Just an old family recipe that I have been told is reminiscent of KFC coleslaw. You be the judge! To speed things up I sometimes just buy an already shredded bag of cabbage with carrots in it and then just chop it a little finer.

Nana's Southern Coleslaw

cabbage,

carrots, finely chopped

onion

mayonnaise

white sugar

milk

buttermilk

lemon juice

white vinegar

salt

black pepper

Mix cabbage, carrots, and onion in a large salad bowl. Whisk mayonnaise, sugar, milk, buttermilk, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and black pepper in a separate bowl until smooth and the sugar has dissolved.


Pour dressing over cabbage mixture and mix thoroughly. Cover bowl and refrigerate slaw at least 2 hours (the longer the better). Mix again before serving.


Excellant! I made a double batch for a picnic and none was left. I went a little lighter on the sugar and used half the milk and half the buttermilk called for and it was perfect! I also used a grater to grate the onion into the dressing so it would be distributed well. Very very pleased with this recipe. It was the ideal blend of snappy and sweet. Thank you Krissy.

Well Krissy, for "just an old family recipe" this sure is delicious and it does remind me of KFC's version! To cut back on the amount of chopping I did as others as well as the submitter suggested and bought a bag of coleslaw mix.  I also opted to lighten this up a bit by using Hellman's light mayo, reduced fat buttermilk, and 1% milk.  I poured everything into a large tupperware container and refrigerated for a few hours - definitely the longer the better!  Great side dish for bbq ribs!

Loved it.  Just like KFC.  I substituted 1-16 oz. bag coleslaw mix for the cabbage, carrots, &amp; onion.  Didn't do any additional chopping.  Delish.

Delicious! I did not have buttermilk so I increased the milk to 1/2 cup and the vinegar to 1/4 cup. My son is a coleslaw lover but I've never been able to make a recipe that he liked until now!

To make it really KFC,I used my chopper,and ground the cabbage,carrot &amp; onion into (Rice Size Pieces).That makes the KFC differance right there.Mix the vegtables completely in your bowl,before adding the mayo/milk mixture.If you don't have Buttermilk,mix a little white vinegar &amp; milk together in a separate bowl. Let it sit for 5 min or so,till the milk kurdels(gets thick).I also add Celery Seed to mine.A couple shakes.Refrigerate,&amp; mix just before serving.I make it in the morning, so it's ready for Lunch or Dinner.Great served on Sandwiches,Hot Dogs or Burgers also.

You're right...this is pretty dang close to KFC's coleslaw...which is the ONLY coleslaw that I truly like. I didn't chop up the bagged cabbage/carrot mixture because I don't mind it chunkier. Great recipe, I'll be using this as my go-to from now on!

So good....my kiddos loved it....used a pre-shredded slaw mix for ease....also used fine diced red onion (which my eldest noticed and loved), low fat mayo, omitted the milk, used low fat buttermilk and used 3 packets of Truvia sugar substitute instead of the sugar and it was way sweet enough. Also used fresh lemon juice which I think it way better than any bottled, salt and fresh cracked pepper. Made this in the morning and served tonight....NO LEFTOVERS!!!! Family inhaled. Thanks!

Good recipe, consider using Stevia instead of sugar, makes it diabetic friendly.  Follow directions for Stevia, is sweeter than sugar.

This was a great, standard coleslaw recipe.  I added only half the sugar and still thought it was pretty sweet.  Next time I might try it without the sugar and see if I think it needs it.

You cannot go wrong ... my wife liked it... she is The Cook .. I made it... enough said.. ; }..

I loved this recipe and consider adding apples and raisins it gives it a fruitful kick!

GOOD, BUT NEEDED HELP. INSTEAD OF WHISKING, PUT ALL IN A SHAKER JAR. (WORKS FASTER AND BETTER.)  TO MAKE THIS HEALTHIER AND SNAPPIER, USE RICE OR CIDER VINEGAR.  (DISTILLED VINEGAR IS UNHEALTHY.....BUT GOOD FOR CLEANING!) BLACK PEPPER IS ALSO TOXIC TO THE BODY. (Reference material...'Back to Eden' by Jethro Kloss.) USE CAYENNE INSTEAD WHICH HAS NUMEROUS HEALTH BENEFITS.  ADJUST THE HEAT TO TASTE. ALSO USED FRUCTOSE IN PLACE OF UNREFINED SUGAR. ALSO ADDED CELERY SEED AND CHOPPED ONION.  THANKS FOR THE RECIPE./ arnetage68

Eating a delicious bowl as I review! This recipe is sweet yet tangy. I replaced the buttermilk with a tablespoon of sour cream and only used a quarter of the sugar and it turned out delicious! I will definitely be using this recipe over and over again!

