Learn how to make it at home with this KFC Coleslaw Copycat Recipe! Just like the delicious coleslaw served at your favorite fried chicken restaurant!
Reasons To Make This Coleslaw:
- It tastes JUST like the kind you get at KFC!
- This is a perfect summer side dish, it’s great for potlucks, BBQs and picnics.
- Quick and easy, you can whip this coleslaw up in a matter of minutes… yes, minutes!
- You can easily make this the day before you need it. It’s even better the next day!
KFC Coleslaw
If you’ve been to Kentucky Fried Chicken, chances are good that you’ve tasted their famous coleslaw. As a side dish for a chicken dinner or barbecue, it doesn’t get much better than a creamy crunchy slaw and KFC’s does theirs just right.
With summer weather arriving, I’m already planning ahead for all those picnics and barbecues on the horizon! Nothing goes better with a leg of fried chicken or a big plate of BBQ like a side of homemade coleslaw.
Lots of recipes have circulated over the years claiming to be the authentic KFC coleslaw copycat recipe. The one I’m sharing today, though, is by far the best! It tastes just like the slaw you love with your fried chicken order, all tossed with a creamy tangy dressing.
Best of all? This coleslaw recipe is super easy!
The most effort you’ll put into making KFC Coleslaw is chopping the cabbage. Other than the effort it takes to resist trying a bite before it’s had a chance to marinate in the fridge for a couple of hours, of course!
KFC Coleslaw Copycat Recipe
Made entirely from scratch, this easy coleslaw will be the perfect side dish for all your summer barbecues and picnics. Instead of making a trip to a Kentucky Fried Chicken and paying for such an easy slaw, stay home and make it yourself for pennies.
I use green cabbage for this slaw because I wanted to mimic the KFC coleslaw as closely as possible. You also can’t beat the price! If you prefer, I’m sure red cabbage (or a mix or both) would be delicious here as well.
While you can simply chop your cabbage, if you have a food processor, it really helps give that coleslaw texture you get at Kentucky Fried Chicken. I first rough chop my cabbage, then just pulse it in the food processor a few times. Works like a charm. That said, if you don’t have a food processor, no worries, just chop it as finely as you like.
KFC Coleslaw Dressing
What really makes this coleslaw stand out is the creamy dressing. Made with real buttermilk, the dressing gets a tangy kick from a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
For years I thought I disliked coleslaw because I wasn’t a fan of the dressings. They were either too heavy on the mayonnaise or too sweet for my taste. So I always skipped the coleslaw and brought Pasta Salad to outdoor potlucks instead.
This homemade coleslaw recipe is SO much better than the ones I was trying before! It’s full of creamy buttermilk flavor with just the right amount of sweetness to balance things out. While I’ll still bring my share of pasta salads to my summer potlucks, I might have to start mixing things up by showing up with copycat KFC coleslaw instead!
Make this coleslaw for your next picnic or chicken dinner along with other favorites like Macaroni and Cheese and Jiffy Cornbread or Easy Homemade Dinner Rolls, and you’ll have a perfect meal. Don’t forget the Crockpot Baked Beans, Mashed Potatoes, Buttermilk Biscuits, Ambrosia Fruit Salad and Creamed Corn, too! We love to serve this as a side with Air Fryer Cheeseburgers.
KFC Coleslaw Recipe
KFC Coleslaw Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 cups cabbage finely chopped about 1 head
- 1/4 cup shredded carrot about 1 carrot
- 2 tbs minced onion
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 1/2 tbs lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tbs white vinegar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together, the milks, mayonnaise, sugar, lemon juice and vinegar. Add the onion, carrots and cabbage with salt and pepper. Toss to thoroughly coat the vegetables in the dressing.
- Cover and let chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours (or as many as 8) before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Rhena says
I just made this coleslaw recipe and we love it….THANK YOU for sharing
david keith roberts says
I tried it and it was just like KFC’s. Keeping the recipe on file Thanks very much!!!
Squiggles says
I’ve been making coleslaw for decades! And this recipe is quite similar to the Southern style I grew up watchin my mother make creamy sweet and savory! Over the years I’ve tweaked it here and there with some French onion dip and a pinch of that special crack crust ripe off the vine Mmmmm Mmmmm!
Lydia says
I can’t wait to make this recipe! KFC coleslaw is my absolute favorite!! I have a quick question regarding how much lemon juice? Could I please get a liquid measurement?
Thank you so much!
Christi Johnstone says
It’s 2 1/2 tablespoons. You’ll find that, and all the other specifics, in the printable recipe card. Enjoy!
Kathleen V King says
I live in a small town and the KFC closed. I bought cole slaw from grocery stores and it always had a bitter aftertaste. I thought it might be that the coleslaw sat in the store too long. I haven’t had a chance to prove that with this recipe. It gets eaten too fast. We don’t miss KFC so much and do enjoy this recipe a lot. I do add pineapple occasionally, the recipe is great. Thanks.
Winston Churchill says
Goid for a guideline. Like the apple cider vinegar a little better. And lime juice. White pepper.
Still the same measurements. But a little sharper taste on the sweet.
Thank you
Joyce says
Thank you, I love this cole slaw recipe! It was delicious. Everyone devoured it. My go to slaw from now on.
Cajun girlie says
Great recipe, fore those that don’t have buttermilk you can make your own homemade buttermilk in a pinch. It’s easy!
One cup of milk with a tablespoon ( or two tablespoons) of white vinegar in it. Just leave it sit for 5 or 10 minutes. Viola Enjoy the great recipe!
Diana says
I’m excited to find this!
Do you think the dressing mix could be frozen for future use?
Christi Johnstone says
I’m not a huge fan of freezing anything with dairy. Honestly it’s so quick and easy to make that I kind of feel like making it, freezing it and thawing it is actually more work than just making it when you need it.
Sylvana says
I added 1/2 cup purple cabbage for more color. My husband loved it, and he’s picky.