16 Tangy Coleslaw Recipes That Are Great for Picnics and Potlucks (2024)

Coleslaw is a classic side dish, and it can be transformed in so many ways. There's classic creamy coleslaw with shredded cabbage and mayonnaise, lighter vinegar coleslaw recipes, spicy variations, and so much more. No matter what your main dish is, you'll find the best coleslaw recipe for your meal right here!

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Classic Creamy Coleslaw

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16 Tangy Coleslaw Recipes That Are Great for Picnics and Potlucks (1)

If you want a traditional, easy coleslaw recipe, this is the best one around. Combine shredded green and red cabbage with carrots, green onions, and a coleslaw dressing recipe that uses mayonnaise, celery seeds, and lemon juice. It's simple, creamy, tangy, and delicious!

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Cucumber Radish Slaw

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Want proof that not every coleslaw recipe needs cabbage? Look no further than this refreshing cucumber slaw. It combines cucumber slices, radishes, and red peppers with an easy cider vinaigrette. It's ready to eat in just 20 minutes, or you can let it chill in the fridge for a few hours and serve later.

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Sweet Potato-Pomegranate Slaw

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Sweet potatoes can improve almost any recipe, including coleslaw! Shredded raw sweet potatoes take the place of traditional cabbage in this recipe for coleslaw, and they add gorgeous color and delicious flavor. Pair with pistachios, pomegranate seeds, and cilantro for a one-of-a-kind slaw with sweetness and tang.

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Sesame Noodle Slaw

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This Asian coleslaw recipe mixes cabbage and a vinegar dressing with uncooked ramen noodles, which help give it some crunch. Sesame seeds, soy sauce, and rice vinegar give the coleslaw Asian-inspired flavors. If you want the noodles to be a little softer, instead of serving right away, let the slaw sit in the fridge for a few hours so the noodles soak up some of the dressing.

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Spicy Broccoli Slaw

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This easy recipe for coleslaw couldn't be simpler: it starts with a purchased broccoli slaw mix, and all you have to do is dress it up a little. Toss in jalapeño peppers and a splash of hot pepper sauce to give it some heat, and small dill gherkins for a little extra tang. A classic mayo coleslaw dressing is the best creamy finish for this tasty side dish.

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Creamy BLT Coleslaw

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Two summer favorites in one! Since mayo is classically used in both coleslaw and as a sauce for BLT sandwiches, it's only natural to pair the two into one of the best coleslaw recipes ever. Crispy bacon and juicy cherry tomatoes upgrade this otherwise-traditional slaw.

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Vinaigrette Coleslaw

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Like your coleslaw with no mayo? This vinegar coleslaw recipe uses classic ingredients like red cabbage and shredded carrots, but paired with a mayo-free vinaigrette. For the coleslaw dressing recipe, shake together cider vinegar, salad oil, dry mustard, and caraway seeds, then let all the veggies marinate for a few hours before digging in.

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Red Cabbage and Radicchio Slaw

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Sweet, juicy, and with a little bit of bite–this easy coleslaw recipe combines a ton of fresh ingredients and bold flavors. Red onion, radicchio, red cabbage, and pomegranate arils make for a beautiful purple salad that tastes even better than it looks. The recipe makes six servings, but it's easy to double or even triple if you're planning to feed a crowd.

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Peanutty Noodle Slaw

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Just add peanut-sauced chicken and this Asian coleslaw recipe can turn into a main dish. A creamy peanut butter and ginger sesame dressing coats shredded cabbage, crispy ramen noodles, and sesame seeds. Just before serving, top with peanuts for a little more crunch.

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Waka Waka Salad

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16 Tangy Coleslaw Recipes That Are Great for Picnics and Potlucks (10)

Call it a salad, call it slaw–no matter what name it goes by, this easy coleslaw recipe is utterly delicious. A combo of Napa cabbage, red cabbage, shredded carrots, and red onions make up the veggie base of this tasty side. To put a new spin on classic slaw, top with Spanish peanuts and fried wontons.

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Winter Slaw with Blood Orange Vinaigrette

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This easy coleslaw recipe makes 10 servings, which is just the right amount for a holiday, picnic, or potluck. Blood oranges add juicy, bright flavor and make the slaw impossible to pass up. The recipe is already quick–it only takes 25 minutes–but you can speed it up even more with pre-shredded kale and coleslaw mix.

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Thai Pork Shredded Tacos with Sriracha Slaw

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Whether you choose to make the Thai pork tacos or not (and you definitely should!) you have to try the spicy coleslaw recipe they're paired with. Sriracha and mayo make a coleslaw dressing with kick that tastes amazing coating shredded cabbage. If you like cilantro, stir in a handful of fresh herbs to brighten the flavors even more.

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Copycat Coleslaw

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If your favorite part of a fried chicken meal is the coleslaw, this is the recipe for you! Our copycat KFC coleslaw recipe is made with green cabbage, carrots, and a sweet creamy sauce. Plan ahead as it tastes best the next day.

Delicious Copycat Recipes That Are Even Better Than the Originals

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Trisha Yearwood's Fourth of July Coleslaw

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Rather than sugar, Trisha Yearwood sweetens her coleslaw recipe with diced sweet pickles. She also adds sweet onion, mayo, and big pinch of salt. You can shred your own cabbage and carrots but a bag of coleslaw mix will work in a pinch.

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Coleslaw with a Twist

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The twist to this creamy coleslaw recipe is fresh dill and lime juice. We also added thinly sliced red peppers for flavor and crunch. Chill for at least two hours before serving.

