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 refreshing crunch and just the right amount of creaminess, this easy coleslaw is my go-to for summer cookouts and potlucks. It’s your classic creamy coleslaw, but with a few small tweaks that make it especially good. The dressing combines mayonnaise and sour cream for the perfect balance of richness and tang, along with apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, sugar, and celery seed.
The recipe starts with a store-bought coleslaw mix, one of the handiest shortcuts in the produce aisle. With all the chopping already done for you, the slaw comes together in just 10 minutes. It can also be made a day ahead, making it perfect for entertaining.
Serve it alongside BBQ chicken or baby back ribs, burgers, pulled pork sandwiches, or reubens. It’s also right at home on a picnic table with other summer favorites like potato salad, broccoli salad, and macaroni salad.
“Bravo! This is the gold standard for coleslaw. It’s crispy, flavorful, made with readily available ingredients and delicious.”
What You’ll Need To Make Classic Coleslaw
- Mayonnaise : Forms the base of the creamy coleslaw dressing. When cooking with mayonnaise, always use a good-quality brand, like Hellmann’s or Duke’s—it makes a huge difference.
- Sour cream: Adds tanginess and creaminess to the dressing, balancing the flavors.
- Apple cider vinegar: Introduces acidity, brightening the taste of the coleslaw.
- Sugar: Adds a subtle sweetness to balance the vinegar’s acidity.
- Dijon mustard: Contributes a mild spiciness and tangy depth to the dressing.
- Celery seed: Adds a distinctive, slightly bitter flavor that complements the creamy and tangy elements of the dressing.
- Prepared shredded coleslaw: This cabbage mixture typically contains a blend of shredded green cabbage, red cabbage, and carrots. Some mixes may also include a small amount of other vegetables like kale or broccoli, depending on the brand. Not having to shred cabbage yourself with a mandoline or box grater is a huge time saver.
- Scallions: Add a mild onion flavor that adds freshness and a slight crunch to the coleslaw.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by making the coleslaw dressing. In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard, celery seed, salt, and fresh black pepper.
Whisk until combined.
Add the pre-shredded coleslaw and the dark green portion of the scallions. 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
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
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.
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This is the best coleslaw I have ever put in my mouth!! I can’t stand sweet coleslaw and this has just the right balance!! I am making it whenever I want coleslaw!!!
My family loves this recipe. I chop the shreds smaller as my mom did! 🙂
Sugar I sometimes cut in half. Not sure why but most of the time its perfect.
I already have a head of both the savoy cabbage and a red cabbage. If I shred it myself, what type of measuring cup should I use, a metal one for dry ingredients or a glass Pyrex used for wet ingredients? Not really sure how to measure it. Should I go by weight instead and use a scale? If so, what weight for this recipe? Thank you so much. Looking forward to trying this recipe.
Hi Carol, if you choose to use a measuring cup, use the metal one for dry ingredients, but if you’ve got a kitchen scale that will make easy work of it. Hope you enjoy!
One tiny addition grated white prepared horseradish. Taste as you add it and adjust its heat with small amounts of extra sugar. It will make an entirely different coleslaw flavor. I also happen to use rice wine vinegar it’s less harsh. I guess if I’m adding horseradish I should not worry about harshness…..
I’m glad that you mentioned Duke’s mayonnaise as an option for the coleslaw recipe. I’ve been using it for just a few years and really like it a lot.
Great recipe. In our house we like things spicy, so I added thinly cut red onion, one minced jalapeño(with seeds!) , and a shot of sriracha.
Try the prepared grated horseradish it adds flavor and heat.
I love your recipes and use them often. I wanted to let you know that when opening your email your website does not recognize me (like some websites do) and I have to log in when saving a recipe. Thats ok. But when I want to go back to the email you sent to see another recipe and want to save that one I have to sign in again. Maybe I am doing something wrong but I have tried and tried to only sign in once and it does not work.
Thanks
Hi Harvey, do you have an iPhone? If so, once you’re signed in on your phone, you should remain signed in if you visit the site again within a week. If not, Apple will require you to sign in again. This is standard on iPhones and a result of their efforts to maintain user privacy. If you’re visiting the site at least once a week, you should not have to sign in again. If this doesn’t describe your situation, LMK, and I’ll reach out to my developer to see if they have any suggestions.
Hi! Can I sub the sour cream for Greek yogurt? If so, can I do the usual 1:1 ratio? Thanks!
Yes and yes. 😊
I am picky about coleslaw, and this one is absolutely incredible!! I wish I could give it more than 5 stars!
In case it helps anyone else:
I used 4 cups of pre-prepared coleslaw mix so I cut the rest of the recipe in half and I thought it worked well.
I made a few modifications based on what I had on hand. I omitted the celery seed because I didn’t have any! I didn’t have any ACV either, so I used white balsamic instead. As that’s little sweet, I only used half the sugar.
I’m always a little sugar averse as I don’t like things to be overly sweet, but it really makes a difference here. I tasted the sauce without the sugar and it was very good. I added the sugar, whisked it in and tasted again and WOW! Amazing!
This is going on repeat all summer long! Thanks for another winner, Jenn!
Hi Jen
The flavor of this cole slaw is delicious but the texture was almost too crunchy. Is there a way to soften the cole slaw so it is softer, more simiilar to what you get in a deli/diner? Could you put it in the microwave for a bit?
Hi Lisa, next time I’d make it a few days ahead. It will soften as it sits in the dressing.
I have a little trick on how make it softer. Place your coleslaw mix into the bowl and with your hands (just make sure they are clean, of course) start grabbing a few firsts at the time of the coleslaw and do a little squeeze each time. This way you are making it softer by releasing some of the liquid out. Old trick from Eastern Europe heritage.
Thank you, Sasha! I used your trick when making this and it turned out great!