Coleslaw Recipe with Homemade Dressing
An easy Classic Coleslaw Recipe with crisp cabbage and carrots in a creamy, sweet and tangy homemade dressing. Coleslaw is the perfect side dish for potlucks, parties and cookouts.
Classic recipes like Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad, timeless Egg Salad and of course homemade coleslaw never go out of style. Sometimes the simplest recipes are truly the best.
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Hey, hey. Valentina with Valentina’s Corner sharing our traditional coleslaw recipe.
Coleslaw Recipe:
Though you can purchase a store-bought coleslaw mix and dressing, nothing beats the homemade version. Not only is it so easy and quick to make, it requires minimal ingredients that you likely already have in your fridge. Crunchy shredded cabbage with carrots in a creamy dressing – so good!
Mix-In Ideas:
Once you have a great coleslaw base, you can spruce it up with different flavors and textures. Try mix-ins like:
- Sliced apples
- Dried cranberries or raisins
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sliced almonds
How to Make Coleslaw-
Unlike most salads that are time-consuming, coleslaw is really quick to make and can be completely ready in just 10 minutes!
- Shred the cabbage and grate the carrots.
- Combine the ingredients for the homemade dressing.
- Add the dressing to the mixed salad and enjoy!
How to Shred Cabbage:
You can either shred the cabbage with a mandolin slicer or by hand with a sharp knife. If you like your coleslaw shredded fine and uniform in size, use a mandolin slicer. If you prefer chunky cabbage, shredding by hand will work.
We used our favorite julienne slicer for the carrots.
Coleslaw Dressing:
A good coleslaw dressing can really make or break a recipe. This homemade slaw dressing is amazing, it’s creamy and tangy and not overly sweet. I love that the dressing only uses 5 ingredients! To prepare the dressing, combine all of the ingredients until well incorporated and creamy.
- MAYO – the creamy base of the dressing.
- ACIDITY – you can use either the classic apple cider vinegar, lemon juice or white vinegar. (TIP: if substituting for ACV or vinegar, you’ll need about 4 tsp, or to taste)
- SWEET – granulated sugar or honey may be used, or a combination of both.
What Goes with Coleslaw?
The beauty of coleslaw is that it’s so versatile! It can be served as a side, or a salad to good Burger or even great piled onto a BBQ Chicken or Pulled Pork sandwich.
Can you Make Coleslaw in Advance?
Yes, coleslaw is great to prepare in advance. If you’re making it for a party or brunch, prepare the salad per instructions and keep the salad unmixed and covered, keep the dressing in a container. Before serving, mix the salad and add the dressing.
How Long Will Coleslaw Last in the Refrigerator?
For the best quality and flavor, keep the coleslaw covered and refrigerated. It will last 2-3 days in the refrigerator. NOTE: Cabbage does not freeze well, therefore, freezing the coleslaw isn’t a good idea.
Try These Other Salad Recipes:
- Corn Salad – the perfect picnic side
- Broccoli Salad– with an amazing dressing
- Avocado Chicken Salad – fresh, healthy, easy
- Kani Salad– Japanese cucumber crab salad
- Chickpea Salad – protein packed
Coleslaw recipe with Homemade Dressing

Ingredients
coleslaw-
- 3 cups green cabbage, shredded
- 2 cups red cabbage, shredded
- 1 large carrot, grated or julienned
- 1 green onion, finely chopped
dressing-
- 2/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice , *
Instructions
- Finely shred white and red cabbage. Grate the carrot. Finely chop green onion.
- Combine the ingredients for the coleslaw dressing.
- In a bowl, toss the salad then add dressing and mix to combine.
Nutrition Per Serving
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Just what I was looking for, Natasha, thanks! My family likes it with a chopped red apple in the mix. I want to serve this with grilled flank steak. What other side would you suggest I make to round out our BBQ lunch
Hi Michele! That sounds great. Mashed potatoes or potato salad both sound like great sides. I have a recipe for both of those, use the search bar at the top of the page.
Hi.. really this Came out gr8
Thx❤️
Keep up the gr8 work👏🏽
I’m happy to hear that, Sherry!
Love this recipe! Added walnuts and cranberries. Delicious. Will make again.
Sounds delicious! I’m glad you loved it. Thank you for sharing.
I got rave reviews at a Christmas party with this recipe. I only had green cabbage, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, almonds and this dressing (with ACV). So flexible and delicious!
I’m so glad it was a hit, Beth!! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
This looks delicious. If I substitute sugar for honey, how much sugar in total should I use? Love your recipes.
Thank you
Hi Carol! Yes, you can use sugar in place of honey. Equal amounts would be fine or used to your preference of sweetness.
Great coleslaw! And thanks for including the nutritional values.
Do you have a cookbook yet!?!
Thank you! You’re welcome. My cookbook is still in process, Fall 2023 is the expected release.
Best coleslaw ever!! Not too mayonnaise-ey, has a tart bite, not too sweet. Mmm mmm mmm! New summer go to!
