Restaurant-Style Coleslaw I

This recipe is a GREAT one! I have made it many times. I found a similar recipe in a cookbook by Todd Wilbur (Top Secret Recipes). In the cookbook this recipe calls for 8 cups chopped cabbage and 1/4 cup shredded carrots, everything else is the same. This may help if you are making your own mix. He also states to make sure to let cole slaw sit at least two hours before serving. Happy Cooking!!

Wonderful recipe. I use half the cabbage and the let it sit for twenty four hours, for the flavors to mix. Prior to serving I take the unused cabbage, soak it in ice water for half an hour then after draining it I put it in the spinner to dry it out. Then I fold it all together, and serve. This gives you the Flavor, and the crunchiness. Nector of the gods.

Excellent!!! It does tend to get runny if stored, so I make the dressing and keep it in a separate container, mixing just enough cabbage and dressing on a meal by meal basis when I need it. Dressing keeps well for about 5-6 days...in fact it gets better with age! Really wonderful! Also, if you don't have any buttermilk on hand, you can buy the powdered buttermilk (Sago is one brand I have found). Perfect when you need only 1/4 cup!

YUM! This is very good. I didn't have any buttermilk on hand, so I used 1/2 cup of milk, 2 tbsp. of white vinegar & 3 tbsp of lemon juice (common subs). I'm sure it altered the taste, but this was still YUMMY!! Thanks Marsha!!

Just like the title says, this tastes like the real thing. If you love coleslaw (or even just like it), be sure to try this recipe.

Outstanding! I made this for a crowd of picky eaters and they loved it. I did cut the sugar to 1/4 cup and I used apple cider vinegar because that's what I had. Several reviewers have mentioned that this makes a lot of sauce so I used 3 lbs. of coleslaw mix with a double batch of sauce - perfect!

with minor adjustments to suit my tastes, this is hands down THE best coleslaw... EVER. I've made this countless times and every time everyone raves and my kids ask for seconds and even thirds (weird!). I decrease the sugar to a 1/4 cup and leave out the milk- I hate soupy coleslaw and it just isn't necessary. Everything else I leave the same (using light mayo- Hellmans/Best Foods), and sometimes forget to add the onion. We love to eat it both freshly made (crispier, yum) or up to 3 days old. The longer it sits the more the salt will draw out the water from the cabbage- I ust pour off the excess water before stirring. Delicious! Thanks for the awesome recipe!

This coleslaw is outstanding! I've been lookng for the "right" recipe for years - and this is it. I made it for a large party & it was a hit. Reminds me of KFC coleslaw, only better!

My kids are in school, soup's simmering for tonight, lunches are made for tomorrow and I sat down and found this recipe and had to make it immediately. Absolutely delicious! I love the slight lemony flavor!

You're not kidding, This is Finger licking good. Mine was not runny although after reading other reviews I did the following: Added a little more mayo to the mixture to thicken it a bit and didn't use all of the sauce in the coleslaw. I did let mine set in the fridge for couple of hours. *NOTE* for the one who said it wasn't creamy enough----You MUST use buttermilk

Excellent slaw, Marsha! I cut the sugar to 1/4 cup and used 3T tarragon vinegar rather than white wine vinegar and lemon juice. You get the same kick with less pucker. I used head cabbage and pulsed it in my kitchen aid because I like the bits of cabbage to be more rice or orzo size. This is a keeper!

To me KFC is the best coleslaw and every other slaw I've tried has fallen short. This was EXACTLY like KFC and it was fantastic. I doubled it and took it to a barbecue and there were hardly any leftovers! Several people commented on how tasty it was and went back for seconds. I let it chill 2 hours and the onion flavor was very strong, but the next day it was perfect. Next time I would either make this a day in advance, or else use half the onion if serving the same day. If you want to duplicate the Colonel's recipe at home, this is it (much cheaper too)! If you don't like it so runny, with the amount of dressing this calls for, you can easily use double the cabbage mix and it turns out great! However if you eliminate the buttermilk I would suggest compensating with a little extra mayo which makes it a lot creamier. If you need another excuse to buy a quart of buttermilk I would suggest pairing this coleslaw with Breaded Chicken Fingers from this site, which calls for a buttermilk marinade :)

I am giving this 4 stars due to the fact it gets a little runny as everyone already knows but you can fix that by replacing the milk and buttermilk with sour cream. The sour cream is thicker and holds to the slaw while still giving you the "tang" that buttermilk provides. I do add my favorite spices but this is excellent with BBQ pulled pork!

