Meet my best coleslaw recipe! Made with colorful cabbage and a creamy homemade dressing, it's a perfect side dish for picnics and BBQs.
This easy coleslaw recipe is great for just about any occasion—a weeknight dinner, a summer BBQ, or a fun picnic lunch. Shredded cabbage and carrots create its colorful base, and a homemade coleslaw dressing ties the whole thing together. Crunchy, creamy, tangy, and lightly sweet, it’s one of my favorite quick side dishes. I’ve made it for countless cookouts over the last 6 years, and this creamy coleslaw recipe is always a hit!
Why You’ll Love This Coleslaw Recipe
- It’s easy to make. Just shred the veggies, mix up the dressing, and toss it all together! To make it even simpler, use store-bought coleslaw mix instead of cutting the vegetables yourself.
- You can make it ahead. I actually like this coleslaw best after it sits for an hour (or even a day) in the fridge. The dressing gets even creamier as the vegetables soften.
- The homemade dressing packs it with flavor. Mayo makes it creamy, mustard and apple cider vinegar add tang, and a little sugar gives it just the right amount of sweetness. My favorite ingredient—celery seed—adds savory flavor that takes it over the top!
Coleslaw Recipe Ingredients
You only need a few basic ingredients to make this homemade coleslaw recipe!
- Green and red cabbage – They create the slaw’s crunchy base. I like to use both kinds for color, but feel free to use just one type of cabbage if you prefer. If you have napa cabbage or savoy cabbage on hand, you can use them in this recipe, but they won’t be quite as crisp as regular green or red cabbage.
- Carrots – They add earthy sweetness and bright pops of orange.
- Red onion – For savory depth of flavor.
Can I use pre-shredded coleslaw mix?
Yes, pre-shredded coleslaw mix works well in place of the carrots, cabbage, and onion in this recipe. I prefer the juicier texture of freshly shredded veggies, but if you’re short on time, a store-bought mix is a great way to simplify.
My Homemade Coleslaw Dressing
In addition to the veggies, you’ll need these ingredients for the creamy, tangy coleslaw dressing:
- Mayonnaise – It creates the dressing’s creamy base.
- Apple cider vinegar and Dijon mustard – For tangy flavor.
- Sugar – It balances the sharpness of the vinegar and mustard. For a naturally sweetened option, substitute maple syrup.
- Celery seed – I think celery seed is the secret ingredient that takes this recipe over the top! It adds a unique savory flavor that pairs so well with the light sweetness of the dressing. That said, I’ve also made this recipe without it, and it still tastes great. If you can’t find it, feel free to skip.
- And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Coleslaw
Making this coleslaw recipe couldn’t be easier! Here’s what you need to do:
1. First, make the dressing. Combine the mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, mustard, celery seed, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk until smooth.
2. Next, prep the veggies. Shred the red and green cabbage using a sharp knife, or thinly slice them with a mandoline slicer. To do this, first cut the cabbage in half lengthwise, then cut the halves into wedges. Thinly slice the wedges crosswise so that they come apart into thin shreds.
Thinly slice the onion, and julienne the carrots or shred them on the large holes of a box grater.
3. Toss the slaw together. Place the shredded carrots, onion, and cabbage (or coleslaw mix) in a large bowl and add the dressing. Toss well to coat.
4. Season to taste and serve right away, or better yet, chill the slaw for an hour before serving. The cabbage will soften slightly and the flavors will meld. Delicious!
Serving Suggestions
Serve this classic coleslaw recipe as a side dish at summer potlucks and barbecues. It pairs well with these recipes:
- Best Veggie Burger
- Portobello Mushroom Burgers
- Black Bean Burgers
- BBQ Jackfruit Sandwiches (a plant-based spin on pulled pork!)
I also love to pack this creamy coleslaw for picnics. It’s fantastic with a Caprese sandwich, chickpea salad sandwich, or egg salad sandwich. Don’t forget the brownies for dessert!
How to Store and Make Ahead
You can make this homemade coleslaw up to 2 days ahead. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve. Give it a good stir and taste before serving. I sometimes find that I need to pep up the flavors with a squeeze of lemon juice or a pinch of salt.
Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The vegetables will gradually lose their crunch as they sit.
More BBQ Side Salads to Try
If you love this easy coleslaw recipe, try one of these classic BBQ side salads next:
- Easy Pasta Salad
- Best Broccoli Salad
- Best Potato Salad
- Easy Macaroni Salad
- Or any of these 51 Best Salad Recipes!
