If you want a delicious coleslaw for your cookout, this one has incredible flavor due to a couple of special ingredients.
You’re looking for THE BEST creamy coleslaw recipe, right? You’ve found it! This is my family’s favorite (and my neighborhood’s favorite, and my best friends’ favorite) for good reason. It tastes incredible because of a couple of very special ingredients. It’s crazy how much extra-delicious flavor they bring. It’s the perfect side to pair with burgers, grilled chicken, or BBQ ribs.
Scroll down to read more about how it all comes together or click here to jump straight down to the recipe.
Video: How To Make Coleslaw
Ingredients
The special ingredients to my amazing coleslaw recipe are pickle juice and horseradish. Yes, really! And it makes sense, right? Coleslaw usually contains something acidic like vinegar, so why not use a vinegary-solution with extra flavor like pickle juice has? And, coleslaw also often contains some subtle aromatic heat like garlic or onion, and horseradish is kind of like that, but with more oomph. Those two ingredients really bring a lot of great flavor to the creamy coleslaw dressing that works so well. And you won’t really taste them, you’ll just know that you’re eating something delicious.
We’re making this recipe nice and creamy so the rest of the dressing ingredients start with mayonnaise as the base. We’re also using some sugar, yellow mustard, salt and pepper, onion powder, and fresh garlic.
Of course, you also need cabbage and carrots for this dish.
What Kind of Cabbage to Use
I used green cabbage for mine, but you can also use a mix of green and red cabbage. You want a total of about 6-7 cups of finely sliced cabbage, which is equivalent to about half of a medium head of cabbage.
Can I used store-bought bagged shredded cabbage?
Absolutely, the already shredded cabbage can save you some time. One 14-16 ounce bag of coleslaw mix or shredded cabbage works great.
Pickle Juice Substitutes
Note that the below recipe calls for 6 tablespoons of dill pickle juice. However, if you don’t have enough left in your pickle jar, don’t worry. You’ll still be able to make this recipe.
Make up the missing amount using half apple cider vinegar, half water, and a bit of salt stirred in. It should taste a bit salty. If you have another kind of pickle juice other than dill pickle juice, you can use that, but taste it first. Sometimes it can be quite sweet, and you may want to reduce the amount of sugar in the dressing.
I prefer dill pickle juice over other pickle juices here because it’s a nice balance of salty and sour without a lot of sweetness, so the balance works perfectly.
Can Coleslaw Be Made Ahead?
Yes, but if you’re making coleslaw more than 30 minutes before serving, some liquid might come out of the vegetables, making the dressing a bit watery. If this has happened, don’t panic.
To fix the watery coleslaw, give it a stir and let it sit for 5 minutes. Then, use a slotted spoon to scoop the coleslaw into a fresh bowl, leaving some of the excess liquid behind. If the slaw seems under-dressed at this point, add 2-4 tablespoons of mayonnaise. Whether you added extra mayo or not, taste the coleslaw before serving and add more salt and pepper if needed, since some of the seasoning may have been washed away in the liquid. Problem solved, you’re ready to enjoy!
More Perfect Side Dishes
If you’re serving pork, check out my Coleslaw for Pulled Pork recipe which changes up the ingredients a little to pair perfectly. I even have a version of Coleslaw for Fish Tacos with lime and chipotle. Small changes can really help it match the meal.
Or, if you’d like more delicious recipes for your potlucks and BBQs, look no further than my Summer Recipes here, and I’ve linked to some of my favorites for you directly below:
- Creamiest Potato Salad Recipe
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Creamy Dill Potatoes
- Beefy Baked Beans Recipe
- Perfect Grilled Corn on the Cob
Podcast Episode: Making Creamy Coleslaw
Listen to me explain briefly about how to make this coleslaw, along with some other great tips, by clicking the play button below:
Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.
Print
Best Creamy Coleslaw Recipe
- Prep Time: 12 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 12 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings (1/2 cup) 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Mix
- Cuisine: American
DESCRIPTION
If you want the best creamy coleslaw for your cookout, this is it! There are a couple special ingredients in there to bring the flavors all together. This is my mom’s recipe and, as you know, she owned successful restaurants for years so everything she makes is always delicious. You’re in for a treat!
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 6 Tbsp. dill pickle juice*
- 3 Tbsp. sugar
- 2 Tbsp. horseradish
- 1 and 1/2 tsp. yellow mustard
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/8 tsp. pepper
- 1/8 tsp. onion powder
- 4 cloves finely minced garlic
- 1/2 head of green cabbage, cored and thinly sliced**
- 2 carrots, peeled and shredded
Instructions
- In a large bowl whisk together the mayo, pickle juice, sugar, horseradish, mustard, salt, pepper, and onion powder.
- Stir in the garlic. Add the cabbage and carrot. Stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Stir and serve.***
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Notes
*If you don’t have enough pickle juice in your pickle jar, that’s fine. Make up the amount using half cider vinegar, half water, and a bit of salt stirred in. It should taste a bit salty. If you have another kind of pickle juice other than dill pickle juice, you can use that, but taste it first and make sure that you like the flavor. Sometimes they can be quite sweet, and you may want to reduce the amount of sugar in the dressing.
**This is equivalent to about 6-7 cups of sliced cabbage, or to one 14-16 ounce bag of shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix.
***If you’re making this more than 30 minutes before serving, some liquid might come out of the vegetables, making the dressing watery. If this has happened, stir the coleslaw and then let it sit for 5 minutes. Then, use a slotted spoon to scoop the coleslaw into a fresh bowl, leaving some liquid behind. If the slaw seems under-dressed at this point, add 2-4 tablespoon of mayonnaise. Whether you added mayonnaise or not, taste the coleslaw and add more salt and pepper if needed, since some of the seasoning may have been washed away in the liquid.
This turned out so good! The pickle juice is the best part for sure. Love it!