Noticing a number of reviews that commented on the runny liquid of the slaw, I did two things to avoid this problem: (1)added a little more mayonnaise to the mixture to thicken it a bit and (2)didn't use all of the sauce in the coleslaw. I added a little bit of sauce to the coleslaw at a time until I reached a good consistency. Then, I periodically stirred the coleslaw to ensure I didn't need more liquid. End result was that I had a good 1/2 cup of liquid that I didn't use, making the coleslaw less runny. Excellent recipe.

I cut back on the sugar a little, but otherwise it was great. I like adding some small chunks of apple (spartan) with the skin on it gives the dish some nice colour and some different texture. The kids really enjoy the salad with the pieces of apple mixed in. Will be one of the classics in my book.

I forgot how good homemade coleslaw could be!This recipe is sweet, but also has some tanginess to it. The only thing I didn't like is that the dressing is watery and runs through the coleslaw to the bottom of the bowl. The second time I made this, I thickened it using 2 Tbsp. of vegetable oil. The vegetable oil makes it creamier and it coats the slaw better.

This was delicious. But as others have noted, the dressing is VERY runny. I will make it again, but I will gradually add the milk and buttermilk to see if I can make it a bit creamier and not quite so runny. It appears to me I could reduce the liquids by half and it would help.

This is an okay recipe. The only problem that I continue to run into is that the coleslaw ends up a bit more soupy than I would like it to. Perhaps cutting back the amount of liquid could prevent this from happening.

My wife made this one the other night and she will definitely be making it again - it was even better the next day when the flavors had had a chance to blend a little

Yum, very sweet though. I used only 1/4 cup of sugar and could have used even less. A keeper.

Omg, wow!! Just like KFC!!! Followed recipe exactly & this was the best coleslaw ever!!! My husband & I loved it! This was my practice run to try out this recipe to see if we liked it before making it for my daughters graduation party next weekend. It passed with flying colors! I will definitely be making a triple batch for the party!!

Here's my 25 cents: first of all - made day in advance. I happened to find a really small inner head of cabbage (1 lb) and used my Moulinex to shred it along w/the carrot. I had a bit over 4 cups of cabbage, but I used entire dressing amounts. I guess because I had shredded the majority of inside of a cabbage, I didn't get much drainage of juice after salting...so...I rinsed it and let it dry on a tea towel. Anyway...I didn't use plain milk at all, only buttermilk. I did use suggestion by DIZ re: added a tsp of olive oil and whipped up dressing with immersion blender. Next day my slaw was very 'tight' so I added enough milk to loosen it up a bit. I did add celery seed and onion powder as well. At first taste it wasn't anything special but next day it was just what I was looking for. I did reduce sugar slightly (personal pref). I usually make coleslaw for pulled pork or BBQ chicken sandwiches so I don't need large amounts. 1/2 the slaw with entire amounts for dressing worked out perfectly for me. Not hard to tweak for personal tastes but really needs time to marinate for best flavor. I like it!

Very good coleslaw! I did have to modify slightly using what I had on hand, subbing with apple cider vinegar, onion powder, and omitting the regular milk..using just the 1/4 c buttermilk. I used the Tri-Color coleslaw mix that I pulsed a few times in the food processor to get a finer texture and also added a little celery seed. Was soo good!

I followed the recipe and the results were outstanding! I usually just buy the coleslaw dressing in the jar and mix it with cabbage and carrots- but never again. I may try to salt the cabbage to let some of the juices out beforehand, as a commenter posted, but other than that i wont change a thing.

I used less sugar, no milk ( used Miracle Whip light, didn't seem to need it?) and added celery seed. Very good, used to top BBQ sandwiches.

