This one’s built to taste like the coleslaw that comes in the little tub next to your fried chicken: sweet, tangy, and creamy. It’s a copycat, sure, but it’s also just a genuinely good coleslaw that happens to taste familiar.

Tips for Copycat KFC Coleslaw

Texture is the big difference. The restaurant version is chopped very fine, almost minced: cabbage, carrot, and onion. I’ll be honest, I usually take the lazy route and use a bag of tri-color coleslaw mix. The flavor is the same, it’s just shreddier. If you want it to match the real thing, give the bagged mix a few quick pulses in a food processor or chop it fine by hand.

The dressing is the magic. Mayo, sugar, buttermilk, milk, vinegar, and lemon juice sounds like a weird lineup, but that sweet-tangy-creamy combo is exactly what makes it taste right. No buttermilk? Stir 3/4 teaspoon of white vinegar into 1/4 cup of milk and let it sit 5 minutes. That’s what I did the day I made this batch, and nobody could tell.

Give it time in the fridge. At least an hour, longer if you can. Fresh-tossed it’s fine, but after it sits the cabbage softens and soaks up the dressing, and it tastes noticeably better. It’s even better on day two.

What to Serve It With

It’s a natural sidekick to my Crispy Southern Fried Chicken and Texas-Crutch Style Smoked Brisket, and it’s great piled next to Pesto Bruschetta Chicken Sandwiches and Extra Crispy Oven Baked Fries. It travels well too, so it’s a solid pick for potlucks and cookouts.

KFC Copycat Coleslaw

Sweet, tangy, creamy, and dead-on for the coleslaw that comes in the little tub next to your fried chicken. Ten minutes of work, an hour in the fridge, done.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Chill Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Servings: 8

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 8 cups green cabbage, finely chopped or one 14-16 oz bag tri-color coleslaw mix
• 1/4 cup shredded carrot skip if your bagged mix already has carrots
• 2 tbsp minced onion finely minced
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup buttermilk no buttermilk? stir 3/4 tsp white vinegar into 1/4 cup milk, let sit 5 minutes
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 2 1/2 tbsp white vinegar
• 2 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper

Equipment

• Large Mixing Bowl
• Whisk
• Food Processor optional, for finer texture

Method

 

1. Finely chop the cabbage, carrot, and onion. For true restaurant-style texture, chop the cabbage almost minced, or pulse it a few times in a food processor. Add it all to a large bowl. (Using a bag of coleslaw mix? Just dump it in with the minced onion.)
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar, buttermilk, milk, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until smooth.
3. Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss until everything is evenly coated.
4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving, longer is better, this gives the cabbage time to soften slightly and soak up the dressing.

Notes

Texture: the real deal is chopped very fine, almost minced. I usually take the lazy route with a bag of tri-color coleslaw mix. Same flavor, just a shreddier texture. A few quick pulses in a food processor gets the bagged mix closer to the restaurant version.

No buttermilk? Stir 3/4 tsp white vinegar into 1/4 cup milk and let it sit 5 minutes. Works great, and it’s what I did the day these photos were taken.

Storage: keeps 2-3 days in the fridge, covered. It actually tastes better on day two.

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