Broccoli Slaw
Published May 11, 2026
Simple broccoli slaw recipe with a creamy Greek yogurt dressing, cranberries, and sunflower seeds. Great for cookouts and meal prep.
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Broccoli slaw salad is soo good for summer!
The dressing is what makes my broccoli slaw recipe stand out from the versions that just pile on mayo, IMO. I use a mix of Greek yogurt and mayonnaise, so it’s still creamy but a little lighter, and the apple cider vinegar and honey balance the dressing out so it doesn’t taste flat. The base of my broccoli slaw salad is a bag of broccoli slaw mix, which comes pre-shredded with carrots and a little red cabbage, so there’s almost no prep. Dried cranberries and toasted sunflower seeds go in at the end for sweetness and crunch.
I make this broccoli slaw salad when I need something that can actually sit in the fridge for a few hours and still hold up when I pull it out. Broccoli stays crunchy even after it’s dressed, which is the whole reason I like it over regular coleslaw for anything I’m making ahead. I’ve brought it to cookouts, served it alongside grilled chicken wings, and eaten the leftovers straight from the container the next day. Still crunchy, still good.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Broccoli Slaw Ingredients
- Broccoli slaw mix: Most broccoli slaw mixes are a blend of shredded broccoli stalks, carrots, and red cabbage. Look for a bag in the produce section at the grocery store. If you want to make it from scratch, shred about 2½ cups of peeled broccoli stems, 1 medium carrot, and ½ cup of red cabbage. Peel the tough outer layer off the broccoli stalks before shredding, or they’ll be stringy. If you can only find cabbage or coleslaw mix, those work well, too.
- Add-ins: I add dried cranberries and toasted sunflower seeds for crunch, texture, and flavor! You could also try slivered almonds, chopped dates, or apples cut into matchsticks. The sunflower seeds should already be toasted before they go in. If yours are raw, spread them in a dry pan over medium heat and shake every minute or so until they turn golden. See my tips on how to roast sunflower seeds.
- Broccoli slaw dressing: Whisk together Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper. I use full-fat Greek yogurt for the best flavor. If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, use a 1:1 swap of white wine vinegar, rice vinegar, or lemon juice. Then, add diced red onion and let the dressing sit for a few minutes to mellow the onion flavor. For an even milder onion flavor, try a Vidalia onion.
How to Make Broccoli Slaw
The photos below walk through each step of this broccoli slaw. For the full ingredient list and instructions, jump straight to the → Broccoli Slaw Salad Recipe
1. Make the Broccoli Slaw Dressing
Add the Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt, and black pepper to a large bowl. Whisk until the mixture is completely smooth with no streaks.
2. Stir the Red Onion into the Dressing
Add the finely diced red onion to the bowl and fold it into the dressing. Let everything sit for about 5 minutes so the onion has time to mellow before the slaw goes in.
3. Add the Broccoli Slaw Mix
Put the broccoli slaw mix, dried cranberries, and toasted sunflower seeds directly into the bowl with the dressing.
4. Toss and Refrigerate
Fold everything together until the dressing coats the broccoli slaw evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes, then give it one more toss right before serving.
Full Broccoli Slaw Salad Recipe
Broccoli Slaw Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup full-fat Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup finely diced red onion
- 12 ounces broccoli slaw mix
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup toasted sunflower seeds
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt, and black pepper until smooth.
- Stir in the diced red onion and let the dressing sit for 5 minutes to mellow the onion flavor.
- Add the broccoli slaw mix, dried cranberries, and toasted sunflower seeds to the bowl.
- Toss until everything is evenly coated with the dressing.
- Cover and refrigerate for 30–60 minutes before serving, then toss once more just before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t skip the wait time. The broccoli slaw is best after it’s had at least 30 minutes in the fridge so the ingredients can soften and absorb the dressing.
- Taste the dressing before adding the slaw. It should taste slightly more acidic and a little saltier than you want the final result to be. The slaw will dilute it as everything comes together, so if it tastes perfectly balanced in the bowl before you add anything, it’ll be flat by the time you serve it.
- Toss it again right before serving. The dressing settles to the bottom while the slaw sits in the fridge. Pulling it out and serving it straight from the container means the top half gets barely any dressing. One more toss and it’s evenly coated again.
Serving Ideas
- Serve alongside burgers. This broccoli slaw works really well as a side instead of the usual fries. Try it with my veggie burgers, salmon burgers, or black bean burgers.
- Pair it with tacos. The creamy dressing is a good contrast to anything spiced or grilled. I like it next to grilled fish tacos, grilled shrimp tacos, or baked chicken tacos.
- Serve it with sandwiches. It fills in as the crunchy element you’d normally get from chips. Try it with grilled chicken sandwiches, cauliflower pita sandwiches, or tuna melt sandwiches.
FAQs
Yes, and it’s actually better after a short chill! For the best texture, add any seeds, nuts, and delicate herbs right before serving.
It probably just needs a little more dressing or a few more minutes to sit.
This can happen if it sits too long after being dressed, especially if you add juicy fruit. Add mix-ins that have water content just before serving, if possible.