Good coleslaw.

For those of you familiar with Lucky Wishbone, my husband loves their coleslaw. When he tried this one, he said it wasn't Lucky Wishbone, but it was just as good. I added a little extra pepper because I like the kick it gives it.

Made my own buttermilk per other directions, but other than that followed the recipe to a T. The taste was wonderful, yes it tasted a bit like KFC, but actually much better! It turned out really soggy (as I made it the night before) but I just used a slotted spoon to transfer it to the serving bowl. This fed 4 people at our house- everyone had seconds.

I liked this although it is a bit runny. I may try it again without the milk.

This is a great slaw recipe! Have made several times, and my husband who is very ,very picky even liked it. The only fault I had the first time I made it was the end result was to runny. The secomd time I decided to ommit the buttermilk and use half the milk that the recipe calls for. I only had regular white vinegar on hand, did not use any lemon juice. Trust me these minor changes did not affect the taste of this great tasting recipe! * NOTE: The cabbage and carrots will lose water, the sugar will also break down into liquid form. The second batch was perfect, not runny, and oh so delicious!! Thanks for this flavorful recipe it is a keeper!

Broccoli works better for Hubs than does cabbage, so I substituted a packed broccoli slaw mix. I used Splenda rather than sugar, half the amount called for, and that worked out well for me. The flavor definitely melds and improves as it stands, so I deliberately made it today for dinner tomorrow.

This is really good coleslaw. I let it rest for 4 hours before serving. I'll never buy coleslaw from the deli again. Between this and Creamy Spiced Coleslaw from this site it's hard to decide which to make...........

Wow. Fantastic. I will make this a lot. I used 1/2 the amt of onion and even thought that was a little over powering. I will use 1 small shallot next time.

Great recipe! If I can offer a suggestion; to stop the watery-runny salad, a few hours before you make it, put the cabbage in a strainer or the strainer part of your salad spinner(with a bowl or deep plate underneath) sprinkle the cabbage with TABLE salt, toss and let sit to drain. After 2-3 hours, taste the cabbage - if its too salty you can add a little water to rinse, then pat dry or spin the cabbage in your salad spinner. If its not too salty then just spin or pat dry the cabbage (to remove any remaining water). This removes so much of the water! You'll never suffer from watered-down dressing again!

I liked it at my group of 10 also did. I added a bit of oil.

This is very good. I cut the sugar and oil in half just as a personal preference. My mom has always been the "cole slaw queen" in our family. Now, she always asks me to bring this to our family functions. Thanks for sharing.

A couple of minor changes make coleslaw lovers out of 2 members of my family. A little extra milk and buttermilk and a little less mayo and substitute pineapple juice for the lemon juice. I also increased the black pepper, just because i like it.

Loved it, perfect taste. It got the whole family's approval, that should say a lot!

Simply delicious. I read some reviews, and left out the milk. But after the first chill I tasted it and added the same amount of sour cream. That gave it the mouth feel I was looking for. Also, next time I think I'll cut back on the vinegar, about a third off I should think. Sugar and salt quantities were right on. Thanks for a great recipe! For those wanting to chop their own, this is what I used: 1/2 head of green cabbage, 2 carrots, 1/2 green bell pepper, all sliced or shredded thinly.

This is probably the best coleslaw I have ever had -- homemade or in a restaurant. One caveat. I made it in advance of a party, but tasted it immediately after dressing the shredded cabbage. I much prefer the "crispiness" of the just dressed slaw vs. the more wilted version you get after an hour or so.

This is a keeper. However, I adjusted it just a little. I omitted the milk, added garlic powder, used apple cider vinegar instead of wine vinegar, and used Splenda instead of sugar. We loved it!

Better than any restaurant I've been. Substituted red wine vinegar for the white. Nice update to original. Would serve this to anyone.

Great coleslaw recipe! I left out the buttermilk since I didn't have any and it tasted exactly like I expected it would. ETA: I made it again without doubling the dressing and using buttermilk: it's so much better that way! Don't change an iota and you'll get very close to the real thing! Some people complaint the coleslaw turns out soupybut isn't is runny at that "particular restaurant mentioned in the name of the recipe"?