Awesome feedback, Lena. Thanks for sharing!
see now, this is good but my grandma’s is the best.
depending on how much you want. finely slice half of a red & white cabbage. finely slice 2 white onions, grate 4 large carrots. mix all in a bowl & add a table spoon of caster sugar. mix together & leave for 30 mins at least. the sugar will bring out the natural flavours of the veg.
then add 2 tablespoons of salad cream. some may prefer mayo but salad cream gives a nice tang. mix well leave for another 30 mins and ………….. oh yeah this is it. maybe add a grind or two of black pepper but is good as is……………enjoy, you are welcome :o)
if you want the best ever potato salad, just ask ….. :o)
Hi John, I’d love to try it but what is salad cream? Did you mean sour cream?
I can’t be sure (because I’ve never heard the term before), but I THINK “salad cream” may be Miracle Whip (or its equivalent).
I’ll be making this (with Mayo, lol) this weekend for a Pot Luck. I’m sure it will be teriffic.
Salad cream is a British salad dressing made by Heinz,it can be purchased in any store that sell’s British groceries eg Safeway,Walmart or occasionally Co-op
That’s interesting! I haven’t seen that product but thank you for sharing. I’ll keep an eye out for it.
Web search:
Is Heinz Salad Cream the same as mayonnaise?
They may have almost identical ingredients, but crucially they use different amounts of each to provide a notably different taste. Heinz Salad Cream uses more vinegar than oil whilst mayonnaise is the other way round. For example, in Heinz Salad Cream is just 22% Rapeseed Oil whilst Heinz mayonnaise is 68%
More than likely Miracle whip…that was the big go to back in the day.
How do you keep the coleslaw from turning “pink” from the red cabbage when the dressing is added?
Hi Jean, keeping the red cabbage in moderation helps with the bleeding. We use more green cabbage than red. I have not tested any methods to reduce the bleeding but you could research this.
Very similar to The Fresh Market’s broccoli slaw, but they add finely chopped broccoli and Craisins.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing that with us!
I made this for a 4th of July get together. So good! And lots of positive comments! Every recipe I’ve tried from Natasha’s kitchen since a friend suggested I look there has been a keeper! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Donna! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe!
I made this for a 4th of July get together. So good! And lots of positive comments! Every recipe I’ve tried from Natasha’s kitchen since a friend suggested I look there has been a keeper!
Aww, that’s just awesome, Donna! I’m so happy to hear you’re enjoying my recipes!
I used seasoned rice vinegar, and it was delicious.
Thanks for sharing that with us, Cheryl. Great to hear that it turned out great!
Absolutely Delicious!
Thank you Natasha for this recipe.
Thank you, Valerie. Glad you loved it!
I made this for a dinner with my friends this past weekend, I was very pleased to say that it was a very big hit, they only left one spoonful in the dish. It is easy to make and the taste is so good. I have not had a recipe of yours yet that I have not liked.
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Donna.
Allergic to honey; could agave be substituted in this dressing?
Hi Jan, I haven’t tested that but I think it would be worth an experiment, just add it to taste.
All your recipes are amazing!
Greetings from Moravia))
You’re so nice! Thank you Petr!
Reading the recipe, if you use ACV how many teaspoons do you use instead of lemon juice?
Hi Sheri, you’ll need about 4 tsp, or to taste.
Thanks Nathasa,
I love most all you recipe,easy and delicious all
Thank you for that lovely comment, Gina! I’m so happy to hear that!
Best coleslaw ever! I don’t even want to buy one in the store.
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you for your wonderful review.
I have just experimented and substituted natural Greek yoghurt for the mayonaise and it worked really well.
Glad it worked out great!
Absolutely the best slaw dressing!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Isn’t the flavor amazing!
Can I put this on your pulled pork we are making tonight?
Thanks
I bet you could Alexis! I hope you love the combo!
Made receipt as instructed and LOVE IT!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Kristine! Thank you for that wonderful feedback.
Delicious! Simple recipe with amazing flavour! We loved it! Had it with pulled pork. Your recipes are always amazing. Thank you!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
The best coleslaw ever!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
Celery seed is a must in our household
Then raisins, sometime mandarin oranges, sometimes horseradish and pineapple, but always mayo, vinegar, sugar and celery seed
I love your add-in ideas! Thank you for sharing!
This recipe looks delicious. How many people would it serve when eaten with pulled pork on a bun? I am thinking to make it for 170 people. Do you have a recipe without mayonnaise?
Hi Alexandra, I do have several cabbage salads that look like coleslaw but vary in flavor profiles (without mayo) that you might enjoy. Each serving here is about 1 cup of salad so for a sandwich, you could probably do 1/3 cup and stretch this one recipe to 15 portions for sandwiches.
I used your basic recipe and then added a spoon of horseradish to give it a little zing..
Mmm yes! Horseradish is our secret ingredient in our coconut coleslaw. It’s brilliant!
This is such an amazing coleslaw recipe! I loved it!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that Toni! Thank you for that awesome review!
I’ve been looking for a classic coleslaw recipe. Thanks for a good one!
You’re so welcome, Mallory! I’m happy you enjoyed that!
I bet this slaw would make a great topping for BBQ!
YES!! So so perfect for that!