Copycat Chick-fil-A Cole Slaw

Prep time: 15 minutes (plus 2+ hours chilling) Cook time: 0 minutes Servings: 8 servings

Chick-fil-A quietly removed their coleslaw from the menu in 2016, and people are still upset about it. It was the perfect side — creamy but not heavy, sweet but not candy-like, with just enough tang from the vinegar and lemon juice to cut through the richness of a fried chicken sandwich. It was the yin to Chick-fil-A’s yang.

This recipe is the closest recreation you’ll find. The combination of mayonnaise and buttermilk creates that specific dressing consistency — thinner and tangier than pure mayo-based slaws, but richer than vinegar-based versions. The celery seed is the flavor most people can’t identify but would miss if it wasn’t there.

Bringing Back a Classic

• Shred the cabbage fine. Chick-fil-A’s slaw had a very fine, almost confetti-like shred. A mandoline on a thin setting is the easiest way to achieve this. Thick-cut cabbage gives you a completely different texture.
• Let it sit. Fresh coleslaw tastes sharp and one-note. After 2 hours in the fridge, the salt draws moisture from the cabbage, the sugar dissolves completely, and everything mellows into harmony.
• The buttermilk matters. Don’t substitute regular milk. Buttermilk adds a tangy depth that regular milk can’t replicate. It’s what separates a great coleslaw from a mediocre one.

A Piece of History

Chick-fil-A replaced their coleslaw with a “superfood” kale side. The outcry was significant enough that they published their coleslaw recipe publicly before removing it from the menu — a rare admission that the replacement couldn’t fill the same shoes. This recipe is based on that original release.