Another well planned recipe from allrecipes from somebody that knew what they were doing. Bland? No way. I can't imagine a simple cole slaw recipe offering any more flavor. Yes, it was a bit soupy, but that's not a problem for me. One wants the cabbage to be covered liberally with the wet ingredients. Isn't that where the FLAVOR comes from? Sweet, but creamy. Simple, but complex. This one will be in regular rotation at our house.

This has an excellent flavored dressing. I have searched for years trying to get the flavor this recipe has. I did add some green pepper, shredded carrot and celery seed, plus my husband likes a little horse radish added. This will be a favorite.

This is a really good recipe. You can use skim milk with no consistency worries. I also used reduced fat mayo and did not taste the difference. I highly recommend that you keep the dressing separate, and mix what you need when you want it -- this will keep the dish from getting soggy. I highly recommend this recipe.

This is the best coleslaw. I made it for the first time in March and I have probably made it ten times since. The only change I made was to use only 2 tbls. of sugar. Great recipe.

This was pretty good slaw. I found the dressing just a touch too tangy and I think I would cut back on the vinegar next time, but no real complaints about this. I didn't have the buttermilk, so just increased the milk and the lemon juice a little. Not bad at all.

This is a perfect coleslaw. Good tasting without any non-traditional flavors or ingredients. You can feel confident taking this one to a potluck ..everyone who likes coleslaw will like this.

BRAVO!!! This recipe is perfect. No need to change anything.

Tried MANY recipes for Cole Slaw before. They were either too mayoie or sweet. This one has a nice blend of flavors. I used Hellimans Lite Mayo, low fat buttermilk, and skim milk. It was lower in fat, but not in taste!

This is the best coleslaw I have EVER tasted. I didn't change a thing and it was great. I didn't use the prepared coleslaw mix and I made more than the 16 oz. I had to make extra dressing to make it creamy. You can't go wrong with this recipe. Its ablsolutely delecious. WOW!

YUM!! This coleslaw is wonderful! I made a batch for a cookout we had this weekend and I made another batch for Father's Day. It was a hit at both gatherings. I made it exactly like the recipe said and then threw in some blue cheese crumbles. Tastes just like the blue cheese coleslaw at a popular local restaurant.

I tried this recipe on my husband (a notoriously picky eater) and he loved it! This is a recipe box keeper for sure. The only thing I noticed was that my coleslaw had quite a bit of liquid in the bottom of the bowl. Anyone else have the same thing happen?

We liked this one. Made just as written.

I brought this to the 4th of July party (we have over 30 in our family) and all of the adults loved it. My husband is a big fan of KFC slaw and this tested out well with him. I made the dressing a couple of days ahead to let the flavors blend together and then I mixed it together when ready to serve. I had some left overs (I made a double batch) and ate some of it two days later and found the slaw still crunchy and just as good when freshly mixed.

Absolutely delicious! I have been searching for coleslaw that tasted like the kind I had in NY. This is it! Love it. Thank you!!!

Have to give 5 stars since my neighbors asked for the recipe. Very yummy and easy!

This was okay. Not the best I've ever had (not "zingy" enough), but a solid recipe and non-offensive. It does get a tad runny; just drain some of the liquid off.

This is perfect. Used 1/2 T. onion. and added some shredded carrots. Delish!

Excellent! I followed the recipe except that I did not add the 1/4 cup of milk. The dressing was already too loose. I really like this and will be making it again.

Wonderful! Even my 3 year old ate seconds. This is just like the way I remember the Col.'s slaw when I was a kid. Just sweet and tart enough. Perfect. Will make again and a again.

I omitted the buttermilk altogether as I didn't have any and didn't want it to be too runny and used a bit less sugar. Altogether pretty yummy. I do recommend letting it sit for a few hours for best flavor.

This is definitely the best coleslaw i have ever eaten! in a family of picky slaw eaters, everyone was raving. This is so easy to make and soooo yummy that you will need to double or triple the recipe!

