Coleslaw is a classic summer staple on tables across the country in the U.S. Our creamy coleslaw recipe is creamy with a bit of vinegar and it's sure to get rave reviews.
Need more easy salads for summer BBQs? Try our Italian pasta salad and homemade potato salad recipes. You'll also love our broccoli salad, too!
Ingredients
Our creamy coleslaw takes pantry staples that are easy to find at the grocery store. Let's talk about some of the key ingredients.
- Vegetables: We used shredded green cabbage and carrots.
- Aromatics: We used chopped yellow onions.
- Acid: We used white vinegar and lemon juice.
- Dressing: We used a creamy mayo-based dressing with sugar, milk, and seasonings.
How to Make
Gather all the ingredients to make creamy coleslaw. Chop up the cabbage and onion, and grate the carrot. Measure out the spices, milk, vinegar, and mayo.
- To deflame the yellow onion, pour white vinegar on top and let it stand for 10 minutes, and then drain.
- While the yellow onion is deflaming, mix together the ingredients for the dressing: mayo, sugar, salt, celery seed, and black pepper. Pour in as much milk as you like to thin out the dressing. I used 3 tablespoons.
3. Whisk the milk in with the dressing to get the desired thickness.
4. Place the cabbage, onion, and carrot in a large bowl, then pour on the homemade dressing.
5. Stir until well combined. Adjust seasonings, if necessary. Cover and chill for at least one hour for the best flavor.
6. Enjoy this creamy coleslaw recipe with other summer cookout favorites. It's quick to make, low carb, low in calories, and a summer classic. Why not give it a try?
Recipe FAQs
Creamy coleslaw uses mayonnaise along with a bit of milk to thin it out to give it the traditional creamy texture. Our recipe seasons the dressing with lemon juice, caraway seeds, salt and pepper.
The pectin in the cell walls of the cabbage holds onto water. The salt in the dressing breaks down the pectin in the cell walls, releasing the water from the cabbage.
In America, coleslaw is typically served as a side dish in the summer when people are having a cookout or a picnic. It's great with grilled meat, on top of pulled pork, or with fried chicken. It also tastes wonderful with grilled sausage on a hot dog bun. Many families also like to serve potato salad for their backyard BBQ.
It can be kept for 3 to 5 days as long as it is refrigerated in an airtight container, but it tastes best when eaten the same day it's made.
Serve
You'll love eating this creamy coleslaw along with other sides, like this tomato olive salad or Chick-fil-A mac and cheese.
Expert Tips
- Is it too watery? Sprinkle the shredded cabbage with kosher salt and let it drain in a colander for one hour. Rinse, dry, and use.
- Is it not sweet enough? Adjust the amount of sugar, add more grated carrot, or add grated apple.
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Recipe
Creamy Coleslaw Recipe
Ingredients
For the Slaw
- 5 cups green cabbage, shredded
- 1 cup carrot, shredded
- ½ cup yellow onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
For the Dressing
- ½ cup mayo
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, optional
- 3 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
- Using a knife, box grater or food processor, shred the cabbage and carrots, and chop the yellow onion. Sprinkle the shredded cabbage with kosher salt and let it drain in a colander for one hour. Rinse, dry, and use. This should prevent it from being too watery.
- Put the onion in a small bowl and stir in two tablespoons of white vinegar. Let stand for 10 minutes to deflame the onion, giving it less bite. Drain off the vinegar before adding to the slaw.
- Measure out 5 cups of shredded cabbage and save any extra cabbage for soup, casseroles, or more slaw. In a large bowl, mix together the shredded cabbage and carrot.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayo, sugar, celery seed, salt, and pepper. If you are not using Duke's mayo, you might want to add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Gradually whisk in the whole milk until it is the desired consistency. For a thicker dressing, don't add all the milk. Adjust the seasonings to taste.
- Add the deflamed onion to the cabbage and carrot mixture, then add the dressing. Stir until well combined, and transfer to a pretty serving bowl. Eat right away or cover and chill for one hour. This coleslaw tastes best after it has chilled.
Notes
- Sprinkle the shredded cabbage with kosher salt and let it drain in a colander for one hour. Rinse, dry, and use. This should prevent it from being too watery.
- Adjust the amount of sugar, add more grated carrot, or add grated apple to make it more sweet.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
This recipe was originally published on May 31, 2019.
Beth
This is crunchy, creamy, and everything coleslaw should be. Definitely five stars.
Emma
Thanks! Coleslaw is such a great summer salad.