Easy Coleslaw Dressing (2024)

With minimal ingredients and prep work, this top-rated coleslaw dressing is your new summer potluck secret — but don't take it from us, take it from over 1,500 reviewers who gave it a five-star rating. You can shred your own cabbage and carrots or transform store-bought coleslaw mix into a refreshing and creamy side dish with this dressing.

What Is Coleslaw Dressing Made Of?

This creamy, mayo-based dressing uses ingredients you likely have on hand: sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, pepper, and of course, mayonnaise. The resulting dressing is just the right balance of sweet, tangy, creamy, and peppery!

  • Mayonnaise: For a creamy coleslaw, as opposed to vinegar-based, mayonnaise is essential. Use your favorite store brand or make your own!
  • Sugar: A sweetener is necessary to balance out the tang of the vinegar and the acidity of the lemon. This recipe calls for standard white sugar, but honey or maple syrup may also be used.
  • Lemon juice: Not all coleslaw dressing calls for lemon juice, but it helps to amp up the flavor and add some brightness.
  • Vinegar: Vinegar is the primary source of coleslaw's signature tang. Use either apple cider vinegar or white vinegar.
  • Salt and pepper: Bring it all home with a little salt and pepper! No need to get fancy with seasonings, the simplicity of this recipe is what makes it so good.

How to Use Homemade Coleslaw Dressing

This recipe makes enough dressing for a 14-ounce bag of coleslaw mix, or about 8 cups of shredded cabbage and carrots. Make the dressing up to a week in advance and refrigerate until you're ready to put it to use. When it comes time to serve, simply toss the coleslaw in the dressing.

How to Store Coleslaw Dressing

You can make your coleslaw dressing ahead of time so that it's at the ready anytime you want to make coleslaw. Refrigerate coleslaw dressing in an airtight container. For best results, use within one week.

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

"We ate it as a side as well as on a bun of BBQ pulled chicken. Really good both ways," says reviewer NettieO.

"I mixed it into a 14oz bag of coleslaw mix and it wasn't too runny or dry," says reviewer Sarah Flores. "I was afraid it would be too peppery because I'm not a fan of pepper, but it was well balanced. On my 2nd helping, I sprinkled a little celery seed on top and I liked it even better."

"I think the key was making dressing the day before and letting the flavors intensify overnight," says reviewer Kim.

Editorial contributions by Melanie Fincher.

Easy Coleslaw Dressing (2024)

FAQs

What is the dressing made of in coleslaw? ›

What Is Coleslaw Dressing Made Of? This creamy, mayo-based dressing uses ingredients you likely have on hand: sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, pepper, and of course, mayonnaise. The resulting dressing is just the right balance of sweet, tangy, creamy, and peppery!

What is creamy coleslaw made of? ›

Combine the shredded cabbage and carrots in a large bowl. Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, onion, sugar, vinegar, mustard, celery salt, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl, and then add to the cabbage mixture. Mix well to combine and taste for seasoning; add more salt, pepper, or sugar if desired.

How do you make coleslaw not watery? ›

Salting the cabbage, carrot, and onion purges excess moisture that would otherwise turn the slaw into a soupy mess. Including sugar (another osmosis-inducing ingredient) balances the flavor. Limiting the purge to five minutes keeps the cabbage crunchy.

How much marzetti coleslaw dressing to use? ›

Marzetti's Famous Coleslaw
  1. 1/2 medium-size head green cabbage.
  2. 1/4 medium-size head purple cabbage.
  3. 2 large carrots.
  4. 1 cup Marzetti® Original Slaw Dressing.
  5. 3 tablespoons lemon juice, or juice of 1 lemon.
  6. 2 teaspoons poppyseeds, plus more for sprinkling on top.
  7. Salt and pepper, to taste.

What is traditional coleslaw made of? ›

What is traditional coleslaw made of? Traditional coleslaw is little more than shredded cabbage and a creamy dressing. This recipe adds a bit more flavor with shredded carrots and onion. The creamy dressing is made with mayonnaise, sugar, cider vinegar, salt, and pepper, for a just right tangy-sweet flavor.

Can I use apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar in coleslaw? ›

Apple cider vinegar – It is ok to replace the apple cider vinegar with white distilled, white wine or red wine vinegar, but the apple cider variety adds so much delicious flavor.

Why does my homemade coleslaw taste bitter? ›

It's a clever defense mechanism for the cabbage plant to discourage hungry foragers. Of course, slivering or dicing cabbage to make coleslaw also ruptures plant cell walls, so the same reaction is triggered. At first, any bitterness may seem pleasantly tangy as the salad's dressing mellows cabbage flavors.

Why does homemade coleslaw go runny? ›

It is the acidity in the dressing that pulls moisture out of the cabbage. So the smart thing to do is to dress the slaw as close to serving time as is practical. What are some good tips for making a store bought coleslaw taste better?

What can I add to store bought coleslaw to make it taste better? ›

<br/><br/>Adding horse radish or onion or celery seeds or bacon bits or some other tasty flavors to make it your own is a really good idea.

How do you thicken coleslaw dressing? ›

You can replace some or all of the sugar with a sugar substitute and I recommend using a 1:1 replacement like swerve. Replacing the sugar may have an impact on the consistency of the coleslaw dressing. If your dressing is too thin, you can use a little xanthan gum mixed in with the sugar substitute to thicken it.

How long does homemade coleslaw last? ›

Assuming that you're storing your coleslaw in the refrigerator — and haven't taken it out for a stretch of time and put it back in — coleslaw can safely last up to five days. However, it's important to remember that this is the maximum amount of time it should be kept.

How long does coleslaw dressing last once opened? ›

Information. Unopened jars of mayonnaise and salad dressing may be stored in the pantry. After opening, keep refrigerated up to 2 months. For more information, you may call the Food and Drug Administration's toll-free at 1-888-723-3366 or go to FDA's website.

What does coleslaw contain? ›

Coleslaw is a salad made with shredded cabbage and dressing. The dressing can be mayonnaise-based, vinegar-based, or yogurt-based. Coleslaw can also include other ingredients like carrots, onions, celery, and herbs. It is also a great way to use up leftover vegetables.

What are the ingredients in shop bought coleslaw? ›

INGREDIENTS: Cabbage (47%), Carrot (16%), Rapeseed Oil, Water, Single Cream (Milk), Pasteurised Egg Yolk, Spirit Vinegar, Onion, Sugar, Salt, Stabilisers (Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum), White Wine Vinegar, Concentrated Lemon Juice.

Why is KFC coleslaw so good? ›

Fresh ingredients are key to a good slaw, and KFC does alright for a fast food restaurant. You won't find any wilted cabbage pieces, and the carrots are nice and hard as well. What's more, KFC finely dices everything so you don't have to chew that much, and all the flavors and textures blend perfectly.

What are the ingredients in Kraft coleslaw dressing? ›

Ingredients. INGREDIENTS: SOYBEAN OIL, SUGAR, WATER, EGG YOLKS, VINEGAR, SALT, MUSTARD, POLYSORBATE 60 (PREVENTS OIL SEPARATION), POTASSIUM SORBATE (MAINTAINS QUALITY), PROPYLENE GLYCOL ALGINATE (THICKENER), XANTHAN GUM (THICKENER), SPICES AND SEASONINGS (CONTAINS CELERY), CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA (MAINTAINS FLAVOUR).

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