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    Home » Recipes » Salad Recipes

    Best Cole Slaw {Coleslaw}

    Published: Feb 17, 2023 by Chef Dennis Littley

    16 shares
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    • Yummly
    5 from 21 votes
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    pinterest image for cole slaw

    I love homemade cole slaw, the crunchy texture of the creamy cole slaw makes it my favorite anytime salad.

    cole slaw in a glass bowl

    My Easy Cole Slaw Recipe, also known as Coleslaw, can be made in 10- 15 minutes, and It’s the perfect side dish for all of your barbecue dishes.

    I always serve it with BBQ Baby Back Ribs and my world famous Buffalo Style Chicken Wings.

    chunks of barbecue brisket topped with cole slaw and onion rings on a brioche bun

    My homemade cole slaw goes great on sandwiches (or with sandwiches), and my BBQ Beef Brisket is a delicious example! It’s great with pulled pork and a topping for tacos.

    Looking for a dish to bring to a summer potluck? You can’t go wrong with my cole slaw , it goes with everything !

    Ingredients for Cole Slaw

    Ingredients to make recipe

    Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Cole Slaw. In Chef Speak, this is called the “Mise en Place,” which translates to “Everything in its Place.”

    Not only does setting up your ingredients ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

    Basic Ingredients

    • green cabbage
    • carrot
    • mayonnaise
    • apple cider vinegar
    • sugar (I use raw cane sugar)
    • fresh lemon juice
    • salt and black pepper

    You’ll find some recipes include celery seed or celery salt, but I’ve never enjoyed the flavor of that seasoning. If you would like a more colorful coleslaw, you can add some shredded purple cabbage to the mixture.

    How do I prepare the cabbage?

    The first step is using a sharp knife, carefully cut the head of cabbage in half. Then remove the core and any of the thicker white parts of the cabbage

    You can use a food processor with the shred attachment or slicing blade to cut make short work of the cabbage. If you slice the cabbage by hand or with the food processor it will still need to be chopped. How much is your decision. I like to chop it fairly small, but you can leave the pieces of cabbage up to about an inch if you like.

    My favorite way to prepare the cabbage is with a box grater, making the pieces very small and tender.

    How to make cole slaw dressing

    collage showing how to make dressing.
    • Add one cup mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to a medium bowl.
    • Combine the ingredients mixing until smooth and creamy. *Refrigerate until needed.

    This mayonnaise dressing can be made with light mayonnaise, and I have seen some recipes add sour cream to the dressing, but it’s not necessary.

    How to make Cole Slaw

    shredded carrots added to bowl of chopped cabbage.

    Add the shredded carrots to a large bowl with the chopped cabbage.

    *You can use precut cabbage or coleslawmix at your grocery store, but fresh shredded cabbage is so much better.

    cabbage and carrots mixed in bowl.

    Mix the carrots into the chopped cabbage.

    dressing added to cabbage mixture.

    Add the coleslaw dressing to the cabbage mixture.

    cole slaw in a glass bowl

    Mix the slaw dressing into the cabbage mixture. Make sure that all of the cabbage mixture has been thoroughly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

    The cabbage can be a little tough, so letting it marinate in the slaw dressing overnight will help soften the cabbage and improve its overall flavor. The cole slaw can be made up to 2 days ahead of time.

    After one bite, I’m sure you’ll agree this is the best coleslaw recipe, and you won’t be buying store bought slaw any more.

    Recipe FAQ’s

    Should I buy precut cabbage or coleslaw mix?

    This is a personal decision. It takes all the work out of making cole slaw, but you will sacrifice a little flavor with any precut lettuce or cabbage. There are preservatives added and I can always notice the lingering flavor. But they do work well when you’re pressed for time and still a much better option than buying grocery store salads.

    Do I have to let cole slaw sit before using?

    The short answer is no, but it really needs time to marinate in the flavors and soften the cabbage. Letting cole slaw sit for 2-4 hours will help the flavor and texture. If you can make it the day before it will be even better.

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    cole slaw in a glass bowl
    Print Recipe Save Saved!
    5 from 21 votes

    Best Cole Slaw Recipe

    My homemade cole slaw is the perfect side dish for grilled and barbecued dishes. The crunchy texture of the creamy cole slaw makes it my favorite anytime salad.
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time0 mins
    Total Time15 mins
    Course: Salad, Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 246kcal
    Author: Chef Dennis Littley

    Ingredients

    • 1 small cabbage shredded and chopped
    • 1 large carrot shredded
    • 1 cup mayonnaise
    • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
    • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
    • 1 ½ tsp lemon juice fresh lemon juice
    • 1 tsp salt more or less to taste
    • ⅛ tsp pepper more or less to taste
    US Customary – Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Cut the cabbage in half and remove the core from each side.
    • Using a sharp knife cut the cabbage in very thin slices, then chop the slices into small pieces. Place the prepared cabbage in a large mixing bowl.
      You can use a food processor to slice or shred the cabbage, or you can also use a box grater to shred the cabbage and carrot.
      Personally, I prefer the box grater method but my wife doesn't like it that fine.
    • In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Mix until smooth and creamy.
    • Pour the slaw dressing over the cabbage and carrots. Thoroughly mix to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
      Cole slaw is always better after sitting for a day, make sure to mix the slaw a few times as it sits in the fridge.

    Notes

    • you can buy a bag of pre-shredded cabbage, but I’m not fond of the taste that the preservative gives the cabbage.
    • you can also buy cole slaw dressing, but none will taste as good as my homemade slaw dressing.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 246kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 485mg | Potassium: 162mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 130IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 0.5mg
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    About Chef Dennis

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    Chef Dennis Littley is a classically trained chef with over 40 years of experience working in the food service industry. In his second career as a food blogger he has made it his mission to demistify cooking by sharing his time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen. Let Chef Dennis help you bring the joy of cooking into your home. For more details, check out his About page.

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    My name is Dennis Littley or "Chef Dennis" as I'm known both at work and across the blogosphere. As a classically trained chef with 40+ years of experience in the kitchen, I share my time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen.

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