Awesome slaw!!! The first batch went according to the recipe and it was a bit lemony so I reduced the lemon by half in the second batch and it was great. The third batch I added a third tablespoon of vinegar and it reached the awesome level. I also used the pre-shredded cabbage/carrot mixture sold at the local store and just chopped it a bit finer. It went fast but if it lasts into the next day its even better after the flavors have mingled a bit more.

Took to a family gathering. I also used the prepackaged cole slaw mixture and chopped it in food processor. I doubled the receipe except for the sugar. I also used red wine vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar. It turned out great. Just the right amount of sweetness. Will make this again. Nothing left but the bowl.

Cure for watery coleslaw. I suggest combing cabbage and carrots that have been shredded with 1 tsp of salt. Mix then set over a strainer for 1 hour to get the water that's in carrots and cabbage out. Rinse to get the salt off then dry well.

I made exactly as the recipe stated and this recipe was just a little too sweet for us.  I also thought the dressing was a little too thin.   I will try this again because I thought the flavor profile was good, just too sweet.  Next time I will cut back on the sugar and omit the milk.  I think it will be thin enough for my taste using just the buttermilk.  If you like a sweet coleslaw though, this is the recipe for you!

This ole slaw is great. I have been searching forever for a coleslaw dressing. This is all I need now. The only change I made is adding celery seed. Thanks.

Oh my goodness!!!  This is the best coleslaw I've ever eaten!  And that's saying alot, because I have ALWAYS HATED the stuff!  Wow!  This is going into my favorites.  KFC ain't got nothin' on this slaw!

This is the best, I served it at a dinner party with 34 people in attendance and everyone loved this recipe - I used presliced bags of coleslaw and did not do any additional chopping and people still thought this was the best coleslaw ever!

Did not care for this at all. There was nothing creamy about this. I followed the recipe (almost)to a T, with one omission and one minor sub, after mixing the mayo and buttermilk together, it looked very liquidy, so I left out the 1/4 cup regular milk and I subbed onion powder for the raw onion(personal preference). At this point I was hesitant, but I decided to go on. I should have listened to myself. When I added the dressing to the cabbage, it just dripped to the bottom of the bowl. Even after several mixings, over several hours, none of the dressing clung to the cabbage. But honestly, the dressing didn't taste that good anyways. I even added celery seed, hoping to salvage the taste...nope. The only reason I give this 2 stars instead of one, is because I was able to easily wash off this off putting dressing and add my own. I will use my tried and true recipe for slaw dressing(mayo, sugar, celery seed and vinegar...it's that easy)from now on, just wanted to try something new and wanted to use up a small amount of buttermilk left over from making Irish Soda Bread. Sorry, will not make again

This is the best coleslaw I have ever had!! my daughter who does NOT like it at all has been devouring it!!! i made 2 batches already this week..I asked her if she wanted me to add raisons to it..her comment was do NOT mess with perfection.....and I love thats its so fast to make....P.S. I have now made this for several parties and EVERYONE LOVES it....even the people who "hate" coleslaw....it's a keeper for sure...

My family loves this recipe.  I shred 1 small gala apple and add it.  It adds to the flavor.

My husband and I LOVED this coleslaw. Went with the premade bag of cabbage/carrots at the store, and cut back on the sugar like others recommended. Will definitely make again, maybe a double batch next time!

Very good. Finally a slaw recipe my daughter would eat other than KFC's or Bob Evans.

Hi.we just want to thank you for sharing this amazing recipe.My family love it.God Bless you and your family.

I made it and absolutely loved it. I used all whole milk instead of the buttermilk, and used Sweet and low packets instead of the white sugar.
I made a double batch. I used 1 green and 1 purple cabbage. It was soo good.

The recipe was just as everyone said. We killed it!

I used sour cream, instead of buttermilk, and seasoned rice wine vinegar, and added celery seed.
Very good recipe.

This is definately a keeper! As I live in Norway where buttermilk is not really available i tried doubling the milk instead, but it tasted right as I added the lemon and the vinegar. Served it with spareribs and family raved and gobbled all up.

