Coleslaw is a delicious summertime side dish to bring to a barbecue or potluck, but it’s also great all year long as a topping for something like a sandwich, taco, or even hot dog! Coleslaw adds an amazing crunch to a dish with an otherwise boring mouth adventure. Our Cajun coleslaw recipe is another coleslaw variation that adds spicy and savory flavor layers to what some people think is a boring side dish.
How To Make Cajun Coleslaw
Our Cajun coleslaw is super simple to make. In 3 easy steps, you have a wonderful, savory coleslaw.
Slice your cabbage, onions, apple, green onions, and then chop your parsley. Place these ingredients in a large mixing bowl once complete.
Mix your coleslaw dressing ingredients in a separate mixing bowl.
Combine your cabbage mixture and dressing once you are about an hour away from eating—place in the refrigerator for at least one hour to let the flavors come together.
Cajun Coleslaw Tips
It’s all about perfect ratios with coleslaw. You don’t want your coleslaw to be too dry or too wet. Too much dressing could make coleslaw soup! The texture of coleslaw with too much dressing is off-putting, especially if you have guests who don’t like a lot of mayo.
We recommend mixing about three-quarters of your mayo mixture with your cabbage mixture and then checking to see how much more dressing you might need. Keep adding and mixing until you reach your desired wetness.
When cutting your ingredients, having them in similar shapes and sizes is key to making it easier for your guests to get a good uniform bite with their forks. Use a sharp knife or set up a mandolin to cut your desired thickness. We like a thickness similar to shoestring fries.
If you need to make your coleslaw ahead of time, prep your ingredients, but you will need to keep your dressing and dry ingredients separate until you are ready to mix. The dry ingredients should stay fresh for a day or two, depending on your refrigeration conditions, while the dressing should last at least a week. Once the dressing mixes with the cabbage, the texture timer starts. Coleslaw is best eaten between 1 and 36 hours after mixing with the dressing. After 36 hours, the cabbage crunch starts to deteriorate, which is the best part of any coleslaw.
If you need to expand the serving size of this recipe, multiply the ingredient quantity by two or three, or more if you need to make a very large batch. This recipe can serve about nine servings.
Cajun Coleslaw Ingredients
Green cabbage and red cabbage are the foundation for a standard coleslaw recipe. Carrot is sometimes added, but we omit it for this recipe. You can certainly add carrot if you have it on hand.
Coleslaw is a super versatile dish. You can even use other greens that you might have in your garden, such as mustard greens, collars, or even spinach. Just ensure you shred or cut to lengths similar to your other ingredients.
- Green cabbage
- Red cabbage
- Red onion
- Green onions
- Green apple
- Parsley
- Coleslaw Dressing
- Mayonnaise
- Cajun, whole-grain, or Dijon mustard
- Pickle juice
- Salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
- Cayenne
- Sugar
FAQs
Can you freeze coleslaw?
No, we wouldn’t recommend freezing coleslaw. Mayo doesn’t freeze well. The texture will change, which can create an off-putting mouth feel.
How long is coleslaw good for?
Coleslaw should last 4-5 days if kept refrigerated, but we recommend consuming within 36 hours. The cabbage will start to lose its crunchy texture in around 36 hours. Also, water will begin to puddle in your coleslaw container, further deteriorating the cabbage’s crunch. Drain the water before serving. Add more mayo if your dressing needs more viscosity.
Is coleslaw gluten-free?
Yes, all typical coleslaw ingredients are gluten-free.
Cajun Coleslaw Recipe Shopping List
- Mixing bowls
- Salad servers – tongs or utensils
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Green cabbage
- Red cabbage
- Red onion
- Green onions
- Green apple
- Parsley
- Mayonnaise
- Cajun, whole-grain, or Dijon mustard
- Jar of pickles (for pickle juice)
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Cayenne
- Sugar
