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KFC Coleslaw Recipe in a bowl
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KFC Coleslaw Recipe

This is an amazing copycat version of the famous KFC Coleslaw Recipe. It’s sweet, a little tangy, and creamy! My all-time favorite coleslaw recipe!
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Keyword Coleslaw, KFC Coleslaw, kfc coleslaw recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 4 Servings
Calories 316kcal
Author Kathleen

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon onion finely grated
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk well shaken
  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 8 cups or 1-16 ounce bag coleslaw cabbage finely diced
  • 1/4 cup carrot shredded (omit if you're using bagged coleslaw mix)
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the first 9 ingredients until smooth and well combined. Add cabbage (8 cups) and carrot (1/4 cup) and mix until evenly coated.
  • Cover bowl and refrigerate 4 hours minimum or overnight. Stir well before serving.

Notes

  1. Looking for a low carb coleslaw recipe? The Little Pine has one!
  2. Shredding Cabbage - The original KFC coleslaw recipe uses shredded and chopped cabbage. The individual pieces are about the size of rice pieces. I’ve made this recipe many times and chopped my own cabbage and carrots.
    • When I make the coleslaw this way, I generally use my food processor to shred the cabbage, then I run my knife through it to chop it. Now, more often than not, I prefer to use the bags of coleslaw cut cabbage from the market. It makes this recipe so much faster and easier to put together.
  3. Onion - I think grating the onion is really important for this recipe. No matter how finely you chop the onion, it never seems quite small enough to me for this recipe. ]
    • I use the small side of the box grater and it’s perfect. If you use the large holes on the grater the onion can come out in strands and that just doesn’t work at all! Who wants a long strand of raw onion in their coleslaw??? Not me my friend 🙂
  4. Sugar - You only use a little bit but it's an important ingredient. Don't skip it!
  5. Mayonnaise - I use Best Foods.
  6. Buttermilk - Gives the slaw its signature tang.
  7. Secret Ingredient - The secret ingredient that gives this is authentic taste is the grated onion! Not chopped or minced it needs to be grated!
  8. Chill Time - Don't skip this step! It's super important to give the kfc slaw recipe time in the refrigerator for the flavors to mingle and marry.
  9. Keep It Cold - The flavor is best when this is served cold, rather than at room temperature.
  10. How To Serve - This recipe makes a very wet coleslaw. Just serve it with a slotted spoon and discard the extra liquid after all the slaw is gone. It needs to be tossed each time before you serve it so it’s nice and creamy each time.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 316kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 522mg | Potassium: 313mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 1540IU | Vitamin C: 55.4mg | Calcium: 93mg | Iron: 0.7mg