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Looking for an easy coleslaw recipe with simple ingredients? This is the best homemade creamy cole slaw with classic flavor. Check out the best coleslaw recipe below for a step-by-step recipe with only 4 ingredients needed!

Basic Ingredients

Cabbage - I absolutely love cabbage and its the main ingredient in this coleslaw recipe. You could use your own cabbage head and shred it via a food processor or mandoline. You could also thinly slice the cabbage using a sharp knife, but it can be difficult to get the slices thin enough. 

For this recipe, I prefer to use a colorful coleslaw bagged green cabbage mix with a little red cabbage or purple cabbage and shredded carrots. In more cases, you can grab a bag of coleslaw mix at the grocery store in the bagged salad section

Apple cider vinegar - you could use white vinegar, red wine vinegar, or champagne vinegar but I like the flavor of apple cider vinegar best. 

Mayonnaise - I like to use light mayo to save on calories, but still create a creamy dressing. You could use regular mayo which adds more fat and calories, so adjust accordingly if you are counting macros or calories. If you don’t like mayonnaise you could use olive oil instead for a vinaigrette dressing.

Honey - many coleslaw recipes use sugar, but I feel the honey gives it extra flavor. My grandmother always flavored her coleslaw with honey and she made the BEST coleslaw! 

Optional ingredients

This is an easy recipe with only 4 ingredients, but depending on what you have on hand, you may want to jazz up your coleslaw with some additional flavors. Some of my favorites include adding celery seeds or celery salt, poppy seeds, chopped green onion, grated red onion or white onion, onion powder, or even some dijon mustard. 

Don’t forget to add a pinch of salt and pepper! I love playing around with ingredients I have on hand.

How to make cole slaw

I prefer to whisk my coleslaw dressing ingredients in a large bowl before adding my shredded cabbage mix. Then gently stir the cabbage mixture into the dressing. Make sure to refrigerate your coleslaw in an airtight container for at least 30 minutes before serving.  

For best results, I recommend refrigerating your coleslaw for at least 2 hours before serving.

What to serve with coleslaw

I think most of us think of coleslaw as a barbecue side dish, but honestly it's a perfect side dish for any time of year. You can use coleslaw to add flavor and crunch to salads and wraps. One of my favorite ways to enjoy coleslaw is to top fish tacos with. I add some Sriracha sauce to give it some kick!

How to store coleslaw

You can store coleslaw in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-5 days.