Coleslaw Recipe

This post may contain affiliate sales links. Please read my disclosure policy.

This Classic Coleslaw is a fresh, made from scratch recipe that will make you never buy store bought coleslaw again! Cabbage, carrots and onion tossed with my homemade creamy coleslaw sauce, get ready to make the coleslaw of your dreams! If Coleslaw isn’t your summer salad of choice, be sure to check out my macaroni salad, cucumber salad, broccoli salad or seafood pasta salad. All fabulous sides for the hot summer months.

Why You’ll Love this Salad

Coleslaw is one of the quintessential salads of summer and the unsung hero for many dishes! Coleslaw has so much more potential than a simple pre-made salad mix and can taste so much better when made from scratch. While it can seem a little intimidating to make completely homemade, I assure you with the right ingredients, it is the easiest thing in the world.

Tips for Success with this Coleslaw Recipe

• Cabbage – Get green cabbage pre-shredded in the bags, or buy a whole head and shred it yourself. Either works great! They are both cabbage, after all.
• Yellow Onion – I love the taste onion gives in coleslaw and a little goes a long way. Do not skip the onion! You will thank me 🙂
• Carrots – Either shred yourself or buy the ‘coleslaw mix’ from the store that has the carrots included. Whatever your preference is.
• Coleslaw Dressing – I use my simple homemade coleslaw dressing to bring this whole recipe together, made with mayonnaise, white vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Easy!

How to Make Classic Coleslaw

For full recipe details, including ingredients needed and measurements, see the printable recipe card down below. Here is step by step what you can expect when making this recipe:

Combine Veggies

Start out with all your ingredients in a large bowl: cabbage, carrot, onion and fresh chives if you have them.

Make the Dressing

Whisk the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper together until mostly smooth.

Toss to Combine + Refrigerate

Toss everything together and refrigerate. Don’t underestimate refrigerating your coleslaw for at least an hour. That dressing gets a delicious onion flavor and is SO tasty. Serve cold!

Optional Coleslaw Mix-Ins

To really mix it up, try adding some other more unusual ingredients. I personally like my coleslaw the classic way but it is always fun to experiment.

You can try:

• chopped bell peppers
• red onion
• slivered almonds
• poppyseeds
• dijon mustard in the sauce
• cran-raisins

What to Serve with Coleslaw

This Coleslaw Recipe is the perfect side dish for main dishes like steak skewers, smoked pork butt, or juicy turkey burgers. Notice a trend? YES! They are all BBQ or potluck staples. That’s because coleslaw is the perfect summer salad. Cold, refreshing, creamy and it compliments so many other dishes.

Storage + Make Ahead Directions

This Coleslaw Recipe can last 3-5 days in an airtight container in the fridge. I would eat it sooner rather than later though because after a couple of days the texture of the cabbage and carrots get less crunchy and more soft.

Can this be made in advance?

Yes, it can! In fact, I prefer it that way because the coleslaw dressing sits with the cabbage and carrots and basically marinates them! You can make this recipe a day in advance. Any more than that and the salad begins to break down texturally.

Or you can make the dressing separately than the salad and a couple of hours before serving mix it all together and set in the fridge.

Can this Coleslaw Recipe be frozen?

If you added the mayonnaise to your dressing do not freeze this recipe! Mayonnaise does not freeze well and when thawed you’ll end up with a separated watery dressing. Gross.

However, you can freeze the cabbage blend and make the dressing fresh the day you are serving. Make sure to freeze in an airtight container and thaw thoroughly before mixing in the dressing.

More Side Salad Recipes!

• Fruit Salad Recipe
• Tuna Pasta Salad
• Chinese Chicken Salad
• Chicken Salad with Grapes
• Cucumber Salad Recipe

Save, pin, bookmark or print this recipe because you’re going to want to keep this one! SO much better than store bought! The printable recipe card is below. Have a great day, friends!