With the 4th of July upon us, I thought I would share with you a fabulous recipe I discovered. My husband loves the coleslaw from Kentucky Fried Chicken. In fact, he’s a terrible mayo-phobe, so it took many, many years just to get him to try other coleslaws. He had even told me one day that he wished I could find a recipe for KFC’s coleslaw so we could have it at home more often.
Then I saw it. A post on my friend Debbie’s blog, mocha me, for KFC Coleslaw. I immediately saved it and printed it out. It wasn’t until a couple months later that I finally tried it. The results, at first taste, were pretty close to KFC’s, but there seemed to be an overwhelming fresh cabbage flavor right after making it. However, after this sat in the refrigerator for several hours, the cabbage had time to soak up the flavor of the dressing, and that did it! Just like KFC! So thanks Debbie, for turning me on to this great recipe. And my husband thanks you too. :) This will definitely be on my 4th of July menu.
This recipe is now available for download on Kindle!(Printable version below)
More I’m making on the 4th:
Blackberry Pie Squares
Fresh Raspberry Lemonade
Watermelon Cookies
Sour Cherry Almond Cake
Garlic Marinated Chicken Cutlets and Grilled Potatoes
From the internet:
Glazed Pork Kebabs from Culinary Cory
Broccoli Delight Salad – from The English Kitchen
Red, White and Blueberry Pie – from Grumpy’s Honeybunch
Red, White and Blue Moonstone Cookies – from Salad in a Jar
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1 head of cabbage
- 1 medium carrot (about 1/4 cup)
- 2 tablespoons minced onion
Instructions
- Chop cabbage into chunks and run through your food processor, or chop fine.
- Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a large bowl, whisk well.
- Combine cabbage, carrots, and onion and toss well. Pour dressing over the slaw and turn to coat well.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving to allow the cabbage to soak up the marinade. Overnight is best.
Delicious! I'm sure your hubby will be happy this is on the menu :)
Love this recipe I make it all the time.. One tip is I use Napa Cabbage instead of regular cabbage its a much milder cabbage taste, and I usually let it sit in the fridge for a few hours too. I'm actually going to make it next weekend for a 4th party we are having!! : )
Que receta más interesante. Gracias y Saludos
I love KFC coleslaw and make this often. It's always delicious. I hate coleslaw's that are all gloopy with too much mayo. This recipe is just perfect. Yours looks fantastic! xxoo
OOh! I love KFC coleslaw…
it was the first coleslaw I ever had and so fsr my fsvourite (I've only had about two others though)
Definitely making this one day!!
I'm telling the Colonel! Just kidding, the Colonel isn't in a position to care these days. Here I thought all those KFC recipes were locked into some sort of vault impervious to nuclear disaster, etc. Looks just like it to me…stealing this one.
Awesome! My husband's favorite all-time cole slaw! I can't wait to make this for him :)
I'm right up there with your hubby with liking KFC's cole slaw. I'm sure this recipe would be a winner with me! MMM!
I love cole slaw, which is to say I'm not picky at all when it comes to it. Okay, wait I guess I am 'cause I won't eat it if there's onions in it. Anyway, I need to give this a try. KFC & Chic-fil-a cole slaws are my fave.
~ingrid
My hubby adores KFC's cole slaw too. I'm going to definitely give this copycat recipe a try!
This recipe is exactly the same one listed on TopSecret Recipes (http://www.topsecretrecipes.com). I have yet to make it, but after seeing it on TWO sites (theirs and yours), I'm going to throw it together for a weekend party. Thanks!
What a menu, I'm impressed. Your gonna be working your tail off. Hope you have a great holiday weekend!
I had found a version of KFC's coleslaw recipe in an old spiral bound fundraiser cookbook. I agree, it needs to rest to let the cabbage soak up the flavor a bit. Yours looks lovely.
