The Best Coleslaw
This is truly the best coleslaw recipe out there. Heaven in a bowl and blue ribbon level, this creamy and flavorful side dish and sandwich topping will dazzle at the next cookout.
First, I gotta say… all coleslaw recipes are not created equal. Some are just okay, some are pretty good, and some are magical. Of course, whichever descriptive the coleslaw merits is purely in the eye of the beholder but in my mind, Miss Millie’s best coleslaw recipe definitely fits into the “magical” category.
So, who is Miss Millie? She was my grandmother’s best friend for most of her life. They were neighbors when Grandmama passed away and Miss Millie who makes the best coleslaw ever now lives just two doors down from my mother. What’s more, her son married my aunt so some of my cousins have both my grandmama and Miss Millie as their grandmothers! I figured that was grounds enough to adopt her myself!
Miss Millie’s creamy coleslaw is loaded with fresh vegetables, like shredded cabbage and carrot (of course), as well as bell pepper and onion. But it’s the flavorful dressing that makes this the best coleslaw. The veggies are coated in a dressing that includes mayonnaise, sugar, cider vinegar, celery seeds, and dijon mustard. All of these ingredients combine to make a delicious homemade coleslaw that’s simultaneously sweet, tangy, and creamy.
Miss Millie’s best coleslaw makes the perfect Southern side dish to any main meal or a scrumptious sandwich topping. I’ve included more serving suggestions below, so let’s make some homemade coleslaw, hey?
Recipe Ingredients
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Bell pepper
- Onion
- Mayo
- Sugar
- Apple cider vinegar
- Celery seeds
- Salt
- Pepper
- Dijon mustard
I know that seems like a lot of ingredients but trust me, it’s worth it. It’s also incredibly simple to make.
How to Make Miss Millie’s Best Coleslaw
Chop up your cabbage and bell peppers, grate the carrots and onions, and put it all in a large bowl.
The grated onion thing is a little different but it works so well in this. If you’d rather, you can just chop it really fine.
Place all remaining ingredients into a separate bowl and stir really well until fully combined and sugar is dissolved.
Pour over veggies.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 to 4 hours to allow the flavors to blend.
Try not to eat the entire bowl yourself. If you do, just wash the bowl, put it away, and claim you didn’t have time to make any!
Not that I’ve ever done that….. 😆.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Because of the mayonnaise dressing, coleslaw doesn’t freeze well.
Recipe Notes
- To save time, you can definitely use a bagged coleslaw mix or pre-shredded cabbage (I won’t tell anyone). Then add the coleslaw dressing, marinate, and serve!
- You can substitute the sugar for honey if you like. Start with a tablespoon and add more according to taste.
- Don’t skip the celery seed! It truly adds to the coleslaw dressing flavor.
- Add some fun mix-ins, like sliced apples, dried cranberries or raisins, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or sliced almonds.
Recipe FAQs
What do you serve with classic coleslaw?
There are so many ways to serve this coleslaw. Firstly, it’s the perfect side dish to serve with barbecue meat, like beef brisket, pulled chicken, beef ribs, and pulled pork. Second, do as KFC does and serve it alongside some fried chicken. You can also serve it as a sandwich or burger topping (try it with my meatloaf burgers).
What’s the best cabbage to use in this easy coleslaw recipe?
I love to simply use green cabbage, but you can definitely use a combination of green and red cabbage (or ) if you like. Other cabbage varieties that work in a classic coleslaw include savoy cabbage and Napa cabbage. For something different, try broccoli!
Can I make coleslaw in advance?
I’d prepare the vegetables and sauce a couple of days in advance and store them separately in the fridge. Then mix them together and let the dish marinate for at least four hours (up to a day) before serving. The longer the coleslaw marinates in the dressing, the less crunchy it becomes.
You might also enjoy these cabbage and slaw recipes:
Mustard Slaw (from the SouthernPlate Mag)
Sheet Pan Cabbage and Beef Tips
Ingredients
- 1 medium head green cabbage cored and shredded
- 2 medium carrots peeled and grated
- 1 green bell pepper cored, seeded, and diced
- 2 tablespoons grated onion
- 2 cups mayonnaise
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons celery seeds
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Place shredded cabbage, shredded carrot, bell pepper, and onion in large bowl.1 medium head green cabbage, 2 medium carrots, 1 green bell pepper, 2 tablespoons grated onion
- In a separate bowl, mix together all remaining ingredients, stirring well to dissolve sugar. Pour over vegetables and stir well to combine.2 cups mayonnaise, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons celery seeds, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- Cover and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours before serving to allow the flavor to marinate and blend.
Nutrition
I don’t eat much of this stuff at all. Not because I don’t want to, but because I
just enjoy the chatter, the replies. Just good people on your site, Christy, talking
about family, meals, get-togethers. Much of it is inspiration in itself. Thank you.
Thank you so much Jim!! You made my day!!
This sounds delish and I will try it soon and may add some drained rotel tomatoes to give it a little heat 😉
Great idea Lynn!!
Thanks so much for your blog. You make my day!! Have only 1 question: What else can I use in place of Dijon mustard. Sorry folks, my family hates it!! Thanks you again.
Hi Michaella, you could use spicy brown mustard.Or is it mustard in general that your family doesn’t like?
As a coleslaw lover, can’t wait to try this one? I’ve never used celery seed and Dijon mustard in mine. I usually just use cabbage, carrots, mayo (Dukes!), sugar and sweet pickle juice. I grate my cabbage also. (Worked at a fish camp as a teen and this was how they made theirs.)
I hope you get the chance to try it soon, can’t wait to hear what you think!!
Hey, this is a recipe that I got years ago when I was the person in charge of concession stands for my children’s school. The only difference is that my friend used celery flakes instead of celery seeds. This is the Best Cole Slaw ever and to think I wasted years not eating cole slaw. Silly Me.
Keep up the good work Christy I like your site and your cookbooks.I’m from Mississippi and we cook alot like you Alabama folks.
🙂 Thank you so much RobbieAnn!!!
Hey there! I just wanted to doublecheck that it’s two TABLEspoons celery seed? I use celery seed for many things, but that sounds like a lot. Thanks, and thanks for the recipe!
That is correct 🙂 It really is two TABLEspoons. I know it sounds like a lot, but just wait till you try it!!
I just made this coleslaw last night for my husband. He loved it.!
I am so glad to hear it was a hit!!