Excellent,  Excellent.  I've never made coleslaw before.  I decided to try my hand at it to accompany pulled pork sandwiches.   I loved this dressing!   I also reduced the sugar dramatically after reading the reviews.  - I added the sugar at the end,  a little bit at a time until it was to my liking -  (2 Tablespoons was more than enough for me.)
I ended up testing out the shredding/slicing attachments on my food processor.  Once I figured it out :) I had a huge bowl of cabbage,  red cabbage,  carrots and red onion in under a minute! 

The advantage is that you can adjust to taste..  I used a full 1/2 red onion and 4 carrots.   Had lots of fun!!   I will use this recipe again.

This is definately a keeper.

Definitely grate your carrots and onion.  Also added some Louisiana hot sauce, ditched the milk.  I like my dressing to stick to my cabbage.  Very good recipe, something I'd been pretty much using all my life.  :)

Made this over the weekend!  It's awesome!  I have been is search of a great coleslaw recipie and I have found it!  Easy and tasty.  Followed the recipie as is.  Served it with Elaine's Sweet and Tangy Loose Beef BBQ (recipe on site).

Thank you Krissy!  We absolutely love this.  I often have cole slaw that isn't quite so enjoyable but then there are others that I just love and can't get enough of...this definitely falls in the latter category.  Yum!

Really enjoyed this.  Made it using bagged coleslaw mix, no additional chopping, and used stevia in place of the sugar.  Turned out very good.

Like others I cut the sugar to a tblsp and used cider vinegar because that's what I had. PERFECT!

Excellent!  Used half and half for the milk, 2 Tbs. of sour cream for the buttermilk, cut sugar to 1/4 c. and added 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper.  Perfect amount of dressing for a bag of coleslaw.  Super easy.

Yummy!  I am ecstatic to find a recipe for the kind of slaw dressing we love!  I have tried a number of slaw recipes, and I'm finished searching now.  This has just the right combination of tanginess and sweetness.  I saved time on chopping by using preshredded cabbage and carrots.  Two minor adjustments: I skipped the onion due to sensitivities in my household, and I reduced the sugar to 1/4 cup.

This was a bit hit at the birthday party. Next time I'll use less milk and more acid, and add some sunflower seeds for crunch. Great base recipe!

Excellent recipe.  I halved it and followed the recipe exactly and it was great.  Indeed very close to KFC, which I love.  Not to mayonaisy, so it tasted nice and light. Will definitely be making this again soon.

Yes -- Great slaw recipe -- I made the following mods: (All other quanties remained the same)
  Used light mayo and 2% milk
  Used 1/4 cup sugar 
  Added 1/2 oz freshly grated ginger
  Added 1/4 tsp of ground celery seed
  Added 1/8 tsp cayenne powder

It makes a LOT so I cut the recipe in 1/2. I've made this recipe quite a few times. This time I only had 1/2 purple cabbage and no milk products. I omitted the milk products and I like it even better.

I really like coleslaw and I must say this is the best. The only thing I changed is I only use 2 tablespoons of sugar, and a pinch of celery seeds and a few dried cranberries great recipe, thank you.

Best coleslaw I have ever tried.  Has a nice not to sweet not to sour taste. I even make my own buttermilk using a one cup of regular milk to one tablespoon of cider vinegar. Let it sit for a while and you have buttermilk. I tried mine and store bought and can not tell any difference. Saves from wasting buying a whole pint for just a 1/4 cup.

This was very yummy!  I made it to go with our BBQ ribs last week and everyone really loved it!  Yummmmy!

Pretty tasty! It ends up a little soupier than I prefer but the flavor is great. Be sure to give it a few hours in the fridge to let the cabbage sop up the liquid.

We added more miricle whip and made it a bit creamier.

This was delicious!   As close to KFC as we have ever had.   My family all commented on how good it was.  This is now my new coleslaw recipe!!
I doubled the dressing recipe and used 2 bags of shredded cabbage mix.  Made enough for family of 9 plus a little left over.  I made this early in the morning and served it in the evening.  Stirred a few times throughout the day to blend flavors. Perfect!!

I misplaced my go to cole slaw recipe and saw this one which seemed close. I made this one and at dinner my wife said exactly what I was thinking: "This is the best cole slaw you have ever made!" It is indeed better than my previous recipe and is now my new go to cole slaw. My only change was using some red onion that I had use up. Delicious!