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Asian-Style Chicken Sliders with Snow Pea Slaw

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Swap in snow peas for the cabbage in this creative coleslaw recipe. They add big crunch and sweetness. Serve this slaw on our chicken sliders or alongside your favorite grilled meat.

16 Tangy Coleslaw Recipes That Are Great for Picnics and Potlucks (2024)

FAQs

What is KFC coleslaw made of? ›

KFC coleslaw has a sweet and tangy taste with a creamy texture. The coleslaw is made with shredded cabbage, carrots, and onions, and is dressed with a sweet and tangy dressing that includes vinegar, sugar, and a blend of spices.

How to make coleslaw Jamie Oliver? ›

Peel the onion and shallot, and slice as finely as you can, along with the cabbage, if using. Add these to the bowl of veg. In a separate bowl, mix half the lemon juice, a lug of extra virgin olive oil, yoghurt and mustard. Pick the herb leaves and chop, then stir into the dressing.

What can I add to store bought coleslaw to make it taste better? ›

It's the dressing that makes it so bad. Buy the bags without dressing and add, walnuts or pecans, grated cheese, pineapple, apple, sultanas, asian fried noodles.

Why did Chick Fil A stop selling coleslaw? ›

"But as our sales volumes grew, it just wasn't feasible to keep adding to the menu without taking anything away." Chick-fil-A cut cole slaw from the menu in January to make room for a new "superfood" side of kale and broccolini in a maple vinaigrette dressing.

What is Popeyes coleslaw made of? ›

Made with cabbage, red pepper, carrot and onion, this awesome recipe for coleslaw has all of the ingredients you love about traditional coleslaw and is topped with a slightly sweet dressing that sets it apart from many other coleslaw recipes…

Is KFC coleslaw any good? ›

There's nothing like KFC's slaw. It looks different, tastes different and crunches different in your mouth. It has a zing you just won't find in the supermarket deli. Coleslaw is KFC's top-selling side dish, more than doubling the tonnage of its runner-up, mashed potatoes with cracklin' gravy.

What is in Mary Brown's coleslaw? ›

Mary Brown's shreds fresh cabbage and carrots in house, and tops it with a creamy dressing. The freshly shredded veggies give you a light yet satisfying crunch while the dressing gives you the tanginess you're looking for.

Why does my homemade coleslaw taste bitter? ›

Cabbage Core:Issue: The core of the cabbage can be bitter, especially if it's not removed before shredding. Solution: Ensure that you remove the core of the cabbage before shredding it. Cut the cabbage in half, then cut out the triangular core from each half. Old Cabbage:Issue: Older cabbage may develop a bitter taste.

Why does my homemade coleslaw go watery? ›

Cabbage contains lots of water. Alton Brown suggests salting the cabbage and letting the water drain for two hours, then rinsing the cabbage and spinning it dry before dressing it. That purges the excess water out of the cabbage before it is dressed, so it doesn't get watery.

How do you pimp up shop bought coleslaw? ›

Store bought coleslaw usually has too much dressing for my taste. The first thing I would do is put it i a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and let all the juice drip out. then I would add some fresh herbs, parsley, thyme, basil, oregano are some that come to mind. Perhaps a grated carrot as well.

How do you reduce the bitterness in coleslaw? ›

For every 2 cups of sliced cabbage, mix it with about a teaspoon of salt. Kenji Lopez- Alt also found it was beneficial to add a teaspoon of sugar too. Both salt and sugar promote osmosis, which draws out any water from the cabbage. And the sugar can balance out some of the bitterness in the cabbage.

Is it better to make coleslaw the day before? ›

Freshly made coleslaw is at its crunchiest, creamiest best if eaten on the day it's made. The longer it sits, either on a picnic table or in the refrigerator overnight, the more liquid is released from the shredded cabbage, which can make the salad soggy.

Why did Chic Fil A change their name to Chick-fil-A? ›

The capital 'A' stands for Grade A top quality, and it feeds into everything we do. It all began with our founder, S. Truett Cathy, naming his restaurants after his famous signature Chick-fil-A® Chicken Sandwich (also known as the Original Chick-fil-A® Chicken Sandwich).

Why is coleslaw now called slaw? ›

Whatever the reason for the formation, people familiar with the food item began tinkering with its name. For instance, the Latin-based cole was substituted for cold and the spelling variant slaugh was used with cold or cole. The name was also chopped to slaw or slaugh.

Is Chick-fil-A losing popularity? ›

Still, Chick-fil-A remains on top. Its market share grew to 45.5% in 2023 from 38.3% in 2022, according to Barclays research. The No. 2 player, Popeyes, holds only an 11.9% share, losing some of the market during the same period.

Is KFC still using cabbage? ›

KFC outlets, excluding those in the Northern Territory and South Australia, currently uses a 60/40 blend of lettuce and cabbage – but this will soon no longer be necessary, O'Malley said. “The crop got decimated. We do think it's short term in nature,” he told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

Is coleslaw from KFC healthy? ›

KFC coleslaw contains a moderate amount of calories, fat, and carbohydrates. It also provides some vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin C and vitamin K. However, it is important to note that KFC coleslaw is high in sodium and sugar, which can be a concern for those on a restricted diet.

Does KFC coleslaw contain horseradish? ›

Does KFC Coleslaw Contain Horseradish? The answer is yes, and no. The original recipe had a touch of horseradish in it, and many people remember that version well. If that flavor is something you're looking for, try about one teaspoon of prepared horseradish in this recipe.

Does KFC coleslaw contain milk? ›

The coleslaw is made with shredded cabbage, carrots, and onions, and is dressed with a sweet and tangy dressing that includes vinegar, sugar, and a blend of spices. The dressing also includes mayonnaise and buttermilk, which gives the coleslaw its creamy texture.

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