Easy Creamy Coleslaw Recipe
Ingredients
- ¾ cup mayonnaise, slightly scant
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¾ teaspoon celery seeds
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 6 cups shredded green cabbage
- 2 cups shredded red cabbage
- 2 medium carrots, julienned or shredded on the large holes of a box grater
- 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
Instructions
- Make the coleslaw dressing. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, mustard, sugar, celery seeds, salt, and several grinds of pepper.
- Make the coleslaw. In a large bowl, toss together the green and red cabbage, carrots, and onion. Pour the dressing over the top and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving to allow the cabbage to soften and the flavors to meld.
Perfect side for summer! Tastes even better day two.
Hi Bailey, so glad you loved it!
For one of my first jobs, I made 50 lbs. of cole slaw at a time; twice a day on Fridays and Saturdays. I didn’t eat cole slaw for YEARS. This recipe is a winner. I do like to salt my cabbage and let it rest for a bit before rinsing and adding to the dressing. I used homemade bang bang sauce for the first batch made this month. It vanished before I could get a photo. I made the second batch as written, and served it with beanies and weenies and mini corn muffins.
Wow! That’s a lot of coleslaw! 🙂 So glad you enjoyed this recipe.
I have to confess that although I love salads, coleslaw is not my favorite — usually because it is so sweet. However, reading the sauce recipe for this recipe not only intrigued me but made my mouth water. It did not disappoint! I added crisp and sweet Fuji apple chunks and served it with her black bean burger recipe. Delicious!
I’m so glad you loved it, Shelly!
This is my new favorite coleslaw recipe. It’s tangy, creamy and oh so good! The proportions are perfection. It seems like so many coleslaws swim in mayo but not this one. And it gets better and better over time!
Hi Annika, I’m so glad you loved it!
This was so easy to make and delicious! I paired it with easy black bean burgers and also best veggie burgers.
Hi Heidi, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! And fun that you made both burger recipes too 🙂
Great BBQ side dish! The dressing had a nice tang/sweet/fat balance and I really liked the addition of grated carrots. I probably made my curls too wide, but it added a nice extra crunch. Great recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it, Melinda!
Great recipe ! I initially added kale and skipped the carrots and scallions !Substituted the maple syrup for organic raw honey ! Love the touch of Dijon mustard !
So glad you enjoyed it, Liliya!
Great recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it!
If you don’t have apple cider vinegar on hand, or want to add extra flavor depth, substitute the liquid from a jar of pickles. My spouse likes his coleslaw with a handful of dried cranberries for an extra sweet contrast to the tangy dressing.
Love that idea!
I am not a fan of coleslaw but my husband loves it. One complaint he has is that many recipes have too much mayo. He LOVED this one though – I followed the recipe exactly and he said it was the best. Perfect for summer BBQs.
I’m so glad it was a hit!
This was so good! My family loves coleslaw and this was so easy and so delicious. #loveandlemonscookingclub
making this for a large group get together this weekend! This is the recipe I’ve been using for years except the maple syrup. I love the idea!!
The Celery seeds mde this recipe! But I left out the maple syrup and put in a little pomegranate molasses. Yummy
I made this for my daughter’s birthday party, and it was a huge hit! There wasn’t a drop left!
I used to have a favorite recipe and lost it long ago. And haven’t been able to find a coleslaw one that I love until NOW! This is going to be my go to from now on-I also edited a couple fennel instead of celery seeds, which was amazing and honey instead of maple syrup. This was so good that I just wanted to put the sauce in a jar to put on everything I make when I barbecue. It’s a wonderful based sauce that goes with potato salad and macaroni salad too. I’ve made it three times already -mostly it’s the sauce that really attracts me. I have dietary issues. I need to make sure my ingredients are as natural as possible. Love this!!!
I’m 65 years old and have almost never had coleslaw as an adult (my mom was great at cooking Mass quantities for the 10 kids and my Dad but not so great at good flavor 😊) I found this recipe a couple weeks ago and have made it twice already! So yummy!
Hi Monica, I’m so glad you love it!
This coleslaw was amazing! My family loved it. I will make it again!!
So glad it was a hit!
So much better than basic coleslaw at a restaurant. The flavor is vibrant and crunchy and fresh!
Hi Acacia, I’m so glad you loved it!
Simple, solid coleslaw recipe. Fast to make and classic taste.
#loveandlemonscookingclub
Hi Emiley, glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for joining the club.
This was wonderful! I think I was a little heavy handed with the mustard and will be using a scant tablespoon next time. But I offset with a dribble more of maple syrup and it was perfect!
So glad you enjoyed it, Nancy!