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KFC Copycat Coleslaw Recipe

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4 hours 10 minutes
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Our KFC Copycat Coleslaw recipe tastes just like what they serve at the restaurant, but now you can make it at home. This coleslaw recipe is the perfect side dish to your BBQ.
KFC Copycat Coleslaw Recipe

Inspired Coleslaw Recipe

Did you know we get a lot of our recipe inspiration from our favorite restaurants? We love making restaurant-worthy recipes at home!

This KFC Coleslaw is spot on and goes perfectly with just about any meal.

To cut down on time, buy a bag of shredded cabbage and carrots in the produce section of your grocery store. If the cabbage is cut too thick, you can finely chop what’s in the bag or run it through the food processor.

coleslaw Recipe ingredients?

  • head of cabbage
  • shredded carrots
  • onion
  • Miracle Whip (not mayo – to taste like KFC, we need the tang in Miracle Whip!)
  • sugar
  • milk
  • buttermilk
  • lemon juice
  • white vinegar
  • salt and pepper

The secret to a Perfect Coleslaw recipe

We’ve accumulated a lot of tips and tricks over the years and our secret for coleslaw may just be the best one.

If you want perfect coleslaw there is just one thing every great coleslaw recipes asks you to do: let it marinate! This coleslaw recipe will come together in just a matter of minutes, but making sure you give it at least four hours for the flavors to soak together is crucial.

That being said, make sure not to combine your dressing and cabbage too early. We would recommend not making this coleslaw recipe more than 24 hours before serving for maximum freshness.

Coleslaw REcipe Tweaks

Over the years we’ve had so many readers write in to tell us how much they love this copycat KFC coleslaw recipe.

Here are some of their great ideas on tweaking this recipe to fit your tastebuds:

  • If you don’t like the taste of minced onions you can substitute celery seed and still get a good crunch. Some added celery seeds despite keeping in the onions.
  • Some say tarragon vinegar is better than white, but we’ll leave that up to you to decide.
  • Don’t have buttermilk? Plain yogurt works great as a substitute!
  • Adding just a little bit of horseradish can bring your flavor up a few notches.
  • Put your slaw through the food processor to finely chop your cabbage if you don’t like the texture of chopped cabbage.
  • Add raisins for a sweet taste and mix-up in texture.

Storing Coleslaw

This can be the toughest part of making coleslaw from home! Seems like after just a day or so coleslaw can get super soggy and become a puddle of liquid.

The trick to keeping your coleslaw at the perfect consistency is to store it in an airtight container. You can store it in the fridge, keeping it fresh for 3-5 days.

Restaurant Recipes at Home

If you love this KFC coleslaw dressing, be sure to check out our brand NEW cookbook. We take 100 of our favorite restaurant recipes and make them at home!

Every recipe has a beautiful mouth-watering photo and has been picky-eater approved. The directions are simple, easy to follow, and do not require any strange ingredients.

This cookbook includes copycat recipes from Wingers, Texas Roadhouse, Starbucks, Panera, Cheesecake Factory, Kneaders, and so much more. We have you covered from drinks, to dessert and everything in-between.

We are so excited to share these recipes with you. Order your copy today!

Six Sisters’ Stuff COPYCAT COOKING <—– Click here to order!

The best foods to serve with coleslaw

I’ve said it before, and I will say it again, this KFC CopyCat Coleslaw goes with just about everything. Here’s what we usually pair it with:

coleslaw recipe inspired by KFC

KFC Copycat Coleslaw Recipe

Our KFC Copycat Coleslaw recipe tastes just like what they serve at the restaurant, but now you can make it at home.
Serving6
Prep Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes
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Ingredients

Dressing:

  • ½ cup miracle whip
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup milk
  • ¼ cup buttermilk
  • 2½ Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1½ Tablespoons white vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon pepper

Slaw:

  • 1 head cabbage, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup carrot, finely chopped
  • 2 Tablespoon minced onion

Instructions

  1. Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together.
  2. Finely chop cabbage or run through a food processor.
  3. Combine cabbage, carrots, and onion and toss together.
  4. Pour dressing over the slaw and mix until well combined.
  5. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 121 kcal · Carbohydrates: 27 g · Protein: 3 g · Fat: 1 g · Saturated Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 4 mg · Sodium: 408 mg · Potassium: 346 mg · Fiber: 5 g · Sugar: 20 g · Vitamin A: 1088 IU · Vitamin C: 59 mg · Calcium: 92 mg · Iron: 1 mg
Cuisine: American
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.