I doubled this recipe so i could take it to a potluck with the neighbors. I used the BIG, giant bag of coleslaw mix from Sam' club. I didn't have buttermilk so I substituted sour cream. I added celery seed as I just like the way it looks in slaw! Also added extra kosher salt to my taste.

This was very, very good. My only alteration was to omit the onion, as we are not fans. I did add a sprinkle of onion powder just to give it a faint taste, though. Very good, and is the absolute closest I've had to KFC's (the only coleslaw I like). Thanks!

YUM! Everyone RAVED at this coleslaw. It was delicious!

very good, easy to make. I left out the buttermilk and added a 1/3 cup milk instead of 1/4 cup. I also used a little more than a 16 oz package of coleslaw mix.

Great coleslaw dressing! A teeny bit watery after sitting for a few hours. Next time I will omit the 1/4 cup milk to thicken it up a bit. Might also reduce the sugar to 1/4 cup.

I tried this as listed and my husband thought it was KFC. Now we're trying to cut carbs so I subbed Splenda for sugar and heavy(whipping) cream for the milk and buttermilk and it tastes just as great-also not as watery. This is really simple to make, too.

fantastic---i wouldn't change a thing!

I made this just like the recipe stated except for...I did not add salt, as I think this is what makes it "soupy". It does not affect the flavor at all. I only used 2 tablespoons of splenda, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and almost 3/4 c. mayonnaise. My husband absolutely loved it and he is giving it a definite 5 star rating. Thank you for a great recipe.

We thought this was too sweet and didn't like the addition of the buttermilk. I will use this as a base recipe, leaving out the buttermilk, use only 2 tablespoons of sugar and add some garlic powder and celery seed, 2 tablespoons of vinegar and no lemon.

This is perfect coleslaw!

This coleslaw is the best! I have made it several times and the only thing I change is I add apple cider vinegar and about half the amount it calls for. I don't like much of a vinegar taste. I was actually surprised at how it holds up. It doesn't make the veggies soft, they stay real crunchy! Even a day later the vegetables still have a crunch to them! The sauce seems really thin at first when your whipping it up but just let it refrigerate for awhile and it turns out sooo creamy! Its good both ways...to eat it a few hours later where the sauce is creamy or eat it right away with the sauce a little runny. Excellent and the best!

The vinegar made this inedible.

I made this for my family of 6 and they loved it! Even the non-coleslaw eaters were begging for more. The dressing is creamy and the proportions seem to work exactly right. I did not have buttermilk and instead substituted the correct proportion of milk + vinegar (learned about this on the food channel) and it turned out the same. DELICIOUS!!!

I'm giving this 5 stars because I'm sure I would have loved it if I had followed the recipe exactly. I love sweet coleslaw and I chose this recipe because one of the reviewers said it reminded her of Kentucky Fried Chicken's cole slaw which I adore. I made the mistake of reducing the sugar that another reviewer suggested. Had I followed at the recipe as written, it would have been perfect. I personally did not really care for the onion flavor; my husband loved it. I would suggest tasting it before you add the onion; if you love it as is, don't add onion. I don't think you need it.

The flavor was excellent! As suggested by others, I used just 1/4 cup sugar and added celery seed. My only complaint is that the dressing was very runny. But, once I switched to using a slotted spoon, that problem was taken care of. I made a big batch for a cookout this weekend and got loads of compliments.

I did not have any white wine vinegar and used regular old white vinegar. Still, this was great! Ate it with hotdogs! Will make it again!

We loved this slaw! I was a little hesitant when I saw how thin the dressing was, but I was happily surprised when we sat down to dinner. I sliced the onions on a mandoline, so they were paper thin and other than that I followed the recipe exactly. Thanks for the recipe!!

This is just what I was looking for in a creamy, sweet coleslaw! No reason to buy the bottled dressing. Very easy too! A great recipe.

My husband and I love coleslaw, and now we can make it at home! We've made this recipe several times. We don't normally have buttermilk on hand, so we use lemon juice to sour regular milk. The first time we made it, it was a bit too lemony, and we just had regular vinegar on hand. The second time used the white wine vinegar and halved the lemon juice. This time it was perfect. This is a keeper!