I use to work for KFC about, believe it or not, 50 years ago. I made the cole slaw. We ground fresh cabbage, carrots, and onion. The mix was made with mayo, (equal parts of white sugar and salad oil) salt and white pepper. Thats all. No milk! The mix was added to the cabbage, carrots, and onion,and was packaged into container for sale. The cole slaw was best after it sat overnight. It was good for three days.
I & the family totally miss our KFC, especially the coleslaw. Maybe, now, I might get a compliment on my slaw ventures. Thanks for posting this copycat recipe.
Thanks everyone! This is definitely one of our favorites :)
That looks delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
Mayo or miracle whip? Must be mayo I should use? Thanks
Anonymous inquired Miracle Whip or Mayo? Two different animals here- Miracle Whip is loaded with sugar (very sweet-ruins egg/tuna/chicken salad IMHO) and the recipe already calls for sugar :)
Yes, mayo. :)
One head cabbage? C’mon, here in Michigan a head of cabbage can be anywhere from 1 1/2 pounds to 8 pounds. Can you be a little more specific?
I had no idea a head of cabbage came in so many different sizes in Michigan. A head of cabbage as referred to in the recipe is roughly to same size (not weight) as a head of lettuce.
can this recipe be made without the buttermilk? any substitutions?
I have never tried it without the buttermilk. You can make your own buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to a cup of milk.
Dianne Demers says:
I use to work for KFC about, believe it or not, 50 years ago. I made the cole slaw. We ground fresh cabbage, carrots, and onion. The mix was made with mayo, (equal parts of white sugar and salad oil) salt and white pepper. Thats all. No milk! The mix was added to the cabbage, carrots, and onion,and was packaged into container for sale. The cole slaw was best after it sat overnight. It was good for three days.
Fun to hear the history of it! I wonder if they’ve changed it over the years?
i made this today….awesomeness!!!! thanks for the recipe:)
So glad you liked it! :)
This recipe is excellent :)
But I would just like to comment that adding vinegar to milk does NOT make buttermilk, it makes sour milk. Buttermilk is the residual liquid left over when making butter from whole milk. In the amount does recipe calls for it is not that big of a deal, is something like buttermilk pancakes using sour milk would be disgusting.
Hi Kara ;) So glad you liked the recipe! You are correct, it doesn’t actually MAKE buttermilk, just a useable substitute :) Lemon can also be used in place of vinegar, but vinegar is better for this particular recipe.
I use tarragon flavored vinegar and miracle whip instead of mayo.
Good choice!
Thanks for this recipe, I will definitely try this as I love coleslaw. Mind if I copy the recipe? Thanks.
Rose
Enjoy!
I’ve been making this recipe for a few years and have always had to pour out leftover buttermilk. I found powdered buttermilk in the baking section-and it’s wonderful. I have used it in this recipe, used it with Bisquick, etc, it always works fine and gives that tangy taste. I wouldn’t recommend drinking it though. It doesn’t have the thick texture of regular buttermilk.
I use powdered buttermilk in baking. Never had the problem if excess buttermilk in this recipe. Glad you found a solution that works for you though!
Love me some Miracle Whip…..on everything …..deviled eggs…potato salad…sandwiches ..BLT…I could go on and on. But if I make this cole slaw I will you mayonnaise .
Thanks for sharing the recipe , oh and I love to drink buttermilk.
Love this recipe, KFC slaw has always been a favorite! I used light mayo, splenda (used less than sugar called for) and only had skim milk, no buttermilk. I also added a bit of tarragon to the vinegar, I have read that KFC uses tarragon vinegar, but am not sure if that is true. At first I thought it was too sweet, but after a couple of hours it is perfect, even without the layers of flavor that I am sure the buttermilk adds! Will be a nice addition to my Independence Day celebration.
Thanks Amanda, I made this for our July 4th barbecue and again today just to have in the fridge since it is the perfect side dish for many summer meals. We love it!! It also got RAVE reviews from all of my family. Thanks again!
This is so awesome i will not buy kfc coleslaw if i dont have to thanks and it is wonderful a hit with all my family they thought i spent alot to bring it to the family party
That’s awesome! I love it too, so glad you enjoyed it!