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Our KFC Copycat Coleslaw pairs great with our Smoky BBQ Pulled Pork!

kfc coleslaw recipe in serving dish

Published: June 8, 2018Updated: November 10, 2022

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Questions & Reviews

  1. dc says:
    I love coleslaw...any good coleslaw! Like KFC's so I'll give this a go! Thanks!!
  2. Rachel says:
    This is the only coleslaw recipe I ever use anymore! It is so good and it does taste just like KfC coleslaw. It is super easy to make too! Sometimes if I don't have buttermilk, I just use 1/2 cup of milk and it still turns out just fine. You have the best recipes!
  3. Joan in VA says:
    KFC Coleslaw is all right, but the really good one is from Chick-Fil-A. Have you got a clone for that one?
  4. Sam Nelson says:
    Kristen! I'm so sad you moved away from our ward and I didn't get to say bye! This recipe rocks (as does all the other stuff I've tried from this blog) and I'm giving the freezer meals a try tonight! Best of luck to you and your cute family!
  5. Mike says:
    We had this with dinner tonight and it was awesome! Thanks for the recipe.
  6. dwalker1952 says:
    Not totally sure about the minced onion in it. I'm usually pretty sensitive to detecting raw onion and I have never tasted onion in KFC slaw. I'd leave that out if I were making it.
  7. Karen Swank says:
    My husband loves KFC coleslaw and yours is absolutely it...Thank you so very much
  8. Amy Montgomery says:
    My family loves kfc coleslaw so i will definetly try this
  9. Lin Knappett says:
    I hate horseradish and I'm pretty sure that KFC puts horseradish in their coleslaw. I am definitely trying yours: it looks delicious.
  10. mary says:
    if you don't have buttermilk then make your own. take the milk that is suppose to be buttermilk and add a little vinegar to it. let it sit for a few minutes and it clog up just like buttermilk.
  11. Trisha says:
    I make this all the time. My short cut is I use bagged coleslaw. Everyone thinks I get this from KFC.
  12. Susan Richey says:
    hi There: I;ve been looking for a coleslaw recipe that won't turn into a watery dish the next day... any tips? a huge fan and a tad envious of you and your sisters.. I have three myself but we live far apart and I don't get to see them very much...I miss them everyday....there's nothing like sisters! Susan Richey
  13. Cyd says:
    Hi Susan!
  14. Joy says:
    Just finished up Sunday lunch where this copycat coleslaw was a big hit! Of course, everyone said it was so much better then KFC's.
  15. rbynelson says:
    I worked for KFC way back in the stone age and If you live near a grocery store that sells Reeser's products, you can bypass the making of your own slaw dressing. They are the company that makes the dressing for KFC. If you don't want the minced onion in your dressing made from scratch, substitute celery seed and you'll like the little bite as much.
  16. Victoria says:
    I worked for KFC as a shift manager while in college and so, I often made the coleslaw. Unless something has changed since then, the company uses Miracle Whip and not mayo in it's cole slaw. Hence, the tangy flavor customers love.
  17. Sue says:
    I made this today and it's really close! Added parsley and a little celery seed. Thanks for the recipe, it's a keeper, and I'm kind of fussey(so my friends say). Lol
  18. Adrianna O. says:
    Omg ? i absolutely lovvve this “Copycat KFC Coleslaw recipe” !!!! I made it yesterday for my fiancé, because he is obsessed with the KFC coleslaw! It’s easy to make and it’s very yummy ? & wicked delicious ? what a great recipe @SixSistersstuff ???????? I just made it again tonight for him. It’s so good. I tried it after he took a few bites, and it’s mouth watering ? ? I had to stop because I am lactose intolerant and I’ve never had buttermilk lol and I don’t want the aftermath of it,even though it wouldn’t be TOTALLY WORTH it!
  19. Adrianna O. says:
    Omg it is definitely good. I didn’t think ? to add celery seed. I’ll try that next time.
  20. Cyd says:
    Hi Adrianna. We love sweet comments like this! Thanks for taking the time to let us know how your fiance loves the coleslaw. Have a great week and thanks so much for stopping by our blog.
  21. Adrianna O. says:
    Cyd- Thank you. This recipe is JUST AMAZING!!! THANK YOU for sharing and, ps aren't grandmas just the absolute best?! What would we do without our grams? This coleslaw is a big hit here in our home now.
  22. Debi H says:
    This recipe is spot on KFC coleslaw. They will missing my business as I often would go buy just the coleslaw as a side dish to a meal I was making at home. Not anymore! Thank you!
  23. Debbie says:
    Oh my goodness! This tastes just like their coleslaw! I could eat up the dressing all by itself. Great recipe!
  24. Carole Caldwell says:
    A must try!
  25. Leticia Rasillo says:
    I loved it! But I think I put a little bit too much lemon juice. How can I fix it?
  26. Momma Cyd says:
    You can add in less lemon juice than listed in the recipe if it seems like to much for your taste.
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