Nothing beats a classic coleslaw! This is great served as a side dish with lunch or dinner, and it's great to bring along for a potluck, cookout, or picnic. It's so easy to make, too. I will often make this to serve on Buffalo Chicken Tacos or with pulled pork BBQ. This recipe for Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork BBQ by Recipe Tin Eats is a good one!
Looking for more easy cold side dish recipes? Check out my Corn Salad or Summer Orzo Pasta Salad.
Ingredients
- Bagged slaw mix (cabbage and carrots)
- White vinegar
- Mayonnaise
- Dijon mustard
- Onion powder
- Celery seed (do not use celery salt)
- Salt & pepper
- Sugar
See the recipe card for quantities
Coleslaw Recipe Notes
Make Ahead
This slaw can definitely be made ahead. I prefer to make it a day ahead of time, though it is generally good in the fridge for up to 4 days. See the Storage section of this post for more info.
You can also make the dressing ahead of time and mix everything together when you're ready to serve.
Coleslaw Substitutions and Variations
Classic slaw is great, but here are a few ways to change it up:
- Slaw mix - The classic recipe uses a slaw mix with green cabbage ans carrots. This can be easily switched with a rainbow slaw mix with green and purple cabbage.
- Vinegar - This recipe uses basic white vinegar, but you can substitute apple cider vinegar, white balsamic, or white wine vinegar.
- Make it spicy - Add some diced jalapeno or a little bit of Sriracha to the dressing.
- Other add-ins - Grated or minced onion, chives, green onion, dill, or parsley can be added.
Storage
Refrigerate the coleslaw immediately. Store in an air-tight container or a bowl covered with plastic wrap. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
When serving (e.g., at a party) leave out for a maximum of 1 hour if outdoors and hot outside or 2 hours at room temperature. See more food safety guidelines at USDA.gov.
Classic Coleslaw
Ingredients
- 1 bag cabbage slaw mix
Dressing
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon celery seed
- Pinch kosher salt
- Pinch black pepper
Instructions
- Whisk together all dressing ingredients.¼ cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, 1½ teaspoon Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon sugar, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon celery seed, Pinch kosher salt, Pinch black pepper
- Place slaw mix into a large mixing bowl. Pour dressing over slaw mix and mix well.1 bag cabbage slaw mix
- Refrigerate in an airtight container unless serving immediately.