Good recipe, I will use it frequently. I love coleslaw on sandwiches and this is just rite. Inexpensive also!
What size head of cabbage are you talking about here?
We have here ones of 3 inches diameter to about 15 inches diameter????
Thanks a lot,
Regina
About the size of a head of lettuce, roughly 6 inches in diameter :)
Actually it is made with tarragon vinegar, no milk or buttermilk or lemon jucie,add oil, miracle whip not mayo. I use to work for KFC way back before they got the pre made dressing.
I make this all of the time! Delicious!!!! Even better after it sits. I always omit the buttermilk and use more milk and it comes out great.
I have made this recipe several times since finding it on Pinterest and I love it! Sometimes I add cilantro, diced tomatoes and some red cabbage. Also I substitute lime juice for the lemon juice and garlic salt for table salt. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
So glad you enjoy it Nessi!
I have not tried this recipe however I worked at KFC for several years back when we made coleslaw in store and this does not sound like what I remember only 3 ingredients Mayo, sugar, Tarragon vinegar
hope this is not rude just what i remember
Made this yesterday and gave you a shout out!! http://www.shilohstaste.com/2013/02/eastern-nc-bbq.html
Thanks so much for the mention!
I have a family recipe similuar to this.The KFC recipe and my family recipe are the only ones I will ever eat.The others are always lacking something.
I made this recipe last weekend. YUMMY!!! The only thing I did different was I bought an already made bag of cole slaw and put it through the processer to make it the right texture. Easy peasy.. Next time i make it I dont think I will put onions in it. Seemed to make it too strong. Thank you for posting this yummy addicting recipe!
So glad you liked it!
One tip… We lived near a KFC in Arizona and the manager told me THEIR secret.. It is just the usual sugar, mayonnaise (real) and pepper, but instead of lemon juice and/or vinegar, try tarragon vinegar! It’s delish!
I use to work at KFC back in the 70′s and we got the dressing in large boxes already made so all we had to do was mix it with shredded cabbage. I’m glad I now know all of the “secret” ingredients so I can make my own. That Colonel was a sneaky guy!
Can a bag of shredded cabbage be used in place of a head of cabbage? The onion can be added.
I don’t see why not!
I absolutely love KFC coleslaw. It is my favorite slaw. I will put this recipe to work. YEAH!!!!!
Hope you like it Joann!
Hi,
i am wondering if there is an alternate to using mayo without sacrificing the taste?? Will greek yogurt be ok? Thanks.
I’m afraid I haven’t tried substituting anything else for the mayo. My guess is that it would change the flavor.
ive had this same rfecipe for 20 years i made it like it said the first time… putting vinegar in milk the 2nd time did not taste the same always use real buttermilk if you add 1/2 of a drained small can of pineapple(crushed) makes it even better hubby worked at kfc when he was 16 and made the slaw by hand in big trash cans…glad they quit mixing it like that he was elbow deep mixing it he said back then there was pineapple in it…im going to try the mayo sugar tarragon vinegar recipe hadnt heard that one before but sounds a lot easier
That’s the first time I’ve heard pineapple! It’s funny, several people have commented on this post about working for KFC years ago and making the coleslaw. There have been several different versions as well. :)
Only problem it only makes 2 servings, well 2 of my servings.
Wow, that would be really big servings! LOL
I lov3e KFC cole slaw, & so does my ASon In law. Can’t wait to try this.
OOPS! Made a BOO Boo. This should be spelled Love KFC Cole Slaw. Can’t wait to try this. Sorry about that.
Hope you like it Jackie!
Can I not to put onion as my husband doesn’t like onion taste. Anyone has try not to put onion?
I use Miracle Whip instead of mayo, with a little milk to thin it out. No need to add sugar, vinegar, etc.
The KFC coleslaw is one of the best tasting I have had next to LJS.
Hi Carol. I’m not sure what LJS is, but I’m glad you liked it!