ chicken, baked beans, macaroni salad, and potato salad. It’s also a classic side dish for summer BBQs and a favorite at summer potlucks.
Remember, using fresh ingredients and preparing your own cabbage can elevate your coleslaw from good to the best homemade coleslaw.
Coleslaw Step by Step
Ingredients
- 1 green cabbage (medium)
- 1 red cabbage (small)
Dressing
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp celery seed
Instructions
To prepare the coleslaw, take both your green cabbage and red cabbage and slice them as thin as you can. You will also want to cut the slices at least in half so you don’t have really long pieces of cabbage in there. We bought a medium-sized cabbage (the store really only had one size) and the smallest red cabbage we could find.
Place all of the sliced cabbage in a large mixing bowl. Or, if it’s too much, split it in half into two bowls. Make sure that you divide it as evenly as possible since this also means you will have to divide the dressing between the two bowls.
For the dressing, add all of the ingredients in the bowl and stir to combine.
Add the dressing tot he cabbage and toss to coat.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate your coleslaw for at least 2-4 hours before serving it cold. The coleslaw should keep in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days.
Simple Classic Coleslaw Leftovers
Storage: Leftover coleslaw should be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator. It will last for up to about 3-5 days.
Serving: Before serving the leftover coleslaw, mix the entire bowl again to make sure the dressing hasn’t settled to the bottom.
Recipe
Originally Published On: May 22, 2019
Updated On: April 11, 2025
Coleslaw
Ingredients
- 1 green cabbage (medium)
- 1 red cabbage (small)
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp celery seed
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Thinly slice the green and red cabbage and put in a large mixing bowl
- In a small mixing bowl, combine all dressing ingredients
- Stir the dressing into the cabbage
- Mix thoroughly until the cabbage is coated
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving cold
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
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Coleslaw is a really popular salad in Australia – easy to put together and a great addition to normal salads when we have barbeque lunches. Yours looks great and I’m glad you’re finding ways to enjoy more vegetables in your diet – so important!
I didn’t know it was so popular in Australia! I was impressed with the taste the first time I made it, since I don’t usually like coleslaw, but this, I will eat!
Great and easy to prepare salads. It looks very tasty, I would like to taste.
I was surprised at how easy it was to put this together!
Yumm that looks so good!! I really enjoy fresh, chunky, and crunchy slaw, so this looks right up my alley! I had one at a BBQ restaurant this weekend that seems similar to yours and I loved it.
It has to be crunchy for me to eat it. I think that’s why I don’t care for it at restaurants, it doesn’t taste as fresh as making it myself.
I’m definitely going to try out this recipe! I feel like every single coleslaw recipe I try tastes completely different, LOL. It seems like the adults all liked this but not the kids so much but hey! You can’t please everyone right?!
So true! My kids can be picky, so I don’t always go with their opinions on a food! lol But I really liked this and I don’t typically eat coleslaw.
We are slaw lovers. Didn’t use to be but we love the stuff now. Like using purple cabbage.
I didn’t like it before making it myself. This stays really crunchy, which is what I like most.
ah! what’s not to love! It looks delicious and pretty healthy as well. I would swap the mayo for the vegan option and I’m sure it would still taste amazing!
I bet that would still work really well. I haven’t tried it, but as long as the consistency is similar then I don’t see why it wouldn’t work!
I made coleslaw today using my mandolin! I added a little carrots and kale too! Great with sloppy Joes or B_B_Q!
Oh, I bet that added even more flavor! I’ll have to try that next time we make some.
I have really grown to love coleslaw. I am going to have to try to make this soon.
This is the only time I’ve liked it. The slaw stays really crunchy, which is what makes it so yummy for me.
Though I’m also on the “will not touch” side of the coleslaw debate, I’ll try anything you endorse so sign me up for a big bowl of it! Here’s to expanding our horizons!
I was too, until I made it myself. I realized I wanted it to be crunchy and most slaw isn’t, but this keeps its crunch.
It is definitely an amazing recipe for vegans and the over-weight people! plus, the organic ingredients in this recipe would improve your health! I will try to make this salad for my family! Thanks for posting!
It isn’t truly vegan because of the mayo, but that could easily be replaced with a vegan option. It’s a yummy side that’s definitely a healthy option!
I was totally in the won’t touch it category for years until last summer when I made it myself and got to mess around with the flavors and was presently surprised. You make me want to make it again.
Isn’t it funny how that happens? I was the same but loved this recipe. I think I needed it to be crunchy and most slaw isn’t.
This will be a great addition to our list of healthy sides. Trying to incorporate more veggies into our meals, and this is perfect. Simple and easy to make it looks like.
I have been trying to get more veggies and healthy sides on our table too. It isn’t always easy, but a batch of this makes a lot so you’ll have it for a few days!
OH how awesome is this?? I love coleslaw. I definitely have to try this recipe out! Thanks so much!
It was pretty easy to make! The hardest part was getting the cabbage cut thin enough, but otherwise, it was slicing and mixing and it was ready to go!
In Israel we usually make coleslaw a little different, sometimes without mayo at all.
We cut it very fine and only use some olive oil, lemon juice, and salt.
I actually substitute mayo for faje yogurt in all dishes. It gives the same creaminess in my opinion.
I think there’s plenty of cabbage salads you can make that aren’t coleslaw if you want to get some more veggies 🙂 Though this looks great, I love mixing it up and I understand the struggle of getting more veggies in haha…
Thank you for sharing the recipe, it looks interesting with the spices and mustard!
That sounds like an interesting way to do it. I’ll have to try it like that next time, too, and see the difference!
It has been a minute since I had some coleslaw. Currently enjoying getting used to less and less red meat. 2 months so far! So variety of plant-based recipes is top on my rader *saves the recipe to Evernote* 🙂 Thanks for your yummy posts.
Wow, congrats on working towards the plant-based diet! I think I could do it for the most part, but my husband would be a much harder sell on that.
With summer coming, this recipe is perfect. And cabbage is SO good for you!
It’s definitely something that’s at most southern BBQ get-togethers! The flavor is so great, it hides just how much veggies I’m actually eating!
I am in love with coleslaw. It is my favorite picnic food. I will try out this recipe soon!
It’s such a perfect, classic picnic food! With how much you love coleslaw, I hope this recipe is just as good!