I admit that KFC makes the best coleslaw! It has the perfect balance of tart and some sweet, and it’s creamy. This recipe rivals KFC’s recipe, 100%. I’ve made this dozens of times, and it always turns out perfect.
Coleslaw is one of my husband’s favorite dishes that I make for him. He especially loves it with pulled pork. As a little girl, I used to love the coleslaw that was served at Kentucky Fried Chicken– we’re talking decades ago, when KFC served those wonderful buns (and not the biscuits they serve today).
At last, I can make a version that’s even better — and that’s a promise! Like many comfort foods, this is not low-fat. This slaw is mayonnaise based, has buttermilk, sugar, and some seasonings that are right on the money! Sometimes, you just have to enjoy these things, in moderation. I ate one serving of this, and my boys polished off the entire bowl. We begin with REAL mayonnaise. You need some half & half (yep, that’s right). Start whisking….
(why I photographed apple cider vinegar, I don’t know… I used it for the BBQ sauce)… and now to add sugar. I cut back on the sugar, because I’ll be tasting it so that it doesn’t turn out too sweet. Start slow, and you can always add more.
Add a little garlic powder. Let’s talk about the slaw– this time, I used packaged slaw. It was on sale and this is a great shortcut. So, now I add the green onion and celery seeds (I used 1 teaspoon, because I think they can be a little too much in the flavor department). This dressing is really, really, good!
Sometimes I make it in a jar, so my husband can make small portions of slaw throughout his work week.
It’s best to make this a few hours before, so the flavors will develop.
Creamy Homemade Coleslaw
Ingredients
- 1 head green cabbage 8 to 10-cups
- 1 large carrot peeled and finely shredded (hand-squeeze out any excess moisture completely)
- 2-3 stalks green onions or to taste
- 1 teaspoons celery seeds optional, or to taste
DRESSING:
- 1 cup mayonnaise Hellman’s or Best Foods
- 1/3 cup milk light cream even better
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice use fresh only, not bottled
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoons white sugar options,s if you like sweeter dressing
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon seasoning salt or white salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper or to taste
Instructions
- In a food processor chop the cabbage into small pieces (should look like about the size of confetti) or shred the cabbage. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- With a fine shredder, shred the peeled carrots; add to the cabbage in the bowl.
- NOTE: If using pre-chopped cole slaw blend, then skip all of the above steps!
- Chop the green onion finely; add to the cabbage/carrot mixture along with the celery seed. Mix the three veggies all together with a wooden spoon.
- For the dressing:
- In a medium bowl whisk together all the dressing ingredients starting with the lower amounts then adding in and adjusting to suit taste but using 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar.
- Pour over the veggies in the bowl, and mix well to combine.
- Store covered in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight (overnight is better) to blend flavors.
Notes
Nutrition
I am certainly glad to hear that your son is well. Thanks for sharing the buttermilk dressing for this coleslaw. Perfect for summer.
You know, I need to try this recipe. It has a few top calorie items, but for a once in a while salad, it is worth it. Good luck with the new job. I admire you being able to do the split shift. Hang in there. We look forward to hearing from you on the weekends.
I'm trying this tonight. We had a KFC that was close to where we live and we always went through the drive-thru and picked up their slaw when we wanted to serve it or take it to someone's picnic. Alas, like all the KFC's in our vicinity, they closed their doors a few months ago. I bought some slaw mix at our produce place an hour ago and stumbled across your recipe for dressing. Thanks so much.
What a scare! I'm glad to hear your son is feeling better!
The dressing for this coleslaw sounds quite tasty..I'm going to have to try this out on the parents.
Hi Debby, So glad you son is better now. Happy belated birthday girlfriend!
I am glad your son is OK< I am a Type II, so I understand your concern.
I found this recipe on some Restaurant Reproduction website and have been using it ever since. My husband will eat nothing else!
I am so glad to hear that your son is doing well. I am sorry that you had such a scare. Happy belated birthday and thank you for sharing your delicious cole slaw recipe!
It sounds very good. I use aioli ('cause I dont like the vinegar in store-bought mayo personally) so I can't wait to try your recipe with the aioli!
Hope your son is doing well. I love old fashioned cole slaw, and agree that it's even better if if marinates for a while!
I'm so happy to hear that your son is doing well now. And, I really hope you had an absolutely wonderful birthday:)
I've actually tried Kittencal's recipe for coleslaw before and it is delicious. I love the flavor from the celery seeds.
A facebook page sounds like a great idea!
Debby, how's your son doing?? Glad he's out of the ER … it's a scary place.
YES, I'm finally back in the blogging scene, and happy to be catching up with u!
The coleslaw looks scrummylicious .. I have half a cabbage left over, so I know what I'm doing with it!
This looks SO delightful! We LOVE creamy coleslaw and this makes my mouth water!