This is THE best classic Coleslaw recipe. It’s perfectly flavorful and tangy, with lots of crunch, and easy to throw together thanks to a combination of bagged coleslaw plus some extra fresh ingredients. It’s the perfect side dish for any BBQ as it goes perfectly with smoked and grilled meats, and stuffed onto sandwiches like BBQ Pork or Corned Beef.
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
Dressing
- Mayonnaise – No Miracle Whip or fat-free mayo. Light is ok, but full fat is best.
- Dijon – Or other whole-grain mustard.
- Apple cider vinegar
- Granulated sugar
- Kosher salt
- Grated onion
- Celery seed – Make sure you’re using celery seed and not celery salt!
Coleslaw
- Bagged shredded cabbage with carrots – This is NOT a mix with a pre-made dressing pack inside. Just the bag of shredded cabbage with carrots. Make sure to not get the extra thin shreds, as those will get soggy in the dressing.
- Green bell pepper
- Carrot
How to Make Memphis-Style Coleslaw
- Empty a bag of shredded cabbage and carrots into a mixing bowl. Add some freshly chopped green pepper and shredded carrots. Set aside.
- Whisk together your dressing: mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, grated onion, mustard, and celery seed.
- Toss the dressing and cabbage mixture well and, for best results, let chill in the fridge for a bit to let all those flavors sink in before serving.
Storing and Other Tips
- Store leftover coleslaw in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3-5 days for best results.
- Cabbage holds up to dressing quite well, but you may want to eat leftovers on the earlier end if you like it more crispy.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can definitely make this coleslaw several hours to a day ahead of time! It will stay good longer than that, but some of the cabbage may start to wilt after a couple of days.
In my opinion it’s just the right amount of sweet! If you prefer less sugar it’s absolutely ok to adjust it according to your taste.
Angel hair shreds are ok if you are going to be eating your coleslaw immediately. If you are making it ahead of time or think your might have leftovers it’s really best to use the thicker shreds as they will hold up to the dressing much better.
Memphis-Style Coleslaw
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons Dijon or whole-grain mustard
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ heaping teaspoon Kosher salt or an even 1/2 teaspoon of table salt
- 1 tablespoons grated onion
- 2-2 ½ teaspoons celery seed NOT celery salt
Coleslaw
- 1 16- ounce bag shredded cabbage with carrots
- ½ minced green bell pepper
- 1 carrot peeled and grated
Instructions
Dressing
- In a small mixing bowl combine mayo, mustard, vinegar, sugar, salt, onion, and celery seed.
Coleslaw
- In a large mixing bowl, combine shredded cabbage, carrots, and green pepper. Toss with dressing and for best results refrigerate for 2-3 hours before using.
Notes
- Store leftover coleslaw in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3-5 days for best results.
- Cabbage holds up to dressing quite well, but you may want to eat leftovers on the earlier end if you like it more crispy.
- Use thick shredded cabbage for coleslaw that will hold up. Angel hair shredded cabbage will wilt pretty quickly so only use this if you plan to eat it immediately.
Questions & Reviews
Made this yesterday and it was good, Ate some leftovers today and it was SO GOOD!
I made the Memphis-style coleslaw for a family gathering last month & everyone LOVED it!???? Now, I’m in charge of the coleslaw for EVERY family gathering!! Thank you for sharing… it WAS delicious, if I do say so myself (jk)!!????????
Just finished making a double batch!
Found this a couple weeks ago and tried it with pulled pork. My husband started out leary, but on our last trip to Sam’s club he grabbed a big bag of coleslaw and came home from work today and asked me to make it again!
This is very much like the coleslaw I grew up with and couldn’t replicate from my mother. It will be what I take to my next get together with the girls pot luck!
Thank you very much for this post!!!
Need to revisit this recipe again. I’ve been making this one for almost a DECADE! It is absolutely my favorite. If I’m in the right mood, I can sit with a bowl of this instead of a bowl of ice cream.
The only correction is I call it “slaw” (southeast US) and it goes on my BBQ (which is pulled pork).
Ladies – Hosted a n’hood party tonight and served this slaw; generously piled high in pulled pork sandwiches w/pickles. Thanks to you, I am a hero in my kitchen, but you ladies deserve all the credit. Bravo to you – keep up the great work!!
Ditto,
We’ve made this several times now. I have been halving 1/2 the recipe, since the first time made so much. Like others, I am not a big cabbage fan and didn’t grow up eating slaw. My grandmother made me eat hers once, but haven’t got the recipe.
We have this one added to our book. And again today we made another batch.
Thumbs up!!!
P.S. Nothing was altered
I made this tonight exactly and followed the recipe exactly. We ate it with pulled pork sandwiches. My family and I agreed it was the BEST coleslaw we have had! Delicious, and I too… could not stop eating it out of the bowl! Thanks for sharing!
My new go-to slaw dressing!! Tweaked it a bit, probably added a bit more Dijon, 1 1/2 tbs sugar, 1/2 tbs celery seed, no bell pepper, but, wow! Sure was yummy. This is a keeper! Thanks for sharing!
This is seriously the BEST coleslaw recipe – EVER! And I’m not a huge coleslaw fan. 😉 I made it today to go with some BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, and I could not stop eating it right out of the bowl! I thought the celery seed amount was absolutely perfect (for my tastes anyway). This one is DEFINITELY going into my “The Best…” recipe file!!!
this is my family’s absolute favourite coleslaw receipe…even the picky ones eat it!
Go ahead and consume the regular mayo without remorse. I heard someone say this last week “low fat products are a chemical s*** storm!” Truth. I wouldn’t repeat it, except that I totally agree!
I had some cabbage to use up and decided to make coleslaw for dinner. Found this wonderful recipe on Pinterest! It’s a savory, thicker dressing, not a sweet nor thin one, and it’s delicious! I’m so glad I found you!
Tried this recipe when I realized I did not have any white vinegar (my “regular” recipe). This is now my favorite. Made it 4 times so far. Always great.
Best coleslaw…I always gets TONS of compliments on it. Even my husband, who is not a “creamy salad” kind of guy, loves it!
celery seed is not the same as celery salt. Opps, a bit too salty . . . wish I would have noticed that before I put in the 1/2tsp of table salt.
Beats me why people think this is so good.
I had to make coleslaw for a family picnic and tried this the day before.
It is the yuckiest coleslaw that I have ever tasted. Even refrigerated it overnight thinking that it might taste better the next day. Nope. Ran to the grocery store at the last minute and bought their coleslaw which was 10 times better than this.
Really disappointed.
Outstanding!!!!
OMG. I made this for tomorrow. I just tried it after the flavors had time to mingle. It was SOOO good. I shouldn’t be surprised, I’ve never tried a recipe of yours that I didn’t like.