This easy coleslaw recipe is a classic favorite for summer cookouts. It’s like KFC coleslaw with finely shredded cabbage in a homemade dressing that’s creamy, tangy, but not too sweet. It’s our favorite on hot dogs, pulled pork sandwiches or just as a side dish.
Why This Is The Best Coleslaw
If you’ve ever had KFC coleslaw, then you know it is just the right blend of creamy, tangy, and slightly sweet with finely diced cabbage and carrots. This recipe is so fast to whip up in under 15 minutes to enjoy. But honestly it is even better the next day, so feel free to make it a day ahead of your get-together.
I love the flavor that the grated onion gives this creamy coleslaw. Grating it helps it blend in better and just gives it a great overall flavor without chunks of onion to bite into.
This, along with my favorite deviled eggs recipe and this southern potato salad recipe are by far some of my favorite things in life!
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Ingredients You’ll Need for My Homemade Coleslaw
The complete list of ingredients with amounts are listed in the full recipe card below.
- Green Cabbage – Finely chopped (about 6–7 cups). Use a food processor for quick prep, or buy 14-16 oz. bag of pre-shredded coleslaw mix to save time. But I still like to chop it up fine like KFC does.
- Carrots – I just use bagged usually. But feel free to grate you own from one whole carrot. You can also chop them in the food processor with the cabbage if you want them finer.
- Onion – Grated for flavor without having bigger chunks. White or sweet onion is the best in my opinion.
For the Coleslaw Dressing:
- Mayonnaise – I love Hellman’s or Duke’s mayo but use your favorite brand.
- Sugar – regular white sugar is what I think is best. If you prefer less sweet coleslaw, just use 2 tablespoons to start and add from there.
- Milk – I use whole milk but 2% will work too.
- Buttermilk – Adds a signature flavor. No buttermilk? Sub with with regular milk plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice.
- Lemon juice – About 1 lemon. Fresh is best! But use bottled if that’s all you have on hand.
- White vinegar – This complements the lemon juice perfectly to add a slight extra tang. Trust me on this! But…. if you like extra tangy coleslaw, you can use red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar instead.
- Salt & Pepper
Variations You Can Try
1. Although I use just green cabbage, you can add some purple cabbage into the mixture too.
2. Add a tablespoon of yellow mustard.
3. Add a teaspoon of celery seed or poppy seeds.
How to Make This Classic Coleslaw Recipe
Step 1: Cut the cabbage into quarters and slice out the core.
Step 2: Shred the cabbage. In 2 batches, place the cabbage in a food processor and pulse 5-6 times to shred it. Then remove the top, scrape down the sides and pulse 2-3 more times until finely chopped.If you don’t have a processor, use a sharp knife or grater. If using a bag of store-bought coleslaw or cabbage mixture, pulse it 2 or 3 times.
Step 3: Make the Dressing. In a large mixing bowl, combine: mayonnaise, sugar, milk, buttermilk, lemon juice, and vinegar. Whisk until smooth.
Step 4: Add the chopped cabbage, shredded carrots, grated onion, salt, and pepper into the bowl and stir everything together until the cabbage is coated well.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to let the flavors meld.
Storing Leftovers
Refrigerate: Store leftover cole slaw in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.
Freezing: Freezing is not recommended since the mayo and milk will change the texture after thawing.
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Easy Coleslaw Recipe – Best KFC Copycat
Ingredients
- 1 head cabbage finely chopped, about 6-7 cups
- ⅓ cup shredded carrots
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- 2 ½ tablespoon lemon juice juice of one lemon
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon onion grated
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Cut the cabbage in quarters and remove the core on each piece.
- In 2 batches, place the cabbage in a food processor and pulse 5-6 times. Then remove the top, scrape down the sides and pulse 2-3 more times until finely chopped.1 head cabbage
- In a large mixing bowl, add the carrots, mayo, sugar, milk, buttermilk, lemon juice and white vinegar and mix together well.⅓ cup shredded carrots, ½ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup sugar, ¼ cup milk, ¼ cup buttermilk, 2 ½ tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- Then add all of the shredded cabbage, grated onion, salt and pepper and stir to combine.1 tablespoon onion, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least an hour for the flavors to meld. (make it the day before if you’d like).
- Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclosure
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.
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