An Easy Coleslaw Recipe

This quick and easy Coleslaw is made with freshly shredded cabbage and carrots and is tossed in a creamy homemade dressing. It’s perfect for picnics and barbecues! Recipe includes a how-to video.

The Best Homemade Coleslaw

With Memorial Day just around the corner, a summer full of picnics and backyard barbecues is about to start (hooray!). I’ve got a plethora of refreshing side dishes for serving at cookouts, from my broccoli salad and shrimp pasta salad to my Texas caviar; however, I’ve been missing one very important and classic dish–coleslaw!

My coleslaw recipe is packed full of freshly shredded cabbage and carrots tossed in a homemade dressing. The finished product strikes the perfect balance between creamy, tangy, and sweet. It’s a simple side that’s incredibly easy to make, and it absolutely deserves a place on your picnic table.

If I’m being honest, I actually hesitated to share this coleslaw because it’s just so easy and basic. However, it’s definitely a staple and a must-have addition to any BBQ or cookout, and since I’m having a BBQ-themed week (BBQ sauce earlier in the week & pulled pork coming next), I felt it was worth sharing. I hope you’ll agree!

What You Need

I like my coleslaw a tad creamier and sweeter than other versions. If you prefer your coleslaw more tangy, less sweet, or less creamy, you can always adjust the ingredients to your liking. Here are a few worth highlighting:

• Cabbage. A mix of freshly shredded red and green cabbage adds a colorful crunch.
• Carrots. I recommend peeling your carrots before shredding; this makes the coleslaw look brighter and nicer.
• Apple cider vinegar. If you don’t have apple cider vinegar on hand, you can use distilled, white wine, or red wine vinegar.
• Sugar. This may seem like an odd addition, but trust me! Just a little sweetness makes the creamy dressing super flavorful and balances the tang from the vinegar.

SAM’S TIP: If you’ve never shredded your own cabbage before, check out the video below where I demonstrate two easy methods.

Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

How to Make Coleslaw

1. Shred your cabbage and carrots.
2. In a separate bowl, combine your dressing ingredients.
3. Drizzle your dressing over the cabbage mixture
4. Toss until well combined, then cover and chill your coleslaw until ready to serve.

SAM’S TIP: For best results, let your coleslaw chill in the fridge for an hour before serving; this helps the flavors marry and allows the dressing to really coat the veggies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Stay tuned for my final installment of BBQ week: instant pot pulled pork!

Enjoy!

Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook

Easy Coleslaw Recipe

This quick and simple coleslaw is made with freshly shredded cabbage and carrots and is tossed in a creamy homemade dressing. It's perfect for picnics and barbecues!

Recipe includes a how-to video!

4.98 from 38 votes

Print Pin Rate

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Recommended resting time:: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings (about ½ cup per serving)

Calories: 206kcal

Author: Sam Merritt

Ingredients

• ▢ ⅔ cup (160 g) mayonnaise
• ▢ 1 ½ Tablespoons granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 ½ Tablespoons apple cider vinegar may substitute distilled, white wine, or red wine vinegar
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon table salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 3 cups (240 g) shredded green cabbage (see note to use pre-shredded cabbage)
• ▢ 1 cup (75 g) shredded purple cabbage
• ▢ 1 cup (100 g) peeled, shredded carrots

Recommended Equipment

• ▢
  Mixing bowl
• ▢
  Sharp knife
• ▢
  Mandolin

Instructions

• In a small dish, prepare the dressing by whisking together mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, salt, and black pepper.
  ⅔ cup (160 g) mayonnaise, 1 ½ Tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 ½ Tablespoons apple cider vinegar, ¼ teaspoon table salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• In a large bowl, toss together green and purple cabbage and shredded carrots.
  3 cups (240 g) shredded green cabbage, 1 cup (75 g) shredded purple cabbage, 1 cup (100 g) peeled, shredded carrots
• Drizzle dressing over cabbage/carrot mixture and toss/stir until ingredient are thoroughly combined and all cabbage/carrots are coated with dressing. Taste-test and add more salt and pepper as needed.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving (for best flavor).

Notes

Storing

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

Using pre-shredded cabbage mix

You may substitute a 14oz bag of shredded coleslaw mix for the cabbage and carrots listed in the recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 206kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 266mg | Potassium: 127mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 228IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

Related Recipes