Wonderful!!!! Best cole slaw dressing I've tasted. I used the pre-packaged cole slaw mix and added the dressing from this recipe. Wow... rave reviews from
anyone who tastes it!! Thanks for sharing this one.

i have been searching for a coleslaw for my husband (he believes that it is a member of the Canada Food Guide, and needs a daily dose).  this? was perfect.....i too substituted by using a bag mix, but added red onion and carrot. i will use the food processor next time to achieve that fine grind. taste was perfect. awesome recipe!

This is the only Cole slaw that I ever make. Without a doubt the best I have ever had.

This coleslaw was the bomb!! It really does taste like KFC's coleslaw. I changed the recipe because I didn't have buttermilk so I just added some vinegar to another 1/4 of milk. Perfect..... :)

Awesome.  My French son-in-law doesn't like coleslaw, but I didn't know that and gave him about 3 cups of it with some pulled-pork.  To be polite, he tried it, then ate the entire amount that night!

SO DELICIOUS!!! I always end up eating a bunch of it warm because I can't wait for it to cool in the fridge!

Really good recipe but I thought it was missing something because it tasted a little too "mayo-ish" and I figured out what it's missing: CELERY SALT!  Add that to this recipe, and it will be 5 stars. I aded a little dill, a tad more lemon juice and buttermilk as well.  I cut down on the sugar also. Really good!  Thank you for sharing :)

If you like KFC coleslaw you will love this one.  I used packaged coleslaw w/carrots to make this and chopped slaw into small bits to mimic KFC's and I am glad I made the effort.  Somehow it does make a difference.  I followed ingredients exactly.  I did have to make my own buttermilk out of milk and vinegar. (Put 1 1/8 tsp of white vinegar or fresh lemon juice in measuring cup, add enough milk to measure 1/4 cup - let sit 15 min. - this is Emiril Lagasse's recipe).   I am making a different coleslaw tonight and my guy is asking me to change my mind and make this again.  Will keep this one at the TOP of the rotation list though.  Thanks submitter.

Loved this recipe! I was looking for a good southern mayo slaw and found it! I didn't add onion because my family doesn't like the raw onion flavor and no buttermilk because I didn't have any on hand. Still just used 1/4 cup milk (no extra to sub for buttermilk) and it turned out perfect!

I really liked this coleslaw, and I don't like coleslaw! I think it turned out wonderful, but the second time around I also reduced the sugar to 1/8 cup, and reduced the lemon juice to 1 TBSP. The next thing I might try to adjust would be the dressing. It seems to get too watery once the cabbage is added. I may try adding 1/4-1/2 tsp of xanthan gum to the dressing before mixing it in with the veggies. Also, I'm an onion lover, so I used twice to three times the onion on the second go-round, and it was STILL great!

Like other reviewers, I reduced the sugar.  Used 2 TB of sugar and substituted lime for lemon juice. Didn't have lemon juice handy. Was great! Rated this four stars, instead of five, because a full 1/3 cup of sugar would have made it too sweet.  2 TB was just right.

This is absolutely fantastic. To me, this is just about the perfect coleslaw dressing! The only thing I did was add some celery seed.

I omitted the 1/4 c regular milk because it was def soupy enough. I made this with Apple Cider Vinegar which made it too sweet.  Next time I might just do the same but with a lot less sugar.  Made it for my husband who is picky and he loved it as did my mother in law!  Wonderful recipe.  I will make this again.   I made it with southern pulled Pork and I was the talk of the meal!

Great recipe. I too throw in some celery seed. I would also only use @ most 1 tablespoon of sugar but unless you are diabetic, DO NOT use stevia or truvia unless you don’t mind the awful aftertaste of all sugar substitutes. Only 1/4 cup of buttermilk is sufficient minus the other suggested 1/4 cup of milk unless you want it soupy. The vinegar and sugar breaks it down and it produces a lot of liquid all on its own.

I made it pretty much the way it was written. I did cut the sugar in half and it was just right for us.

Delicious! I had to make little changes due to what I had available. I used a package of coleslaw mix instead, and didn't have buttermilk or almonds. Used the juice of a whole lime (about 3 Tbsp), and 5 Tbsp of sugar. The rest of the ingredients i followed as listed in recipe. This is a keeper. Thanks for sharing it!

Great recipe! Didn't put the onion in and halved the buttermilk &amp; milk. It was so good served on potato bar with barbecued chicken &amp; green onion! Delicious!

Really, really delicious slaw recipe.  Perfect as written.

