Classic Coleslaw
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Whip up the ultimate tangy, creamy, and crunch-packed coleslaw in just 10 minutes — the perfect sidekick for all your summer cookouts!
With a delightful freshness, a pleasing crunch, and just the right amount of creaminess, this coleslaw recipe is my go-to for summer cookouts and potlucks. It’s the quintessential coleslaw as you know and love it, but with a little extra oomph, making it tastier and more vibrant. The secret? Cutting some of the mayo in the dressing with sour cream to add tangy flavor and richness. Apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, sugar, and celery seed amp up the flavor even more. The slaw is terrific with BBQ chicken or ribs, burgers, bratwurst, pulled pork, and deli sandwiches. Best of all, the recipe utilizes pre-shredded coleslaw, one of the most practical items found in the produce section of the supermarket. With all the tedious chopping already taken care of, the slaw only takes 10 minutes to prepare. Plus, it can be made a day in advance, making your meal planning that much easier.
What You’ll Need To Make Classic Coleslaw

Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by making the coleslaw dressing. In a large bowl, combine: 3/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon celery seed, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
Whisk until combined.
Add: 1 pound of pre-shredded coleslaw and the dark green portion of 2 scallions, finely sliced. Toss until well combined.
Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours, or until ready to serve.
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Classic Coleslaw
Whip up the ultimate tangy, creamy, and crunch-packed coleslaw in just 10 minutes — the perfect sidekick for all your summer cookouts!
Ingredients
- ¾ cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's or Duke's
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon celery seed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lb (about 7 cups) prepared shredded coleslaw
- 2 scallions, dark green parts only, thinly sliced
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, sugar, mustard, celery seed, salt, and pepper. Add the coleslaw and scallions and toss until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours, or until ready to serve.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 266
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Sugar: 10 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Sodium: 258 mg
- Cholesterol: 14 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
Love this recipe. My wife used to turn her nose up to coleslaw but the two of us eat the whole thing in two days. One improvement that we think puts it over the top (for us), is the generous addition of caraway seeds to the recipe.
BTW, this is my go-to site for 90% of the recipes I use.
Delicious! Just made this to go with a burger supper tonight (using your steakhouse burger recipe). Serving it alongside my own potato salad and fresh from the garden corn on the cob. Wish you could join us Jenn as it’s your wonderful recipes I keep using and two of them will be starring at supper tonight with the family!
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This was sooooooo good. Used a 16 oz bag green cabbage shredded and a 10 oz bag red cabbage shredded,. Grated a little extra carrot and made the dressing exactly as described. Served with some baby back ribs and we were licking our lips! Thanks again Jenn for so many “go to” recipes. This is another keeper!!