Southern Coleslaw

Overhead view of coleslaw for feature image.

This creamy, sweet Southern coleslaw tastes just like the one from KFC—and it’s honestly pretty dang close to Popeye’s, too. If you love either, you’re going to love this version.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American - Southern

Prep Time 15

Chilling Time 4

Total Time 15

Servings

Calories 143kcal

Author Marye Audet-White

Equipment

mixing bowl

Ingredients

½ cup onion chopped - optional
14 ounces coleslaw mix

Dressing

½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup cultured buttermilk do not use milk + vinegar or lemon juice
⅓ cup sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar use less if you don't want it so tangy
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
½ teaspoon onion powder optional

Cabbage Mixture (if you're not using the coleslaw mix)

6-8 cups cabbage shredded
1 ½ cups carrots shredded

Instructions

Cabbage Mixture

Stir cabbage and carrots together gently to combine. It's pretty to use some purple cabbage for some of the green cabbage.

Dressing

Whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a large bowl.
Pour over the coleslaw mix.
Stir well to be sure all the cabbage is coated with dressing.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Serve ice cold.

Notes

Note: Some people say that original KFC Coleslaw does not use mayo or buttermilk - it uses Miracle Whip. If you prefer that just substitute the Miracle Whip for the Mayo and leave out the buttermilk.... The ORIGINAL original KFC Coleslaw had a little horseradish in it - you can try about 1-½ teaspoons if you remember that version.

Tips:

- I think the best way to shred the vegetables is in a food processor. Pulse the blades a few times until you're happy with the size.

- Use a box grater to quickly and finely dice the onion and shred the carrots.

- This is one recipe where you don't want to use a buttermilk substitute. Put the lemon juice and sour cream away, and just spring for some good ol' buttermilk.

- At parties, I like to fill a large bowl with ice, then nestle the smaller serving bowl of coleslaw into it.

Storage:

Copycat KFC coleslaw is best served around the 4-8 hour mark after mixing it up. However, refrigerated and stored in an airtight container, you can usually squeeze another few days out of it.

Remember to keep the coleslaw chilled or on ice when you're serving it. Mayo-based coleslaw can spoil even after just a couple of hours in the Southern heat.

Do not freeze!

Nutrition