I made this the way it was written the first time around except that I made it with low fat mayo. It was excellent! So I played with it the next time because I wanted something with an Asian like flair to serve on Korean style pulled pork sammies. I added 1/4 tsp ground ginger and a 1/2 tsp sesame oil plus 1 Tbsp of toasted sesame seeds and a tsp of soy sauce. I replaced the white vinegar with rice wine vinegar. Loved it both ways. It's a dish of Delish! Thanks for posting the recipe!

Followed the directions except  I used apple cider vinegar and the family loved it! Yes I will make it again!

Everyone loved it! They said it tasted just like their grandma's, which we all know what that means.

Only made 2 changes.  I didn't have white vinegar so I used apple cider vinegar instead.  And I added 1/4tsp celery seed.  My new go to recipe for coleslaw.  Thanks!

I've made this coleslaw a few times and each time it's a winner. Last time out I used Bragg's apple cider vinegar and a little less sugar (1/4 c) along with just buttermilk (I had no milk on hand) and it proves this recipe is truly forgiving. Taste wonderful. It's a keeper. Thanks for the recipe.

We loved it!  I could never find a coleslaw recipe that we liked that was also easy to fix.  This will be our go-to coleslaw recipe from now on!

Very tasty - as others mentioned it tastes just like KFC slaw. It pairs great with grilled chicken.

I followed the recipe to the t. I love this recipe thanks for posting it. This recipe is yummy.

Excellent. Use Green onions instead of cooking onions and 1 cup each butter milk and milk instead of 1/2 cup each. I used Creamy cashew milk instead of the milk and also the cashew milk with 1tbsp of lemon juice instead of the butter milk. Maybe that is why I needed more than what the recipe called for but it turned out well and it's true it does taste very close to KFC coleslaw.

Made it EXACTLY as written and it is wonderful! Correctly stated that is really does taste like the Colonel's (if my memory serves me correctly, it has been a long time since I've eaten at KFC.) This is a keeper I will be sure to make again. Oh, forgot to mention this is my first go at making coleslaw. So easy and delicious!   Can't believe I've been missing out for so long!

I made NO CHANGES.
It was fabulous! Thank you SO much! I will never use another coleslaw recipe!

This recipe is perfect! We're taking it to our Bible study group tonight to go with brisket. I'll be making this recipe a lot! Thank you!

I don't like coleslaw but every time I make this it is instantly gone! I don't put real buttermilk in to mine instead I mix 2 tablespoons of vinegar in milk and don't add the extra vinegar the recipe calls for. This recipe is a hit at my house!

The family loves it best slaw ever followed the recipe exactly to the measure!!!!

We've been looking for the perfect coleslaw &amp; I think we found it. If you're looking for a KFC copycat this is it!

Nice and creamy like I had expected, not too sharp or sweet.

Exdellent and yes, it does taste like KFC's slaw.  Definitely will be my "go to" coleslaw recipe.  I used a large bag of coleslaw mix for the cabbage, carrots and onion due to time restraints. Didn't change anything else.

Love this, I used Splenda instead of sugar and it turned out just as good. Also I used a little more Mayo and buttermilk because we like it more creamy. Everyone that has tasted it say they love it and it is much better than KFC's.

Used 2 Tbsp sugar instead (which is less than half the recipe called for) and used half and half instead of buttermilk... and turned out wonderful!

Too dry for me. If i make it again I will definitely reduce the amount of cabbage.

Kept recipe the same except for I went the easier route and use a bag of of slaw mix instead of cutting up everything separately (too time consuming).  Chopped it all up pretty good and it turned out great!!

Just the right balance of flavors. This is a keeper! Thanks for sharing :-)

GREAT ; Absolutely loved this one . Thanks for sharing

Omg...This recipe is absolutely terrific. I made it for a family party and every one seemed to like more than the other salads that was present...awesome. thank you allrecipes.

Made this for neighborhood 4th of July party we attend and it was a big hit.  I saved time buying the chopped cabbage -  carrot combo bag.  Next time I will chop that a little finer my preference but the flavor was delicious and got rave reviews from those whom are coleslaw fans.  I will definitely be making again.

Very good and I'll make it again.  I did use only 1/4 cup sugar, and yogurt since I didn't have buttermilk, but it was terrific.

A creamy, tangy, vintage slaw handed down through the generations.

nana's southern coleslaw

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total: 2 hours, 20 minutes

Servings: 8

Author : Kristina

Ingredients

Instructions

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nana's southern coleslaw

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total: 2 hours, 20 minutes

Servings: 8

Author : Kristina

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Instructions

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