by Holly
This Coleslaw recipe is one I’ve been making pretty much forever. It’s quick, easy and my whole family loves it with just about everything!
We love serving creamy coleslaw with pulled pork sandwiches, or as a side dish for barbecue days full of burgers, pork chops, and other favorites!
A Classic Side
A good homemade coleslaw recipe is essential in every kitchen! It’s the perfect side dish to pile on your plate if you’re making ribs, or fish and chips, and it’s amazing stacked on top of our favorite Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches! Don’t stop at pulled pork, sub out lettuce on your favorite hamburger or even in a club sandwich!
While I sometimes throw in extras to create new dishes like Creamy Apple Slaw, I also love a totally basic coleslaw recipe too. Nothing fancy, just the traditional coleslaw flavors we know and love!
How to Make Coleslaw
Coleslaw ingredients simply consist of cabbage and carrots. I use both purple/red cabbage and green cabbage in this recipe because it really makes it pretty. If you only have one type of cabbage or the other, that will work just fine too! I use a mandolin to thinly shred the cabbage and make this homemade coleslaw a breeze (not to mention I use my mandolin for a million other things in the kitchen).
If you’d prefer, you can buy pre-shredded cabbage, it makes this coleslaw recipe easy and quick. I do find chopping my own cabbage gives the slaw a better texture!
What is in Coleslaw Dressing?
There are two types of dressing, this coleslaw recipe uses mayonnaise as a base for a great creamy slaw (my favorite kind). You can also have a vinaigrette based dressing.
For a vinaigrette dressing, you’ll need no mayo but you’ll add in vinegar! Either one is delicious and you’ll want to make sure you don’t skip the celery seed, it really adds a lot of flavor to this dish.
How to make Coleslaw Dressing
My creamy coleslaw dressing recipe is below (in the printable recipe). To swap the dressing out for a vinaigrette combine the following:
Vinaigrette Coleslaw Dressing
(creamy dressing is below)
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 4 tablespoons canola oil
- 3 tablespoons white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon celery seeds
- salt & pepper to taste
How Long Will It Last?
The dressing for this homemade coleslaw can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and tossed with the slaw the day of serving. I find that leaving it to refrigerate about an hour before serving allows the flavors to blend and gives the best results!
If you have any leftovers, they can be refrigerated for up to two days. Any longer, and the coleslaw may become soggy.
More Easy Sides You’ll Love
- Cucumber Avocado Salad – Fresh and easy
- Brussel Sprout Salad
- Fresh Tomato Salad – Garden fresh!
- Old Fashioned Bean Salad – My mother-in-law’s recipe!
- Chickpea Salad Reader favorite!
- Creamy Apple Slaw Recipe
The Best Coleslaw Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Course Side Dish
Cuisine AmericanIngredients
- 3 cups green cabbage finely shredded
- 2 cups purple cabbage finely shredded
- 1 cup carrot finely shredded
Dresssing
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise/dressing
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon celery seeds
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine all dressing ingredients in a bowl.
- Toss with cabbage & carrots. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving to allow flavors to blend.