I've tried several "restaurant knockoffs" but this is the best. I could have eaten the whole container. Will definitely make it again and again and again.

This is the kind of recipe that rounds out a delicious grilled meal. Everyone should have this recipe in their repertoire. There is nothing mind blowing about it -- just a respectable homemade slaw that everyone will enjoy. Superior to store-bought dressings for coleslaw and way better than what you can get from the deli.

I love this coleslaw TOO much. It is is perfect- creamy, sweet, and a bit tart. It was so easy as well. This is going to become my *secret* recipe for coleslaw! note: we do not like onions so I left them out and it was still delicious.

AMAZING! had to make it diabetic, so substituted sugar for splenda, and instead of using milk and buttermilk, just used a cup of light miracle whip. i don't even like coleslaw, i was just making it for a cookout, but this was incredible!

LOVE THIS!!! Just perfect! Except for the sugar. Half the amount is sufficient. I have been omitting the MILK, because the salt releases liquid from the cabbage. Lately, SOUR CREAM is what I have been substituting for the milk and buttermilk. Amazing. A few dashes of celery powder/salt is the final touch.

Pretty darned good. I, too, thought it was a little sweet but since we are using it mainly to top off some tangy pulled pork sandwiches it adds a nice flavour. If I were making this a strictly a side salad, I would cut back just a little on the sugar and perhaps add a little more vinegar. But this recipe DOES deliver as advertised.... tasted like popular restaurant coleslaw.

After I started making it I realized that I didn't have all of the ingredients like I though...so I improvised. I used half a head of cabbage (for 4 servings), dried onion flakes instead of fresh, half and half instead of buttermilk, and distilled vinegar instead of white wine vinegar. I made the rest as is and added approx 1/2 teaspoon of dried mustard. It tastes awesome! We are eating it with a pulled pork recipe from this site "Slow Cooker Pulled Pork By: Livie's Mammy."

This is the best recipe and so easy to make! I have to make it for my boyfriend at least once a week! When we have KFC sometimes, I have to make this recipe instead of ordering their cole slaw. This is a keeper!!!

Mmmmmm...this recipe was so good, and I don't even like coleslaw! Instead of a bagged mix I grated two carrots and used 1/2 head of fresh farmer's market cabbage. I also used miracle whip and splenda to cut back the calories and fat a little. It does get juicier after a day in the fridge - I personally like it a little crunchier, but it tasted fine even after it was a little soggy. Great recipe, perfect for using up the leftover cabbage and SO much better than the stuff you buy at the deli.

Pefect coleslaw! I used grated onion instead of the dried minced(didn't have any), turned out great!

This was really good. I'm only giving it 4 stars because I made a few changes (for the better I think) I omitted the onion, used sour cream in place of buttermilk to keep it creamier and less runny and I also added roasted sunflower seeds and chopped apple - a must to any good coleslaw I think. It got rave reviews at a family dinner last weekend.

I used Kevin's suggestions 3# bag to a double batch of dressing and it worked out well to make a large bowl. Also cut the sugar to 1/4 cup and tossed in a bit of extra lemon juice (1 fresh lemon's worth)Good as is. Personally like celery seeds and a bit more onion next time

As coleslaws go, this one was one of the best I have made. Sweet w/light onion flavor and the dressing was fairly thin, not too thick.

Excellent coleslaw! I let it sit for about 1.5 hours and the flavour was awesome! I think next time I would take the advice of others in letting the salt soak up the moisture as the salad was quite runny. Very good salad!!

very very good and creamy. the amount of dressing was good, and increased over time. like others said just used a slotted spoon. i used a little less sugar because of my own taste. this is wonderful with the north carolina pulled pork on this site. it is better after sitting overnight in the fridge.

This is okay but not quite up to what was expected given its overall high rating. Something in the flavor seemed slightly off . . . perhaps the lemon juice was a bit overpowering but just not sure if that was it. Having made “Dave’s Coleslaw” (recipe on this site) the week before, that made for a tough comparison as it was better suited for our tastes.