Copycat Chick-fil-A Coleslaw: The Recipe They Published When They Pulled It
Prep time: 15 minutes (plus at least 2 hours chilling) Servings: 8 | about 3/4 cup each Calories: ~225 per serving (estimated). The original menu side was 360 calories for a small, 580 for a large.
Chick-fil-A coleslaw was on their menu for approximately 49 years — introduced around 1967, removed on January 18, 2016. People are still upset about it.
When the company announced the removal in late 2015, they did something almost unheard of for a major fast-food chain: they published the full recipe on their website as a parting gift. The recipe is still live at chick-fil-a.com. The ingredient list they released was short: finely shredded green cabbage, finely chopped carrot, full-fat mayonnaise, granulated sugar, white vinegar, dry mustard powder, and kosher salt.
That’s it. No buttermilk (a very common copycat addition), no lemon juice (another common addition), no celery seed (widely added by copycat recipe writers who say “it’s the flavor people can’t identify”). Those additions make a good coleslaw — but they’re not what Chick-fil-A made for 49 years.
This guide follows the official published recipe exactly. The variations section covers common community additions if you want to experiment.
Why CFA’s Coleslaw Was Different
Most fast-food coleslaw recipes are variations on the same theme: mayo, vinegar, sugar, coarsely shredded cabbage. CFA’s stood out for two reasons.
The shred. The official CFA recipe specifies cabbage “shredded and chopped to 1/8-inch thickness.” That is genuinely fine — about 3mm, the width of two pennies stacked. Most home and restaurant slaws are cut at 4–6mm; grocery-store coleslaw mixes run even coarser. The fine shred was the primary reason CFA’s slaw had such a distinctive creamy, almost smooth texture. Thin-cut cabbage absorbs dressing completely during the refrigeration rest and softens just slightly — producing something that reads as a unified, creamy salad rather than dressed crunchy cabbage. If you use coarser-shredded cabbage in this recipe, you’ll get a good coleslaw. It won’t be the same thing.
The sweetness balance. The official recipe uses 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) of sugar against only 4 teaspoons of white vinegar — a 3:1 sweet-to-acid ratio that is notably sweeter than most vinegar-led slaws. This made CFA’s coleslaw less sharp and bracing than a typical diner coleslaw, and more mellow and creamy. The dry mustard (1/4 teaspoon) adds a very faint background heat that you can’t identify as mustard but would notice if it were absent.
The Resting Step
The official CFA recipe specifies refrigerating for at least 2 hours before serving. This is not optional.
Fresh coleslaw — just tossed and served immediately — tastes sharp and disconnected. You can identify each element separately: the vinegar’s tang, the sugar’s sweetness, the raw crunch of the cabbage. After 2 hours, salt and sugar draw moisture from the cabbage through osmosis, the dressing penetrates each strand, the vinegar mellows, and everything merges. After overnight rest, the slaw is cohesive — it tastes like a single unified dish.
Liquid will accumulate at the bottom of the bowl as the rest progresses. This is normal. The brine is flavor-rich. Stir before serving, and use a slotted spoon so you don’t drown the slaw in pooled liquid.
The Shredding Technique
This is the highest-leverage step in the recipe. A mandoline set to 1–2mm is the easiest way. A food processor with a fine shredding disc is nearly as fast. A sharp knife works if you’re patient — quarter the cabbage, remove the core, make the thinnest slices you can manage.
The fine shred has two benefits beyond texture: it reduces prep time for the rest step (thinner cabbage softens faster) and it makes the slaw much easier to eat as a sandwich topping without strands pulling out.
Common Copycat Additions (Not in the Official Recipe)
Many well-regarded copycat recipes add ingredients that Chick-fil-A did not include. They’re worth knowing about:
Buttermilk — adds tang and makes the dressing slightly richer and more complex. A good addition; just not official.
Lemon juice — adds citrus brightness as a second acid source. Also good; also not official.
Celery seed — described by many copycat writers as “the flavor people can’t name but would miss.” It adds a faint herbal-bitter note that rounds the dressing. Not in CFA’s recipe, but widely included in community favorites. If you add it, use 1/4 teaspoon.
If you want the actual CFA recipe from memory, make it as written above. If you want a hybrid that uses the CFA base but builds on it, add 2 tablespoons of buttermilk and 1/4 teaspoon celery seed to the dressing.
How CFA Coleslaw Compares to KFC Coleslaw
Both are the famous fast-food creamy slaws. Both use mayo-based dressings. They’re not the same.
| Chick-fil-A | KFC | |
|---|---|---|
| Shred | 1/8-inch fine | Coarser |
| Primary sweetener | 1/4 cup sugar per 20oz cabbage | Less sugar |
| Acid | White vinegar only | White vinegar |
| Dressing spice | Dry mustard | No mustard |
| Buttermilk | Not official | Yes (in KFC’s recipe) |
| Texture | Creamy, tender | Crunchier |
KFC’s version is more vinegar-forward and crunchier. CFA’s was sweeter and creamier. Copycat KFC Coleslaw →
What to Serve It With
The obvious pairing is alongside a Copycat Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich — the slaw was designed for exactly that. The sweet-creamy profile cuts the richness of fried chicken.
It also works well:
- Alongside waffle fries — Chick-fil-A Waffle Fries if you’re recreating the full CFA meal at home
- As a BBQ side — the sweetness pairs naturally with smoked pork or brisket
- On pulled pork sandwiches — a spoonful on the bun instead of plain slaw; the dry mustard echoes BBQ flavors
- With Chick-fil-A Nuggets — the original combo; the coleslaw was always available as a nuggets side
- At a summer cookout — the milder, less tangy profile works well for groups where not everyone likes a sharp vinegar slaw
Storage
Covered container, refrigerator, up to 3–4 days. Best in the first 48 hours. Stir before each serving; drain pooled liquid with a slotted spoon rather than pouring it over the slaw. The texture will continue to soften past day 2 — still good, just less crisp.
Do not freeze. Mayonnaise breaks when frozen.
See all Chick-fil-A copycat recipes →
